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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:
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.
Michael Stepp joined Wolff System as President in 1998, bringing years of lighting industry experience with GTE Sylvania, Osram Sylvania and Philips. Married for 38 years, he has a daughter and granddaughter.
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