Dear TanningBeds.org,

I have an older tanning bed. I have tried to find the paper work on it and can’t seem to find it. I need to know how to rewiring it going from the bed to the converter box. We let the dogs into the laundry room and one of the dogs crawled under the bed disconnecting the wires from the converter to the bed. I always unplug the bed from the dryer circuit thank goodness. Here is what I have:

1. I have a green and yellow wire that obviously goes to green and yellow.
2. I have a gray, blue, purple and black wires
3. I am not sure were the rest go. I need to know what number they go into 1,2,3,4,5,6

Help please!

Thanks,
Rebecca

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Dear Rebecca,

Every buckboost transformer (what you are calling a converter) is different and I don’t have enough info to help wire it. Those are usually sealed once they are wired. (metal cover and screws) You would have to get a wiring diagram from the manufacturer of that particular transformer. Where I work, we don’t sell many of those, we switched to the Jefferson units, which you just plug the bed into, and then plug it into the wall, with no wiring needed. Neat units that sell for about the same, $150.

The way those work is pretty straight forward, the wires you are seeing will route the power to different taps within the transformer. This makes the transformer up 10% (23V at 230V), up 5% (12v at 230v) or down the same amount by using different wires. Each type of transformer has different ratios, etc. but you get the basic idea. If you wire the wrong wires up, you can actually short the thing out, followed by smoke and fire… The only way to wire it is with the original diagram that came with it, where you would look up a table for the voltage you want to adjust to and from, then connect the wires according to the diagram for that table.

Sorry I can’t help more, but there are too many variables and too easy to get it wrong and burn something up. Contact the transformer manufacturer (on the label) or replace the unit with one of the newer ‘plug and play’ units. You will need to know your ACTUAL voltage, as measured from a digital volt meter, before you begin.

Dennis