A tanner recently asked Team Wolff the following question:
“I’ve read negative comments about magnetic ballasts in tanning units and the electromagnetic radiation they emit, and how electronic ballasts are much safer for tanners. The health club I go to has tanning beds that use choke ballasts – are they a magnetic-type or electronic?”
With all other things about the tanning system design being equal, both ballast types will allow the lamps to effectively deliver a cosmetic tan in the same way.
Since the inception of the indoor tanning industry almost 40 years ago, choke ballasts are more commonly implemented. Within the past 3-5 years, a lot of newly-produced tanning systems marketed in the U.S. employ electronic ballasts. Within any electrical device, there may be some small magnetic fields created; in tanning beds, it is not known to even approach a detrimental level, whether or not the ballasts in the unit are choke type (magnetic) or electronic.
Here are some defining characteristics of sunlamps powered by each ballast type:
Magnetic Choke Ballast
- Pre-heat start is easier on lamps in terms of their appearance and physical life (how long to burn out).
- One ballast serves one lamp, so a ballast failure has less impact on the tanning system.
- Lamp starters require replacement (one per lamp) every 4,000-6,000 starts; they are considered to be
“wear parts.” - A second or two of lamp-flicker at start-up may be distracting to the tanner, and also shorten lamp life.
- Changes in voltage supply affect the lamp’s UV output; increased input voltage runs the lamps stronger, reduced input dims the lamp a little. Input voltage is the responsibility of your electrical supplier and is not controllable by you, the user, except if a buck/boost transformer is used.
Electronic Instant Start Ballast
- Instant starting is generally harder on the lamp’s appearance (end-darkening) and may result in shorter physical life (we’re not talking a large difference).
- Electronic ballasts supply power to two or more lamps, so there are fewer total components in the tanning
system. A ballast failure will “turn off” multiple lamps. - With use of this ballast type, there is no need to replace lamp starters
(less maintenance). - All lamps run by electronic ballast will light within a fraction of a second, with little or no flicker.
- Electronic ballasts are not affected by small changes in input voltage.
- Due to the high-frequency delivery of power to the lamps, this ballast type is more efficient. This is an energy-saving feature and results in somewhat lower operating
costs for electricity compared to choke ballasts.
Both ballast types affect the service life of the sunlamp in the same way. At Wolff System, we define service life as that point where the lamp’s initial UV output levels have declined 30% and the lamps still work as before. With all other things about the tanning system design being equal, both ballast types will allow the lamps to effectively deliver a cosmetic tan in the same way with equal exposure times.
