Heat Kills Projector Lamps

Projector overheating is the primary cause of premature LCD, DLP and LCOS projector lamp failure. The high wattage lamps that provide the lumen output for crisp images on the screen also generate a significant amount of heat. If this heat is not effectively removed from inside the projector, lamp life will be compromised.

How to prevent heat build-up inside a projector.

(1) Most important, confirm that the fan is operating properly whenever the lamp is turned ON. If the fan fails, do not operate the projector until it is fixed.

(2) Make sure the projector has free airflow on all sides, particularly where the fan exhaust leaves the housing of the projector. When projectors are mounted on ceilings in board rooms, conference rooms and home theaters the mounting should take into consideration the need for air flow around the projector. A minimum of one foot of free air space should be sufficient.

(3) After the lamp is turned OFF, always run the fan until the exhaust air cools down. The lamp will be extremely hot at the end of a presentation. If the fan goes off, the lamp holds the heat and cannot cool down at the constant rate allowed by the forced air flow.

(4) If your projector has filters, keeping them clean will help keep the cooling process efficient. Particles in the air will accumulate on projector filters. The dirtier the filter, the less air will circulate inside the projector and the more heat will build up.

If you pay attention to these few steps, the better chance you'll have of having a lamp perform to the end of it's rated life.