Windshield Repair Forum

I have the 12V single bulb UV Lamp that came with my W/R Kit. I don't carry a spare bulb. Can the bulbs be found at a hardware store? Or do they need to be ordered online? Thanks in advance for the free advice.

Bill Lemon
Windshield Chip Repair

I seriously doubt that you would find a 365nm UV bulb at the hardware store.
Its a specialty item. Who else but WSR guys would buy them?

UV lamps are used for Dye penetrant inspections, anti-microbial systems, pool and hot tub sanitation, aquariums, and to make stuff glow at night... I guess my question is... Can yo only buy these bulbs on the internet... via DK or other site? I move around a lot and have issues with having items shipped to me. I'm sure you're laughing with me...

blemon56 wrote:I have the 12V single bulb UV Lamp that came with my W/R Kit. I don't carry a spare bulb. Can the bulbs be found at a hardware store? Or do they need to be ordered online? Thanks in advance for the free advice.

Bill Lemon
Windshield Chip Repair

Bill,

You might consider locating some wholesale auto-glass suppliers in your areas of travel. Many of them sell WSR products and accessories.

HTH

If you dont need a new bulb right away just search for "uv bulb"
on ebay you can pick up 4 bulbs for $7 including shipping.

Not forgetting there are different types of UV, a guy close to me bought a load of bulbs cheap and I mean a load they were designed for fish tanks and did not cure resins.

Any of the bulbs sold to cure nail polish will work providing they are the right type for your lamp.

There's a big difference in quality as well. We received a lot of complaints when we tried some of the cheap bulbs a dozen or so years ago. The ends came loose, they did not fit as well and they did not last as long. Still, they are out there and sometimes you can even get a good one on the cheap. It's like rolling dice unless you know what to look for.

Brent, I really wasn't looking for cheap replacement lamps. As I'm always traveling, I was just curious if I could procure a bulb (Sankyo Denki F4T5BLB 4 Watt) in non-internet store. As it appears not so easy to do... I'll order some spares this week.
Regards,
Bill

You can sometimes find them in stores, but I can tell you from experience that depending on where you are it's not always easy. Once I spent an entire day trying to find a spare bulb and still struck out. Now I carry a couple extra when traveling for business. Oddly enough, it's often easier to find an entire light than it is a replacement bulb, especially if you are not familiar with the inventory carried by local stores.

The Sankyo Denki is just a brand name, so as long as you find an F4T5BLB or F4T5BL 4 Watt bulb it should work. Nothing wrong with buying local to save a few bucks if you can find a reliable source, but when traveling you can burn a lot of valuable time shopping.