How to extend your Projector Lamp Life?

Never touch the projector bulb with your fingers, always use a cloth for handling any replacement or new lamps.

Installation of Projector Bulbs

Any glass components of a projector lamp should never be handled without gloves.  Deposits from fingerprints causes temperature ‘hot spots’. In the long term, the accompanying temperature gradient stresses the glass resulting in early failure.

Clean the air filters of the projector on regularly basis. Blocked filters make the projector lamp overheat and fail early. Manufacturers or Projector Lamps can test for this kind of failure and any warranty on replacement bulbs becomes invalid. Always ensure that there is good airflow around the projector.

If you are fitting a replacement bulb into an existing module housing, ensure the terminals are not over tightened as the ceramic can be cracked and reduce the electronic insulation of the projector lamp. Alternatively, if they are under tightened, it can cause arcing on the terminal which puts undue load on the ballast that can then lead to a failure.

For plug in replacement bulbs, be sure the projector lamps are seated completely. The tendency is to stop at the first sign of resistance. Continue to apply force at the base of the lamp until you are sure the replacement projector lamp is secure.

Switching Projector Off.

Always switch off using the remote control and not by disconnecting the power, the projector will invariably go into a cool down mode where the image is turned off and the fan accelerates to cool the projector lamp in a controlled manner. The temperature of an operating lamp is many 1,000’s of degrees. Disconnecting the power to the projector prior to the above process causes the glass in the lamp to cool unevenly and will result in a stress fracture and early lamp failure.

Shock and Vibration

Projector lamp failure can be due to mechanical shock. A hot lamp filament is very fragile, you should always make sure that the unit is turned off and the lamp is cool before moving the unit.

Economy mode

If your projector is equipped with a "high/low lamp" switch you can extend your average lamp life by using the "low lamp" position whenever possible.