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How to Change Tanning Bulbs - The Complete DIY Guide

How to change tanning bulbs

It does not matter if you are an experienced tanning salon owner or just a home tanner – we all need help when it comes to replacing out tanning bed lamps. Below you will find a very simplified guide explaining how to change tanning bulbs. We will take you through everything, from picking the right replacement lamps and replacing them.

Know your size

The first step to knowing how to change tanning bulbs is to first know what lamps you need in terms of size and kind. Many tanning beds (especially those designed for home use) use F71 type – the 100-watt kinds with metal pins on each end. This type of tanning lamps are so versatile that beds such as SunQuest, Virtual Sun, SunVision, SunMaster Alpha Sun, Alisun, ProSun Soleil, Supreme, and other similar beds use this size lamp. 100 watts, and they twist into place like common office fluorescent lamps.

Is your tanning bed the high pressure kind? Then you may need F59 lamps, too. Be sure to check with the tanning bed manufacturer first before ordering anything. Some vendors may refuse to take your lamps back even when you make a mistake. If you happen to order online, you may have to shoulder the costs of shipping it back to the vendor, and then shoulder the shipping costs when they send you're the replacements. So be sure to be very careful about tanning bed sizing, especially if you do not want to spend on shipping at least three times. If you are using an older tanning bed, check to see if it still uses 160-watt lamps.

Set your budget

The next step to knowing how to change tanning bulbs is figuring out how much you are willing to spend for them. Not all tanning bed lamps are created equal – some are invariably more expensive than others. But the price tag along should not make the decision for you. Do the math, and you will find that most of the time, more pricier lamps are not really all that expensive. Let us assume that you will be using the lamps for 5 years. That means that a set of lamps priced at $300 will cost 16 cents per day, and that a $400 set will cost around 22 cents. The difference is really very trivial, but the $400 set will likely tan better and last even longer.

Decide on intensity

The third step to knowing how to change tanning bulbs is figuring out what lamp intensities you need. Most standard tanning lamp replacement kits have equal UV levels, which means that they give even tanning throughout. But you can also order kits that come with hotter lamps, usually in the 6.5 percent to the 8.5 percent UVB levels. Hotter lamps make tanning sessions shorter. They also give faster and darker tans, but they have one downside – they do not tan deeply, so the color fades easily.

You may also want additional face tanning kits. A lot of manuals on how to change tanning bulbs include instructions on how to replace or install these special lamps, which have two phosphor blends to effectively tan the face area. You can also buy compatible leg tanning kits, which work like face tanning lamps except that they have more UVB for more melanin stimulation.
 

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