Increasing lamp efficiency

Sun, 3 Aug 2008, 11:04 am

As a rule most school and many other theatres do not clean their lights often enough. It is one of our biggest wastes of power.I had a request yesterday from a client asking how to clean lights, so I thought I might pass it on. On Fresnels you can open the lamp tray to get at the back of the lens and spray with Windex or similar, Patt 23 lenses can be removed with a ring and cleaned, but some older profiles are a real pain to clean as you have to dissemble the lens unit to get in there, however the increase in light output and colour is significant and worth the trouble. The reflector can also be cleaned with Windex but you will not do much to help if it is corroded. It's best not to put them in a dishwasher as it can "cloud" the glass. Lights can be painted with ordinary spray enamel as they do not get hot enough to need expensive high temperature paints. If I have missed out anything feel free to add any further thoughts.

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David AshtonSun, 3 Aug 2008, 11:04 am

JoeMcSun, 3 Aug 2008, 12:33 pm

The only thing is with the

The only thing is with the reflector is to use a clean soft cotton rag to wipe over the surface, not a scourer. [Remember dust can act like sand paper on the reflector] Also a good idea occasionally is blow out all the insects or rubbish accumulated inside the Lamps housing. A clean dry paint brush can help, along with air blowing from a vacuum cleaner. Further if you going to get near the bubble [globe] it is a good idea to place any sort of plastic bag as a condom over it. To ensure you don't touch it with the your hands or skin. which will leave an oil residue on the bubble, that causes a hot spot likely to burst the bubble or get the glass envelope pregnant, when it is switched on! { if you do clean the bubbles envelope with alcohol - if that does not work, just replace the bubble & drink the remaining alcohol!}. Further do an 'Idiot Check' th& see the Lamp is disconnected from the power circuit first, before you do any house keeping. Which is not that ridiculous, as I have witnessed, as a wee bloke, after a sore & sorry techie was catapulted off his feet, fortunately for him the wall broke his fall.

As with maintenance instigate a regular regime of say 10% of the Lighting equipment being cleaned on a regular basis. This way you will eventually attend to the whole lamp stock being cleaned. A good visual indicator of cleaning & maintenance being need, is the amount of dust &/or cobwebs cultivated on the lamps or at the patch plug on the lighting bar/Batten.

If you get really excited & worked up enough to do all the lamps at one go! Plan the exercise out carefully, for this is when mishaps occur & you could end up with a heap of spare parts or broken pieces left over, especially on a production line cleaning basis - One at a time, is always good fishing! This is also a great training session, if you have any TIT's in tow & a good learning curve for them.

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