Buck Booster?

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inspector 102

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What is the purpose of a buck booster. The incoming voltage at a dwelling is 244 volts and manf. says anything over 230 volts requires buck booster to stabilize the voltage. Is this something that the utility company can adjust on their side? Where else are these likely to occur and what is the hazard if they are not installed? Does this create a fire hazard due? I had never heard of these items before and am looking to find out more information. The application in this case is a home tanning bed and I am wondering what other application this might be used with. Thanks for the help.
 
Re: Buck Booster?

The manufacturer is blowing smoke or you bought the wrong tanning bed. An electric utility is supposed to supply power within certain limits that were determined a long time ago by agreement between the utility and the public service commission in you state. I am guessing that the nominal voltage in your state is 120/240 volts for residential use with the requirement to be within 5% of nominal for voltage fluctuation.

Bottom line, 244 volts is a good voltage reading where the nominal is 240 volts. :D
 
Re: Buck Booster?

A buck/boost transformer is designed to either boost (increase) or buck (decrease) the existing voltage.

I spoke with a rep for a tanning bed manufacturer a couple of years ago with the same problem. I was told the voltage was too high and would shorten the life of the bulbs. I told the homeowner this and he decided that bulb life was not a big issue for him.

This begs the question why would someone make any eq. that required a non-standard voltage.
 
Re: Buck Booster?

I urge you to consider installing a buck-boost. I have several tanning salons as customers, some with 11 beds and they all need buck-boosts. Lamps are very expensive (Especially the super-duper cancer causers they use) and will require more frequent replacement if you supply too high of a voltage to the equipment.
 
Re: Buck Booster?

Is there any chance this tanning bed came from a commercial location? Is it possible the bed is made for a 208 volt service? Then if you move it to a house with a 240V l-l, the voltage would be higher.

Notice that if the bed is rated for 208V, and if it has a 10% voltage tolerance, that would make the maximum input voltage about 230V. In that case, the buck-boost would be required to convert the 240 to 208 volts.

I would assume that these beds run off an electronic ballast similar to a fluorescent light. Therefore, small voltage fluctuations below 10% should have little effect on the lamps life.

Steve
 
Re: Buck Booster?

I appreciate all the information. It sounds like the cost of replacement bulbs is the main issue. I am located in the northeast corner of Indiana any work with three different utility companies. I appreciate C. Eldridge input. I will advise homeowner to use buck booster if they want to protect their warranty. It's their $180 that may protect the bulb life alittle long.
 
Re: Buck Booster?

"Buck booster to stabilize the voltage" ain't going to happen anyway if a buck/boost transformer is applied. The load side voltage will always be of a given proportion to the line side supply voltage.
 
Re: Buck Booster?

I will advise homeowner to use buck booster if they want to protect their warranty.
Click to expand...
There lies the reason to use buck-boost to meet the manufacturers specs.
We just finished a tanning spa--6 beds all requiring 240V, 3ph 3w. All got buck-boosts as the service was 120/208 3ph 4w.
 
Re: Buck Booster?

Hurk, I checked the web site for the tanning booths, one was listed at 22KW. Is that the maximum draw, or is it sequenced to keep the connected load down?
 
Re: Buck Booster?

All the ones I have wired up have full power at startup. they do have a maintance tap on VHO and HO beds that can be ajusted for lamp efficency loss as the lamps get older but the matrix that I installed was over 39kw and it required a 100 amp 3/O 240 volt connection. I see they don't even list that one any more.
 
Re: Buck Booster?

Just to confirm what I had said previously, over the weekend I asked two tanning bed techs that do a lot of service and waranty work and they confirmed that over 90% of all their service calls / failures were attributable to high incoming voltage (no buck-boost installed). Keep in mind that by far, the majority of the electronics in these beds are from Europe, not the US, where 220 is the norm, not 240.
 
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