tannedbottom

Hello all. A Newbie here.


I may not be well liked for my dual "citizenship" of being a video store turned video store/tanning salon. But my area had a need and I really wanted to increase my revenues through added products. The video trade mags promote tanning in video stores, several videos stores in this area has taken the plunge and it seems to be working. Our store has just moved into a larger remodeled location to accommodate this change. It certainly does not look luxury-upscale as some I've seen here but it certainly is much nicer than this area probably deserves or anybody else is doing.


Anyway, my market is price/base-bed driven and that was the market we chose to appeal to. So what does that mean? Well most of you know the answer and that's low-cost beds and low-cost tanning. So far it is working.


Anyway. I hate my beds. I knew pretty much what I was buying because at these prices, you definitely get what you pay for - I have 3 Solar Storm 32's and they look nice and so far tanners love them. However the service after the sales sucks and so does working on the beds to do any kind of lamp changing etc. I don't want these beds long enough to have to change the lamps more than once.


My issue. I have a lamp out in 2 of the beds. What a pain to get at them. You have to dismantle the whole bed to get at them. And then you have to put it all back together to see if you got it right. The lamps are 2 prong and I can't tell if the issue is bad lamps or that they are just turned or maybe a bad ballast etc. I'm frustrated with these beds. I've had each one apart several times and I've only been open a week!


Again I know, you get what you pay for but it made sense to us as our build out and remodeling costs where crazy and this is what made sense at the time. They will make money but I refuse to keep these any longer than I have to. Our intention has always been to dump them after the cash dust settles and buy something nicer rather quickly.


So short of spending a whole day switching out bulbs or trying to turning them ever so slightly only to discover once again that it didn‘t solve the problem, what are some of the indicators that will help me figure out what needs to be done to get these lamps lit. The lamps worked in each location at one time. One would light if you hit it, the other went out after replacing the “cut too small” acrylic from the manufacture. Yes it’s true, the acrylic was falling through as tanners laid on the bed. What a nightmare. How embarrassing. But since then I’ve replaced the lamp with a “new” one and it still doesn’t light up. I wanted to reach out to see if there is a way to figure this out without spending a whole day of dismantling and putting it back together out in the sales floor (we made sure to use every possible inch of floor was used for revenue - so we are maxed out on space). Please if anyone has any ideas I’d appreciate it. Offers for me to buy different beds isn’t what I’m looking for - so please anything constructive about solving the problem at hand is welcome.

Thanks all.

totaleclipse1

Well lamps usually dont die... They may just be lose... Can you turn the bed on while its taken apart to see if they work??? Are these brand new beds? IF you just purcahsed these beds you need to find out from the mfg/distributor what the **** is going on? There should be some sort of warranty if htey are new I would assume...

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Neon Beach

Take them all apart? Can you explain?

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tannedbottom

Yes brand new. The beds are designed to plug the bench into the canopy and the canopy plugs into the wall. So basically they have to be put back together completely to check it out. Ugh!

They are difficult to contact as you might expect. I don't think they want to be major players, they just want to sell cheap beds and run. I have a few good customer service moments but when the going gets tough they can't be found.

The funny thing is, I have turned the bulb only to find out after putting it all back together it's not lit. Man I'm frustrated. Not to mention it takes several people to accomplish this and have to staff more people to cover the folks that are here to give me money. It becomes a wash to continue to screw around without results. Indications to me are they are not seated properly but...

Neon Beach

.

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caribbean tan man

does this bed have starters? what do u mean turning lamp? why do u need to take it apart to get to lamps dont you just remove the acrylic!

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mr belvedere

Sounds like ETS Sunvisions or Sunquests to me. All plasticand flimsy, are they?

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sunsally

According to the website I found, you should be able to remove the two strips and snap out the acrylics. They may have a metal lamp cover over the lamp ends, but these should pull out easily enough (they are usually sort of a 3-sided rectangle that just slides down the edge. You shouldn't have to dismantle the canopy and bench. If you are removing the top acrylic, it sometimes is easier to actually lie on the bench when you take it out (just lower it onto yourself, have someone else take it off of you).

For the lamps...

Definite seating issues can happen at start-up, or even sometimes a couple of days/weeks into things. If they are off even a little, they can jiggle loose.

Are the two lamps NEXT to each other? The ballasts each control two, but if they aren't next to each other, it shouldn't be a ballast issue.

Check the lamp socket - any burning, broken piece or anything else that looks different from the others? Are the wires to those sockets fully connected (both ends)?

Try a lamp that is currently IN the bed and working in each spot. If it won't work, it is most likely a socket issue. If it does, then it is the lamp -- it could be that even your "new" lamp is bad.

mikejones

Bi Pin lamps are used with choke ballasts. One ballast per lamp. If you have 2 lamps out, it's mostlikely the starters. Just switch the starters with one that is working properly. Also, why do you have to reassemble to get this thing working? Unless you have exposed HP lamps (you don't) then you can run this with the acryllic out.

If there is NO SMELL of burning electricity, wires, strange smells, then it's mostlikely NOT a burnt out ballast or wire. you'd notice it real fast. Check the starters. If it's not that move around the lamps to see if the problem follows the lamps. If it does, you got dead lamps.

Lamps hardly EVER DIE. They will light for long after their usefulness has expired.

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Sarge

I did a search on this bed, and they were listed on EBay. I can't really make out who is the mfg. on this unit. Almost looks to be ets but I don't think so. I can see it looks to be a pain on taking out the acrylics. Is the a 110v unit or 220volt unit? If its a 110v unit, then that sucks for a salon and it won't have starters but electronic ballast which do go out quite often. PM me and I will give you my phone number to help you.