Chipp

I think too much is made about differentlamps, i have yet to come across a tanning lamp that won't tan.

Adam Cooper

i have metered many differant types of bulbs. you are right, they will all tan you, so on the consumer end, you would really care. UNLESS you were in a salon that didnt change their bulbs very often. You have to look at which bulbs has the best output, for the longest amount of time, thats simply spending your money wisely!

Chippp

AdamWe did an experiment in our salon, a number of years ago.First we use all 160 watt lamps in all our booths.Any way to make a long story short, we had one booth with lamps that had come to the end of their rated life, we had in fact let them go a bit past their life, for this purpose.In an other booth but the same model we relamped with all brand new lamps the same make same uva/uvb rating.My self as well as the staff tried one booth then the other for about 2 weeks we went back and forth between these two booths we even asked our long term "people that had come for years" regular clients if they found one booth stronger or more effective, as we told them we were testing lamps.No one at all could tell any difference at all in tanning effect.The only way you could tell what was the older lamped booth was the lamps were a little dark in color at the ends.The out put or tanning effect was the same, we all agreed.The lamps were all from the same shipment as well, we used to by large quantities at the same time,in the old days I had to buy my lamps from the USA, 160 watt lamps were not carried in Canada for a few years in the old days.This is not in anyway scientific but it did seem to speak volumes. I was surprised at the results. I expected a BIG difference in out put and effect. We did not have a meter to read the out put in those days. I don't know if that would have mattered.The results seem to be so clear I never bothered to try the experiment again.I do not know if it is because the lamps were 160 watt not the 100 watt.But I do know the 160 watt lamps tan your face and legs better then the 100 watt lampsthe higher wattage seem to help the over all out out at the ends of the lamp.Just thought everyone would like to know.Did anyone try this same experiment?

Don Smith

Chipp:The honest sunlamp manufacturers will tell you that there is wide variation (between batches of the same lamp) in how long they will last. That is why using a hand-held radiometer is the way to go. The time to change lamps is at the end of their useful life and not at a certain number of hours.For instance, I have had Cosmedico VHR sunlamps that I changed at 800 hours, another batch that went 900, another 1,000 and one fantastic "batch" that went 1180 hours!We change lamps when they have degraded to 70% of their original output. Clients will begin complaining at 55-60% of original output.We bought a salon several years ago (our first) and we asked the owner when she changed lamps. Her answer was "When the 3rd client complains". In the days before hand-held meters, her way was pretty good when you stop and think about it.Changing lamps before the end of their useful life is, IMHO, a tremendous waste of money.Don

Chippp

I agree!If they are doing the job why can them.