The guide below will teach you how to find this statistic and understand its implications for your specific model of projector or printer, as well as for your budget and possible higher-quality lamps.
What is a Projector Lamp?
A projector lamp is a lightbulb that is used to create an image for a projection screen. These lamps are found in projectors, televisions, and other video displays.
There are several different lamps out on the market so it’s important to know what type of projector you have before purchasing one.
Knowing which lamp your device needs will ensure you get the correct replacement and avoid getting an incompatible or counterfeit product
If you’re familiar with the workings of projectors, then chances are that during some point or another, your projector has started giving off some pretty weird noises, flashing lights, and even worse, perhaps stopped working altogether.
In order to have your projector working as it should, you need to be sure that your projector lamp is working as it should. If you are not sure, then there is a good chance that your projector is not functioning the way it was supposed to work.
The truth is that projectors are very hard on lamps and replaceable bulbs often fail over the years. These failures are usually attributed either to the lamp burning out or to the bulb having problems which can lead to dead spots in your picture or other issues.
When this happens you may think you need a new projector but really, what’s going on in there is due more to bad parts than anything else.
How Does a Projector Bulb Work?
So how does a projector bulb work? It’s rather simple – when you turn on a projector, make sure that it produces sound and starts working on your presentation that would otherwise be silent.
This sound is sent to the bulb, which produces light. Though it sounds simple, this is the intriguing part of a projector bulb, which has led many people to wonder why they work the way they do.
When you turn on a projector there is an electronic circuit in it that works to convert sound waves into light waves. This circuit has three parts –
- amplifier
- speaker
- microphone.
When you play the sound through these components, the audio signal gets converted into electrical impulses that are then transformed into light by the lamp in front of the projector lens.
The lamp inside the projector bulb produces white-colored light that is then projected on the screen. This white light is pure, and it’s referred to as unprocessed light.
But after the white light hits a surface, it passes through so many layers of material [or photodetectors] that get charged in response to the color of this light [white] and are then converted into electric impulses [called CRT emissions].
But this CRT [Cathode Ray Tube] emissions do not produce any sound (as neither does a speaker) and are therefore not audible.
How to Check projector Lamp Life:
How long can projector lamps last? That depends on many factors, such as the age of the lamp and the methods used to calculate its lifespan. Fortunately, it is easy to check your lamp’s lifespan by following these simple steps.
You will need A digital timer or stopwatch.
Instructions:
- Place the film canister in front of your screen.
- Turn on your projector and project a white image onto the screen.
- Set the timer or stopwatch to the time that you would like the lamp’s lifespan to end.
- Wait for the timer or stopwatch to reach zero.
Calculating The Projector Lamp Lifespan
Step 1: First determine how many hours of use your projector will get per year, excluding any standby time.
Then, divide this number by two, because if you’re using a manual monitor/controller coupled with a manual motorized zoom lens assembly, you’ll need to run through several different settings before reaching your final projection size.
For example, LCD projectors have diopter adjustment settings, and thus two or three different projection sizes would need to be run through before the final one’s lifespan ends.
Step 2: Record the time that it took for your timer or stopwatch to reach zero. Knowing how long this took will help you know exactly how far your lamp’s lifespan will extend if you keep using your projector at full brightness.
Please note: The final step in this article explains how you can calculate the amount of time remaining in a cool white, color-temperature-corrected bulb using its constituent parts. It is not recommended to do so unless you find it necessary.
Step 3: After determining how long it will take for your projector lamp’s lifespan to end, subtract this number from the number of days listed in your projector’s manual.
For example, if the lamp’s factory-recommended life span is 300 hours, and the number of hours listed in your manual is 120, then subtract 30 hours from 300 for a remainder of 180. The answer will be more than zero, indicating that you should get a new lamp.
A Note On Projector Lamp Lifespan
Although it is important to know how long your projector lamp will last before purchasing new ones, it is also important to note that this applies only to projection lamps used with CDS compatible projectors. If your project uses a different signal format or your projector is not CDS compatible, then these guidelines do not apply.
The Easiest way to Measure Lamp Hours
The easiest way to determine the lamp hours of a projector bulb is to take it out and look at it. If you cannot remove it, then you can use an optical comparator to measure how bright the projector is and you will get that figure in hours.
In some cases, the manufacturer may provide its own test mode with instructions on how to do this. If one does not, you can download one from the Internet for free.
The lamp hours should be checked once a week so you don’t overdo your bulbs. The more frequently they are changed, the shorter their life span becomes. A projector can use up to three 250 watt lamps.
How Long to Expect Projector Bulbs to Last
Projector bulbs are rated according to the hours they can last using a single bulb. For instance, a projector that uses a 250-watt halogen bulb should be good for more than 2,000 hours while an LED lamp that needs just 5 watts should go for 30,000 hours before it reaches the end of life.
High-quality bulbs may last even longer in some cases. This is because they provide better performance as compared with cheaper ones. Paying extra gets you longer-lasting bulbs that are also of higher quality and project better quality images.
How to Extend Life of Projector Bulbs?
Extending the life of a projector bulb depends on how you use it. Here are some things that you could do:
Ensure an appropriate environment and follow the instructions in the manual regarding heat, humidity, altitude, etc. Avoid using a projector near air conditioning units or heaters as this can shorten its lifespan.
- Do not touch the bulb with bare hands after handling the lamp housing. This is because your skin oil can cause the filament to oxidize quickly which shortens its lifespan.
- Do not expose the bulb to heat as this can also shorten its lifespan.
- Do not leave the projector out for extended periods. This makes it heat up and causes the lamp to burn out quickly.
- Turn off the projector or turn it off completely before using the lamp.
Projectors usually have a power button located at their rear so you will have to look for that if you need to turn it off manually. If this is unavailable, you can at least switch it off with the remote control and then turn it back on again when you are ready to use it again. Never leave a running projector unattended as this will cause its filament to oxidize and shorten its life span drastically.
Bottom Line
The lamp or light bulb is an integral part of any projector. It’s the most important component because it emits light that projects on the screen.
Projectors use one or two bulbs, also called lamps, to create their images. The number of hours a projector can operate between bulb changes depends on the model and type of bulb used. For instance, 250 watts halogen should last for more than 2,000 hours while 5 watts LED only lasts for 30,000 hours before needing replacement.
This article will help you know how long a particular model can last so you can make an informed decision on which type of projector lamp is best for your needs.
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