How to prolong the life of your projector lamps

All bulbs have a certain life span; your projector lamps bulbs too have a life span.  Maintaining household bulbs do not trouble a person much because they are not expensive.  However, if the projector bulb dies out prematurely, a person definitely feels the pinch since they are very expensive.  The average life span of a projector lamp is between a thousand to two thousand hours, depending on the make of the bulb.  When it reaches the end of its lifespan, it will start functioning at a much lower capacity and it should then be replaced.  This is an integral safety feature that is in built into all projector lamps, because when the bulb has gone old, running it longer is risky.  It may explode and cause damage to the projector.  If that happens, you will have to spend far more money than you would have had to if you had replaced the bulb promptly.

It is a commonly noticed thing that more often than not, projector lamps die out much before their expected life span.  This is because people neglect maintaining them, either due to ignorance or due to lack of expertise.  Actually it is fairly simple to maintain the life of your projector lamp bulb.  Given below are a few simple tips that will help you maintain your equipment and not have to repeatedly replace expensive projector lamp bulbs.

·        Use the remote control to switch off the projector when you have finished using it.  Do not switch it off from the power directly.  The projector, when switched off from the remote goes into a cool down mode and the fan cools the lamp slowly and evenly.  So the lamp does not get damaged.

·        A projector lamp operates at a temperature that is thousands of degrees high.  If you switch it off from the power source directly, the glass of the lamp cools down unevenly creating faults and weakness.  This can lead to stress fracture in the glass, and the lamp will fail much before its estimated life span.

·        Wait at least four to six minutes after you've turned off the projector to let the fan cool it down properly, and then switch off the power source. 

·        Often the person is in a bit of a hurry to clear up the projection area and starts putting away the equipment.  It is always better to let the projector cool down completely before moving it.  Lamp failure can have mechanical causes too.  The new generation projector models support accelerated cooling down, but it is always better to take precautions.

·        Ensure that the air vents and the exhaust vent are not blocked.  Often, while the projector is being used, some paper can be placed carelessly obstructing free air flow.  This will definitely cause overheating of the lamp.  Keep your exhaust vent and air intake vents completely clear of any obstruction.

·        New generation models of projectors have an eco mode.  This mode uses less brightness and therefore spares the lamp from more wear and tear.  If possible, use this mode.

·        It has been noted that lamp sales go up during early spring or after summer vacation.  The reason is that the projector may have been left out on a shelf in the winters or left in the car.  Sudden change in temperature makes the lamp blow up.  If you have, perchance, forgotten the projector in the car or have left it in the cold, bring it in the room and let it get to room temperature.  This may take about fifteen to twenty minutes.  Switch it on after the projector is on room temperature.

·        Clean the air vents frequently.  If you do not know how to, get a trained person to do it. 

Just following these tips will prolong the life of your projector lamps .