mrsats

ok here is the scoop, I was going to order a solar meter 5 and 7 as I think that is all I will ever need, but buying a salon where there is an absentee owner and current employees dont open till 11 am, but I am getting mixed stories on when the bulbs where last changed, one says 6 weeks ago, another says 6 months and the owner... well has no idea.

so the question is, is there a way to measure the bulbs usefullness or if it is time to change without knowing the original uva/uvb measurements.? maybe there is a minimum meds/hr rating for 100w, 120w and 160w? I know I will change them soon, but is soon quick enough? and if they were changed 6 weeks ago I may have some breathing room for a few months.

any insight or tips would be appreciated

Tanzenite

If you do not have a reading to compare to, a meter will not help.

SandiGirl

Shouldn't they have their receipt for the lamps?

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Tanzenite

I was thinking the same...

mikejones

Use the 7.0. on the lamps after they've been warmed up and divide that number by 240.

The resulting number is the time to 4 MED (as in the max tan time)

If it's more than 20-30% over the bed's tan time, throw them out.

How many hours or how old a lamp is meaningless.

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mrsats

thanks guys, the problem is that they had stock bulbs, so the date the owner bought the bulbs does not mean anything, and with an absentee owner he has no idea when the employees changed the bulbs, and to be honest, I dont think the employees know... the place is not computerized, its all paper based, I am suprised at how badly it is set up, but with 1300 customers and very bad hours and staff it is easy to see potential with a few minor changes, starting with the staff and computerization.

the bulb change is on the list, I just would like to know if its going to be #1 or #3

thanks for the info mikejones, I will take that measurement and compute... and then use the 5.0 as I change them out. but your math kind of threw me a little.

from reading here... say a bed on meter 7 reads 6.1 from regular med/hr
6.1/60 = 0.1017 med/minute and on a 20 minute bed that = 2.0333 meds/session a little low perhaps if the goal is to provide 3-4 meds a session.

from your explaination... that same 6.1 reading / 240 =0.0254 ? and this is where I am lost as to what exactly that reading is? can you elaborate a little more on this please

depomas2

the reading you get from a 7.0 should divided by 240. Take the reading in the middle of the bed with lamps warmed up. Take threading at the approx distance from the canopy as where a persons belly button would be. that number could be for example........18, so 240 / 18 = 13.33 max minutes. If this is a 10 min bed then they're just about ready to go. If this is a 15 min bed then they are more than fine........

Or put 2 new lamps in and measure the new lamps compared to the old ones with a 5.0 (make sure you put the same kind of lamp in just new)

mrsats

ok, thanks, I understand, its 240 divided by the 7.0 meter number not the meter number by 240

simple to figure out now... in the hypothetical example of a reading of 6.1
then 240 / 6.1 = 39.34 and on a 20 minute bed then the bulbs have oulived their
usefull life twice over... hehehehe and we have pale zombies roming the salon after a week of tanning... }:-p

mikejones

you'd be surprised just how off the RATED LAMP LIFE is compared to what you are able to get out of them. I've gotten 1000hour 100watt lamps to last 1500hrs and 800hr lamps dead in 400.

Who knew?

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mrsats

thanks for all your input, I appreciate it, I will take the readings and make the calculations as soon as I get the meters in hand