I get questions on ballasts pretty often, usually by people trying to replace them in an older tanning bed. This is an image that shows some of the most popular kinds used over the year. The only one not shown is what we call “double electronic” or “single electronic” which look like computer cards and either power one or two lamps, depending on if it is a single or double.

This image isn’t perfectly to scale, but I tried to give you some idea of the size difference and a basic description. Most are 120V except the choke.

Technically, it is possible to replace one ballast type with another in limited circumstances, but this usually requires rewiring the lamps for that ballast, and is not for a non-electrician. This would obviously void any warranty, but this is only done on very old tanning beds. Keep in mind that different ballasts also have different heat and power specifications, so you will get very different results if you were to replace one kind of ballast with another. Also, some ballasts use more or less power, so you could end up tripping your breaker. It should only be done as a last resort, and only by a technician or electrician.