During the busy holiday season, everyday items like cleaning, and maintenance checklists can be overlooked, at times in favor of seemingly more pressing matters, especially if customers are waiting. Proper cleaning and maintenance of tanning equipment is one of the most essential elements of keeping an efficient, clean and safe environment for your customers. 

  Your tanning device is equipped with fans which provide essential cooling of both the device, as well as the user.  In addition to fans, most tanning devices are equipped with filters which ensure the air entering your tanning bed is free from debris which can be harmful to critical components.  While most everyone understands how improper or poor airflow can negatively affect the customer, they are not aware it can also affect tanning performance.

  A tanning lamp is designed to provide maximum tanning performance at a certain temperature. As the temperature moves away from this point in either direction,  tanning performance gets worse the further away the temperature gets from the optimum point.  You may have noticed the main cooling fan in your tanning device speeding up, slowing down, or maybe (in the first minute of the tanning session) not operating at all, this is your device attempting to maintain that critical temperature.  Therefore, in order to maintain tanning performance, the critical components that provide the optimum tanning experience and get the most out of your investment.  We recommend following the maintenance schedule outlined in your owner’s manual and these simple steps for maintaining your cooling system.

  Remember: before performing any maintenance to your device, ensure all power to the device has been switched off.  Please consult your owner’s manual for the proper procedure for ensuring power has been switched off.

Filters – Filters should be cleaned and inspected monthly to ensure proper airflow and cooling. The two most common types of filter media are (Aluminum Mesh and Open Cell Foam) both provide good filtering of the incoming air.

1. Aluminum Mesh – Clean this type filter by vacuuming the debris from the filter, for best results use a nozzle with bristles which will help loosen any stuck-on debris. Usually this is sufficient and provides good results.  However, if vacuuming does not remove all of the debris, the filter can be submersed in warm soapy water, use a back and forth movement to loosen the debris and follow-up with a clean water rinse.  Allow the filter to fully dry before reinstalling.
2.  Open cell foam – Cleaning of this type filter can be performed in the same manner as the aluminum mesh filter, however it is advised to always vacuum first to remove the bulk of the debris before cleaning with warm soapy water. Again, the filter must be left to dry before reinstalling.

Note: There is a common misconception that no filter at all is better than a dirty filter, however, this is typically not the case.  The cooling system of the unit is just that, a system, one missing piece can cause the complete system to not work effectively.  Failure to have all filters in place while operating the unit will cause more air to be drawn in where the missing filter should be, which means less air is available to cool components located in other areas.

Fans – Even with regular filter cleaning, the blades of the fan can become covered with debris. Removal of this debris and subsequent cleaning should be performed without disassembling the fan enclosure or housing.

Cleaning – To clean the fan blades, grill and housing: start by vacuuming all accessible areas with the same bristled nozzle used for cleaning filters.  Once complete, continue by blowing any debris off of the blades and inner fan grill with compressed air (air duster). If debris remains use a small bristle brush to scrub the grill and blades, (small bristle brushes used to clean baby bottles are very effective), follow this step with another blast of compressed air, and finish by vacuuming again to remove any remaining loose debris.  The exterior surfaces of the fan can be cleaned with a damp cloth.

Note: while cleaning the fan always inspect the fan and housing for lose or missing screws/fasteners.  If loose or missing screws/fasteners are observed the fan must be replaced.

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to call our technical support hotline at 800-643-0086.

Kevin Hart is the Executive Director of Technology at JK North America, responsible for technical service, warranty, regulatory/safety compliance, and US research and development. Having begun his career in the United States Air Force as an aircraft systems analyst for six years before starting with the company in 1994, he has amassed a wealth of knowledge which he adds to and draws from daily. Kevin graduated magna cum laude from Arkansas State University with a BS in Manufacturing Technology, and holds several certifications in technology-related fields. Kevin is very proud of what the team at JK NorthAmerica has accomplished in conjunction with their German counterparts, and is excited about continued innovation and technological advancements at JK North America