Can a black light fail?

[tmiklethun]

Weird issue today. I go out to bid a urine job and my black light doesn't show any urine spot. I have a long black flashlight style, maglite?, with three black light bulbs. You could see the black light on the carpet, but nothing glowed. My client pulled out a cheap little blacklight, for scorpion hunting ect, and I could see spot that my light didn't show. (I felt like a fool).

Is there a reason that my blacklight didn't work or do I just need to buy a new one?

If I need a new one, who has a good one that won't give me this problem in the future.

Thanks

 

[J Scott W]

It may not be putting out enough power in the UV range that excites urine to glow. The visible light is not the portion of the output that really works.

Before you buy a new light, try it with amber goggles. Filtering the unwanted portion of the spectrum helps you see the part that does the work.

If you decide you need a new one, Interlink Supply has a new UV light. I have heard nothing but favorable comments on Larry's UV lights. You would do well at either supplier.

 

[Larry Cobb]

Travis;

Sorry that your UV light didn't work.

Some of them don't last,

and some are too low in power.

Larry

 

[Shane T]

I've heard that uv light doesn't work well on poly fiber.

 

[Mike Draper]

from my experience, those lights mostly pick up the salt from the urine. Once that's been vac'd off its less visible.

 

[SamIam]

why did the cheap light work then?????


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[SamIam]

PS like Scotts answer


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[JR Harvey]

Shane T is correct. Black light on polypropylene and polyesters sometimes don't show at all. So know your fiber when looking for urine. Always have Formic Acid with you to test it.

 

[Able 1]

Shane T is correct. Black light on polypropylene and polyesters sometimes don't show at all. So know your fiber when looking for urine. Always have Formic Acid with you to test it.

Better off using a Hydrosensor.. Black light Hydrosensor combo is the way to go. What will formic acid do when you use it to test? How will you find areas to test if there is no color?

 

[JR Harvey]

Your asking what formic acid does??
If you don't use formic you can do a burn test.
Or some of us can almost tell just by looking at it. But formic gives accurate info.