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Tanning Bed Maintenance & Care

May 1, 2019 Hagen Holmes Comments Off

How to Maintain Your Tanning Bed

Proper maintenance and care of your tanning bed will ensure the longevity and usefulness of your machine. Whether its used for commercial or residential purposes, over time your tanning bed may need to have parts repaired or replaced. While some repairs are to be expected, it is important to keep up routine maintenance to prevent unnecessary problems. There are some things you should do to avoid costly repairs as well as preserve the lifespan of your tanning bed.

Tips for Maintaining Your Tanning Bed

  1. Keep a maintenance log: A maintenance log will help you to keep track of your tanning bed’s condition. Keep track of all maintenance you do on your tanning bed, including changing tanning lamps, checking timers, fans, cords, reflectors, and wires. Set aside time monthly to inspect your machine closely. Pay close attention to its shocks, springs, and hinges. Make sure to keep track of how often bulbs or lamps are changed. Older bulbs or tanning lamps may increase the time it takes to develop a tan, which will require more energy. Tanning bed lamps and bulbs should be replaced all at once to ensure an even display of light. If only one lamp is replaced at a time this might result in a striped tan effect. Your lamp starters might also need to be replaced when you change your lamps.
  2. Routinely clean equipment: You should thoroughly wipe down your tanning bed after each usage. It is important to use a tanning bed cleaner on your tanning bed acrylics. Do not use a cleaner with alcohol or ammonia because it could harm your acrylics (thus affecting your machine’s performance). Once a week, do a more in-depth cleaning. Routinely dust and clean your machine, including the fan, reflectors, and bulbs. Clean or replace air filters. Consider vacuuming the inside of your machine once a month or two to remove excess dust or residue. Dust on bulbs or lamps could hinder the amount of UV light emitted from your tanning bed. You will need to remove the acrylics to reach the bulbs and reflectors. Don’t forget to clean your tanning bed’s ballast tray. This is the tray that holds the ballast and other electrical equipment.  Please note: to prevent the risk of shock, make sure your tanning bed is unplugged if you are disassembling it and cleaning it.
  3. Consult your manual: Your tanning bed manual will provide you with pertinent information about your specific machine and how to care for it. Consult your manual for what power source your tanning bed requires. You might need to consider having a dedicated circuit for your machine. Your manual may also instruct you on the ideal environment your machine should be in, for instance, suggesting an average room temperature. It might also include requirements for how far your tanning bed should be from the wall to provide proper airflow for fan openings. Review your manual for information on replacement parts, including replacement lamps or bulbs. Pay close attention to this, because using improper parts may void your warranty. Your manual will mostly likely provide information on troubleshooting areas, including things you can try on your own, before reaching out to a professional.
  4. Consider hiring a professional: Your tanning bed is an expensive investment. You may be able to repair or replace some parts on your own. You should call a professional if you are not sure what is wrong or how to fix it. If you’re not sure you can keep up with maintenance, consider hiring a professional to do routine or preventative maintenance. A tanning bed technician can check your machine’s functionality as well as inspect specific parts of your tanning bed.

Your tanning bed is designed for long term usage, but it is important to properly care for it to ensure it stays in good shape. Tanning bed maintenance, like cleaning, dusting, and inspecting, is not only sanitary, but necessary to ensure the life of your tanning bed. If you own a commercial tanning salon, consider consulting your manual to create a checklist for what parts should be cleaned or inspected and how often. If you have concerns about your machine’s functionality or efficacy that you do not feel are answered by your manual, reach out to a tanning bed repair technician.

 

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