It is important to consider projector replacement bulbs when thinking about LCD and DLP projectors. Depending on how much the projector is used, the cost of replacement bulbs can have a serious effect on projector maintenance costs. Replacement bulbs for the new projectors are considerably more expensive than the bulbs used in the older overhead projectors. However, once you know the details about replacement bulbs, you will encounter fewer surprises while operating and maintaining your projector.
Whether you know anything about projector replacement bulbs or not, the first thing to remember is to turn off the projector whenever it is not being used to maximize the lifespan of the bulb. Although this may seem like a little thing, it can really increase the life of a projector bulb and that translates into less maintenance costs.
When buying projector bulbs, there is generally a lamp lifespan indicated on the package. This time length is not actually the amount of time the bulb will last before going out completely but rather the amount of time before the bulb is half as bright as it was initially and begins to continually lose its brightness at each use. A typical bulb lifespan is between 1,000 and 2,000 hours. However, it is always good to have a spare bulb on hand for random shorts or breakages.
You can predict about how often you will need to buy replacement bulbs if you know approximately how much the projector will be used. If it is a home projector, for instance, used primarily for movies and special events, it will be used an average of eight hours a week. However, projectors used in classrooms for entire class periods through the day all week will be used significantly more, and therefore the bulb will need to be replaced more often. Replacement bulbs range in price from $200 to $400. There are many websites offering bulbs for a wide variety of projectors, including some sites that even sell discontinued bulbs.