Buck Boosters

What is a buck booster?
A buck booster is a transformer that can either "buck" (lower voltage) or "boost" (increase voltage). Most tanning beds require anywhere from 220 volts of power to 240 volts of power. If you are installing a tanning bed in a commercial building, then it's likely that the building or your store only has 208 volts incoming. If this is the case, you will definitely need a buck boost transformer to "boost" your power (208v) to the recommended voltage of your tanning bed.

A buck booster will also have a number such as 12/24 or 16/32 on it. What these numbers mean is that your can adjust your voltage by those numbers. For example, lets say your incoming voltage is 208. And your tanning bed requires 240 volts. You would want to get the 16/32 transformer so that it can be wired to "boost" by 32. If you did that, your voltage going to the tanning bed would now be 240 volts.

When do I have to "buck" my power?
Okay, there are some instances where your tanning bed may only require 220 volts but your incoming voltage is 240 volts. That would be 20 volts too much and most manufacturers will tell you that your warranty will be void if your tanning bed is not running at the required voltage. In this case, you will need to "buck" your power down. I would also use the 16/32 transformer to "buck" by 16 volts. By doing this, your voltage would now be at 224 volts. It is 4 volts higher than what they want, but we never want to go below the required voltage, otherwise your tanning bed will not perform up to standards.

If you are needing to get a Buck Booster for your tanning bed, visit the following Ebay store. They carry boosters at a very reasonable price: