UV Lamp Wattage

[Cathie!]

Hi all

Today's silly question from me....

I have a Daylight Company fully hand UV lamp which has 4, 9 watt bulbs inside it.

Does this make it a 9 watt lamp or a 36 watt lamp?

Looking forward to some clarification for my addled brain!!

 

[susie]

Hello hon


I have this lamp too and i think it makes it a 36 watt lamp.


susie x

 

[Cathie!]

Thanks for that Susie...so, if someone says you need a 9 watt lamp to cure XYZ gel, how does that work with this lamp?

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Ah not such a silly question after all Cathie. I guess you could think of it like a candleabra! If you had 5 x 60 watt bulbs in it, would it give you 300 watts of power? Answer - don't know, I was C**p at physics at school! Logically though it must work more efficiently otherwise why bother with 4 bulbs, when one would do. So I would say 36 watts!! Sorry not been alot of help! Anyone got any other daft answers to a not so silly question?

 

[susie]

I'm not sure but if you need to use a lower watt lamp for curing something then maybe you would just do a less amount of curing time with a higher wattage lamp. God i'm waffling today!


susie x

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Thanks for that Susie...so, if someone says you need a 9 watt lamp to cure XYZ gel, how does that work with this lamp?

Okay confused now, will have to do some investigating - just call me Sherlock!

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Okay foudn this in Geeg's Q&A on Brisa ............ "The wattage tells you how much power the bulb needs to run and NOT how much UV output there is from the bulb."

So I would say you have 4 x 9 watt bulbs, and by having 4 it cures the gel more effectively than one. But like I say I'm guessing here and trying to work on logic!

I remember reading about this somewhere, I think it is from Doug Schoon's book, but mine is at work, that the latest technology gels need the extra strength of cure that these bigger light boxes give.

 

[bimbogeri]

I have the same lamp and it counts as 36 watts although I think I was told that properly it should be called a '4 x 9watt' lamp.
So it ought to cure a 9watt gel.
I know some gels (in particular Brisa, IBD and Gel It!) work best with their own lamp, however, I was told by my Grafton's trainer that this will cure IBD gels as well as the IBD lamp (can't speak for the others), so it should cure any 'lower wattage' gels (Star, Bio, Pronails etc) just as well, as well as the bonus that because of the positioning of the bulbs you get a better all-round cure.
I still cure my gels (which are meant to work with a 9 watt lamp) for the manufacturer's recommended time, as far as I'm aware (but someone feel free to correct me) you can't really overcure a gel but you can definitely under cure it, so better to be safe than sorry??
HTH! xx

 

[bimbogeri]

Hey Sassy, think you and I posted at the same time!!
I think the final consensus may be that a 4 x 9 watt lamp may not cure quicker but will cure more evenly?
Certainly I know you can do the thumb at the same time with mine rather than having to do it separately, and I was warned that with the multiple bulbs I may be more likely to experience heat when curing than if I was just using a single 9 watt bulb.
Then again, have I just talked us round in circles and not given any useful info at all?

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Hi Sherlock again, been doing a little more searching, and found these

http://www.thenailgeek.com/showthread.php?t=7495&highlight=curing+gel)
http://www.thenailgeek.com/showthread.php?t=7699&highlight=curing+gel

http://www.thenailgeek.com/showthread.php?t=6167&highlight=curing+gel

Hasn't really answered the original question, although I think Anna from Toronto comes closest in the second thread. Please someone give us the difinitive answer!

 

[mum]

Maybe I can help a bit.

UV light of any description will cure a UV gel, hence you can't put it near a window in daylight as the UV from the sun (and it's there on a dull cloudy day) will cure pot.

The most efficient part of the emmitted light is actually quite close to the tube although reflected light will also cure.

The main reason for several tubes in a lamp is to create maximum efficiency in all around curing so there are no 'cold' spots. Nails are 3 dimensional with many curves, the direct light and the 'bounced' light needs to get to all of them. That's why with 1 tube and not much in the way of reflectors there is often some dull spots on the overlay.

Any help?

Marian

 

[geeg]

Thanks for that Susie...so, if someone says you need a 9 watt lamp to cure XYZ gel, how does that work with this lamp?

It will cure the gel but it will also age the gel faster than it normally would age and it will most likely become brittle much faster and possibly yellow.

Gels contain different photoinitiators that require different levels of UV output. Some gels will need similar amounts and be OK with many UV lamps, others will need specific UV Lamps to cure them.

As mentioned before, not all UV bulbs (even if they look similar and have the same wattage) give out the same levels of UV light. Some have high output and others not.

It makes sense to use the UV Lamp and bulbs that are designated as correct for the UV gel one is using. Sticking to manufacturers instructions ensures a complete cure and also that you do not age the product unnecessarily.

 

[Cathie!]

Thanks for all your replies guys. So, it's really a case of efficiency as opposed to power.

Thanks for the clarification!

When the time comes I will defo check out the recommended lamp for my chosen system.

 

[bimbogeri]

Thanks for the info Gigi, I never thought that too 'strong' (can't think of a better word, sorry!) a light could have a negative effect on the gel!
I have the Daylight Co lamp but have now switched gels and the lamp sold by the company is I think either a 6 watt or 9 watt lamp - could I be doing my gels a disservice by continuing to use this lamp, in which case should I sell the stronger one and switch down, or am I still doing better by getting an all-round cure?
Thanks x