[Slingblayde]

Is it normal for a projector bulb to literally explode inside its housing? I have an Optoma HD33 and I was watching a movie today when it made a really loud pop and the screen went black. I took the projector down and pulled the bulb and it had exploded inside its housing. The bulb is about 4 years old and was probably nearing the end of its life, but I figured when it died it would just fade out or not come on like a regular bulb, not go off like a hand grenade.

If you have replaced your projector bulb before, did you buy the whole bulb housing assembly, or just changed the bulb itself? Just the bulb is 87 bucks on Amazon.ca, the bulb and housing assembly is over $300.
Anybody have a favorite, or recommended supplier for their bulbs?

 

[rocklee]

Unfortunately it is common with DLP projectors, Benq 1070, Benq HT2050, Sony, JVC etc. Some are so bad that they destroy other parts of the projector Seriously, it makes no sense to buy something that tells you that a component is at the end of its useful life by exploding. Imagine cars doing that.

This is the number one reason why I bought an LED projector instead

 

[Dave in Green]

You can safely ignore the first response to your question as it's actually not common for projector lamps to explode. Most die a slow and quiet death but a small percentage do explode if used past their useful lifespans.

You can search through the forum and find many existing threads that explain all the pros and cons. The short answer is that the only truly reliable replacement lamps are genuine OEM. Once you get into the el-cheapos many are counterfeits or seconds that didn't pass inspection. They are far more likely to explode than genuine OEM replacement lamps because they are not genuine OEM quality.

 

[Slingblayde]

You can safely ignore the first response to your question as it's actually not common for projector lamps to explode. Most die a slow and quiet death but a small percentage do explode if used past their useful lifespans.

You can search through the forum and find many existing threads that explain all the pros and cons. The short answer is that the only truly reliable replacement lamps are genuine OEM. Once you get into the el-cheapos many are counterfeits or seconds that didn't pass inspection. They are far more likely to explode than genuine OEM replacement lamps because they are not genuine OEM quality.

I will definitely buy an OEM bulb, but im a bit unsure if I should try to get away with just the actual bulb, or buy the whole bulb assembly. When the bulb exploded it actually put some tiny chips in the little piece of glass it shines through.

Im having a party for the season finale of The Walking Dead next weekend so I want to make sure I have it running.

 

[AV_Integrated]

I will definitely buy an OEM bulb, but im a bit unsure if I should try to get away with just the actual bulb, or buy the whole bulb assembly. When the bulb exploded it actually put some tiny chips in the little piece of glass it shines through.

Im having a party for the season finale of The Walking Dead next weekend so I want to make sure I have it running.

Not an OEM lamp, a manufacturer branded original lamp.

OEM means nothing and there are horror stories upon horror stories of lamps failing or not being properly built and destroying the projector. This is a normal operating expense of your projector and anything less than an original branded lamp is going to be questionable and a gamble.

You should always replace the entire lamp assembly as the outer lamp just took a hit from the glass inside. It contained the mercury that was in the lamp and likely has particulates on it that shouldn't be further exposed to additional high temperatures. It's always best to just go to the manufacturer's website and buy a lamp directly from them.

 

[Slingblayde]

Not an OEM lamp, a manufacturer branded original lamp.

OEM means nothing and there are horror stories upon horror stories of lamps failing or not being properly built and destroying the projector. This is a normal operating expense of your projector and anything less than an original branded lamp is going to be questionable and a gamble.

You should always replace the entire lamp assembly as the outer lamp just took a hit from the glass inside. It contained the mercury that was in the lamp and likely has particulates on it that shouldn't be further exposed to additional high temperatures. It's always best to just go to the manufacturer's website and buy a lamp directly from them.

I looked on the Optoma website, it is out of stock. I had to buy it from another place here in Canada, cost me $362 after tax and shipping :-(

 

[GordoSan]

This happened to me on my HD33 a few months ago, actually. It happened during the last NFL playoff game, and I had quite a crowd over. It was a loud pop, followed by a pure blank screen. We could still hear the audio coming through the receiver. I immediately scrambled to the spare room to pull out a Samsung TV and placed it in front of he screen. It worked in a pinch, and everybody should think of a backup plan in case this happens.

I ordered a replacement lamp/housing from Amazon, which looks like it did have an OEM lamp inside. It cost $137 US + shipping. I would have just got the lamp, but I noticed some scratches on the glass barrier lens, so I bought the whole housing instead. It definitely costs more to do that. Luckily, it arrived the Saturday before Superbowl Sunday. I had a lot of Patriots fans depending on it getting up and running. Lol. Both the lamp and the team came through at the last minute.

One important thing, use some compressed air and blow that sucker out! Make sure there is no glass powder residue inside there.

I live in the mountains, a bit above where I should have the high altitude setting on. I feel like that may have shortened the life of the lamp. It's just so darn LOUD with it on! Now, I start it with it on and turn it off with it on, so the fan runs longer, but I will turn it off when watching a movie. It's just too loud.

Anyway, it has been running fine ever since... until just recently. Now I have an unrelated issue, where there seems to be a few pixels missing in a straight vertical line, running through the center of the screen. It's there in the menu, so it isn't the HDMI cable. I'm kind of at a loss.

 

[Dave in Green]

I will definitely buy an OEM bulb, but im a bit unsure if I should try to get away with just the actual bulb, or buy the whole bulb assembly. When the bulb exploded it actually put some tiny chips in the little piece of glass it shines through. ...

