toxict3arz

I have a projector that hangs from the ceiling.

The ceiling is very high so we cannot reach it even with a tall ladder.

last time we had to get one of those mobile elevator looking things.


The problem is that the projector gets over heated because the filters are clogged. (according to some people)

Therefore it turns off after a maybe 10 minutes.


Whats the best way to avoid this kind of problems?

DonaldG

Move to a smaller house?

DonaldG

Seriously...perhaps you need to get one of those mobile things again...I suggest that while it is there, modify the mounting that will permit the lowering of the projector by a pully system.

You will in the future, need access to it again, surely spending some effort now, will make it easier then!

toxict3arz

it's actually for my church and I agree except it's already hanging off this thing and I don't know if I can extend it any other options??

EnglishPaul

That's life with projectors. If they are not getting clogged filters, they are complaining that they are running out of bulb life.
Some projectors have better filter systems than others. But in the end all filters I've ever heard of need to be cleaned/ washed/ replaced.

Your next step depends how high it is. Many hire shops have ladders that go pretty darn high, which would be cheaper than a man lift. That said, a man lift is always more pleasant in my experience. And there is always the good old portable scaffold tower you can hire.

Failing that you could resite the projector, but with it comes a lot of hard work and expense.
What does your church do when the lights need to be replaced?

Oh, incidentally, if it is overheating, then it is most likely the filters at fault. And you want to do them pretty soon, as an exploding bulb is fairly final to projector internals.

toxict3arz

O great. --- i didnt even know explode the light bulb.


and well we never had light bulb problems ( i know we are soon to get one) yet.

I guess in that case we will be looking for a new projector (in different location) or a new light bulb.



FOr now the best solution with our budget is to hire a ladder guy.


who or what do i serach to find someone who has a ladder or a lift that will go up there to clean it for us?

(I';m not going up there )

EnglishPaul

What make and model of projector is it? It should say in the handbook something about bulb replacement. Most projectors have an hour counter and will start to warn you on screen when they think the bulb is up for replacement.
But it also means you must reset the counter when you replace the bulb.

If your church has lights in the ceiling, the same person that changes them should be able to maintain the projector.
The most expensive, but perhaps safest option is to get the original installer back to maintain it.

toxict3arz

its a sanyo - forgot the model number.


and i'll try to find out who hired the guy last time.


and for the light bulb ... yeah it will go out soon but no counter yet.


thanks for all your advices . i'll try to see what i can do .


but if anyone is experienced in this field how much does it cost (on estimate) to move around the projector and the cables that are all piped up against our ceiling and walls?? (from a very high ceiling)

v-six

yes, there are lowering systems that could be installed by an a/v integrator. Usually LCD projectors get anywhere from 1000 – 3000 hours per lamp. Lamps run anywhere from a few hundred dollars to four figures. This makes it very important to not leave them on when not in use. There is the option of upgrading the projector. They don't come cheap, but there are a few models designed for such cases that don't require the filter to be cleaned.

If the lamp actually shatters, you'll just need a decent shop vac or similar. Cleaning them out isn't too bad. We have a few lamps a year blow at my campus, but we've never had the projector die as a result.. Maybe luck? It may be worth hiring someone to do scheduled maintenance if the church can afford it. They won't work for free, but will save you some stress!

Also, can you clarify what you mean by:
but if anyone is experienced in this field how much does it cost (on estimate) to move around the projector and the cables that are all piped up against our ceiling and walls?? (from a very high ceiling)

I'm not sure I'm reading it right.

Thanks!

toxict3arz

ooops sorry for being unclear.

Our projector hangs from the ceiling by this black pipe thing and at the top all the cables go into a pipe that leads down to the side of the wall eventually to our main deck.


so the wires are not inside the walls or anything.


TO change the location of the projector, how much will it cost?
Considering the disassembling of the pipes and rearrange of the wires.



Okay so this is what i found out.l.. the last person to have cleaned the filters got unto a ladder that they put on top of some huge blocks that they put on top of a table.

So they risked their life to get up there

Yup. Just wanted to let everyone know.

v-six

It's hard to say without actually surveying the situation. The pipes are most likely a conduit installed specifically for the purpose of running wires, but who knows, I've seen stranger. The A/V industry for places of worship is huge, and hopefully you can find a local company to give you a free estimate. If you want comparison, find more than one :)

Garryson01

It might be better to get a portable one that you can put on a table in front of the screen. We have the exact opposite at the company I work for in that, in one of our conference rooms, the ceiling is too low and slanted so we cannot put a permenent projector on the ceiling. We have purchased a portable projector that allows us to use it in the middle of the table when needed.

EnglishPaul

The benifit of getting a quote to move the projector, is that you can also ask for a quote for ongoing maintainance.

On the plus side, if the cables run down the wall, you will be decreasing their length: which is good.

If you can't remember who originally put it in, then its probably quite an old unit. So its worth pondering some questions:
What do you use it for; is it bright enough, and have enough resolution.
Is it in a very dusty environment, and how much do you use it.
Is there a reason it is so high; is the screen high, does it need to be (as a rule of thumb a projector should be mounted somewhere within the vertical plane of the screen, normally aligned to the top edge).
If it were portable, would you benifit from using it for other things.

I'm kind of curious now... got a photo?

toxict3arz

Portable-ness is out of the question because what we use it for is shooting powerpoints to the back side of the sanctuary for the people in the front (such as singers and etc)

the reason its so high is because the ceiling is very high and i guess the people who installed it thought that was the best idea at the time.

right now the resolution and the brightness is perfect for its use.

We use it about 4-5 times a week. and not so sure if its dusty up in the ceiling.

I tried adding pictures hoped you guys can see it.

Thanks for all the advice.

Right now from our budget we are trying to keep it in place and maybe figure out a way to get up there somehow again.

But i will try to get an estimate first and see what we can do from there.

Attached Images

IMG_0972.JPG (1.87 MB, 8 views)

EnglishPaul

I guess those white things mounted to the beams at the bottom of the photo are lights.
I suspect those bulbs go from time to time, so investing in a ladder or scaffold tower that reaches that high is not a bad idea; that is if any one is happy going up there.
A tower will give you a better feeling of security up there, and will allow you to do more intricate things: which may be useful if changing the projector bulb. But you do have to erect it, and it does assume that you do not have fixed seating on the floor.

When it is done it would be interesting to see what the filters are clogged with, which may give you an indication of how long before they clog again. The worst culprits are smoke machines, but I assume you don't use them! But if you had a lot of woodwork done recently, it would generate a lot of additional dust.

As an aside, I don't know if your Sanyo remote will allow you to view the current lamp hours, but it may be worth doing so to evaluate how long before the bulb will need to be changed... you wouldn't want to hire a man to go up and change the filters only to need to call him back 2 months later!

toxict3arz

hmm good point!

but the lights are actually fairly recent.

We had them replaced about a year ago.

And yeah we should really invest in something that will take us up there but the problem is our church doesnt really have anywhere to store such machine!.

I guess we can rent one~!.

thanks!