|
Tanning Equipment From Low pressure to High pressure tanning equipment. |
| LinkBack | Thread Tools |
11-29-2004, 10:20 AM | #8 (permalink) |
Join Date: May 20 2003
Posts: 9,301
Rep Power: 29 | Quote: On 2004-11-19 14:57:00, Neon Beach wrote: Don't the UV rays degrade the acrylic to the point that less rays make it thru? So even if the canopy isn't totally beat up it should be changed every couple of years? ~~shrug~~ Eh, if it LOOKS ugly then it should be changed. I was under the same impression but the meters seem to disagree. I have a piece of acryllic that I was SURE was blocking some rays. Maybe a point or so drop which isn't anything and this is a bottom. I've seen every 3rd lamp change, I hear the same or more frequent for starters. Just a way to sell more I say. |
12-01-2004, 09:56 AM | #9 (permalink) |
Join Date: Nov 13 2001 Location: MI
Posts: 861
Rep Power: 23 | A regular 5.0 meter will not show very much loss of total UV as acrylic ages, because UVA keeps transmitting through it. A 6.0 UVB meter will however show "solarization" loss because old acrylic blocks/absorbs that wavelength the most. It seems that some owners see very little or no UVB loss with age, whereas others see significant amounts. Strong lamps with high percent B will degrade acrylic faster. And it also varies among manufacturers of UVT acrylic. Keep in mind that even brand new acrylic may absorb nearly 5% of UVB.... so check new transmission as a baseline. Then after many hours it may lose another 10-20% and should be re-newed. There is no absolute rule-of-thumb for this, nor have there been any published studies on rate of UVB decline as far as I know. Example: UVB with no acrylic: 1.00 mW/cm² (bare lamps) UVB with new acrylic: 0.95 (5% loss) UVB with old acrylic: 0.75 (21% loss from new)(25% loss from bare lamps) Remember to keep measuring distance and location constant, and to re-check bare lamps first because they will be less than initial reading. |
Bookmarks |
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | |
Thread Tools | |
| |
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Acrylics breaking like crazy | Ginger | Tanning Equipment | 28 | 01-26-2012 11:15 AM |
StandUp Tanning- Acrylics or Not? | JOHN @ URI | Tanning Equipment | 8 | 08-14-2003 12:29 PM |
Acrylics ??? | vettes | Tanning Equipment | 7 | 03-31-2003 10:08 PM |
Solarized Acrylics??? Steve??? | BooBop | Tanning Equipment | 9 | 10-23-2002 02:29 PM |