I agree with AV_Integrated's advice. Anything less than a genuine full replacement lamp and module is taking a risk. Sometimes you can find a trusted vendor selling these for a small discount over what the projector manufacturer charges. But anything selling for more than a small discount is questionable.

 

[rocklee]

You can safely ignore the first response to your question as it's actually not common for projector lamps to explode.

Sorry but this is highly incorrect. This is a safety issue and a health hazard that could take effect on anyone (babies, kids, grandparents etc) and at any time (parties). Do not ignore safety warnings on these things and do not consider advice that try to tell you "oh it's nothing everything is okay after an explosion".

I looked on the Optoma website, it is out of stock. I had to buy it from another place here in Canada, cost me $362 after tax and shipping :-(

Unfortunately that's the price to pay for replacing bulbs and additional items affected by the explosion and they DO happen often enough to matter even today (many old projectors out there). As for cleaning up all the debris left by the old bulb, you might have to take it back to the shop to do that as this is not something that every owner has to do (or should be doing), but if you're handy with opening up the projector and cleaning it yourself then go for it (just be careful!).

 

[Dave in Green]

Sorry but this is highly incorrect. This is a safety issue and a health hazard that could take effect on anyone (babies, kids, grandparents etc) and at any time (parties). Do not ignore safety warnings on these things and do not consider advice that try to tell you "oh it's nothing everything is okay after an explosion". ...

Please refrain from misrepresenting my statements. All I stated is the truth that it's not common for projector lamps to explode. It's the exception, not the rule. Everyone in the projector business knows this. I made no reference to safety in my previous post as the only issue I was addressing was the frequency of projector lamp explosions.

It goes without saying that everyone should follow all of the common sense safety rules in the unlikely event of a projector lamp explosion. Under certain circumstances there are minor risks associated with the tiny amount of mercury in a UHP lamp. If there were great risks they would not be certified for home use.

As this is the AV Science Forum, get to know the science.

 

[Dave in Green]

And now for a little science. Philips invented the UHP lamp and in accordance with safety regulations in various countries based on the best available science and engineering has released the following information about the safety of UHP projector lamps:

There are no known health hazards from exposure to lamps that are intact and which are used within an enclosed fixture. No adverse effects are expected from occasional exposure to broken lamps. As a matter of good practice, avoid prolonged or frequent exposure to broken lamps unless there is adequate ventilation. The major hazard from broken lamps is the possibility of sustaining glass cuts.

In the event of a bulb rupture, a limited amount of mercury vapour could be emitted into the room. To avoid inhaling this mercury vapour (which is toxic and can be harmful for lungs and nervous system) the room of use should be thoroughly ventilated for some period (30 minutes)

 

[RLBURNSIDE]

It costs 50 bucks for a replacement, non-OEM bulb for my w1070, and lasted me just as long and just as bright as the original. Actually longer, since I retired my second bulb at 4500 hours instead of 5500 which is when the original popped. Now I've learned my lesson and always replace before the bulb explodes. I.e. with a bit of foresight. Besides, the bulbs get dim by that period that it's time to replace them anyway.

LEDs might sound like a good idea until you realize you will pay triple and get a half or even a quarter of the final lumens that a lamp based model will have. Lasers, on the other hand...now that's an interesting prospect. But I'm more interested in the lamp not dimming over time than its overall lifespan, assuming it's cheap enough to replace. Blue laser diodes cost under a dollar each (maybe even ten cents by now), thanks to Blu-ray, so a diode array could probably be swapped for the price of a dinner and a movie.

 

[chewyg]

The lamps typically dim slowly and sometimes have a small pop at the end of life. Rarely do they "explode" but it can happen.

As others have alluded to in this thread, when buying a lamp you should consider that the cheapest you can find online will always be a knock off. Some compatibles can be well made and good value, but the cheapest ones are never a good bet. The OEMs are sometimes made with a compatible housing and assembled by a third part manufacturer, but they should at least contain an OEM bulb and should be good value. Branded original OEMs will be the most expensive but the safest bet.

 

[jfelter]

Definitely pay more for the original bulb inside. The crap lamps being sold on Amazon and eBay will put your projector at risk. If it's an original bulb that exploded then excessive heat will most likely be the culprit. Be sure to have all vents and filters be cleaned of any dust build up. When we get projectors in to be repaired most of the time there is significant dust buildup that is preventing good air circulation.

 

[Jim CL]

Definitely pay more for the original bulb inside. The crap lamps being sold on Amazon and eBay will put your projector at risk. If it's an original bulb that exploded then excessive heat will most likely be the culprit. Be sure to have all vents and filters be cleaned of any dust build up. When we get projectors in to be repaired most of the time there is significant dust buildup that is preventing good air circulation.

Just had my lamp bulb explode tonight in my JVC projector. I had just turned it on, went upstairs to get something and heard a loud noise. I opened up the projector and removed the housing and found the bulb in bad shape, with lots of little tiny shards in the bottom of the bulb enclosure. There are only a few tiny fragments that I will clean out from just under where the lamp housing sits.

My lamp was only about a year old, had not dimmed at all, and was not in need of replacement. What would then have caused it to blow? Am I risking putting another $400.00 lamp in there and having this happen again, or should I just view this as a fluke? Thanks for any help.

JC