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Projector mounts - Projector mounting tips, tricks and articles about mounting projectors. Projector mounting tips for projector mounts that attach to the ceiling and projector mounts that attach to the wall.
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I am a professional installer of video systems. I have installed thousands of projectors in thousands of rooms on both ceilings and walls and I have had my share of surprises and setbacks because I used the wrong projector mount. Most people won’t give a second thought to which projector mount to use. This is kind of silly considering that the projector mount is the only thing keeping your expensive projector from crashing to the ground. Most people are also oblivious to the fact that a poorly designed projector mount can cost them hundreds of dollars in the long run due to premature lamp failure and projector repairs. In the next page or two I am going to detail how a good projector ceiling mount or projector wall mount can save you money and protect your investment. I will also give you a few tips to assist you in choosing the right projector ceiling mount for you.
Heat kills lamps and projectors.
Once you really think about it, it is pretty obvious. Projector manufacturers are trying to squeeze every lumen of light out of smaller and smaller projectors. This not only generates enormous amounts of heat, but the small projector cases confine the heat to a very small area. The fans can barely exhaust the excessive heat through the vents.
The heat causes the projector and its components to expand and contract. The projector manufacturers expect this to some degree but when the heat is excessive, the internal components can expand and contract so much that they can actually come apart. Cards can be pulled from their slots and chips can come loose. As you might imagine, projectors are very expensive to repair. Often it is more expensive to repair a projector than it is to replace it.
Projector lamps are also very expensive. Ranging in price from $200 to $600, you don’t want to be changing your lamps any sooner than you have to. Lamps are considered a consumable product. This means that as the lamp is used, it degrades and gets closer to its end of life. If the lamp is kept relatively cool, it degrades at an acceptable rate and can last for thousands of hours. When it is exposed to excessive heat it degrades at an exponential rate and can fail very quickly. It can also reach the end of its life much faster which means that the brightness has decreased so much that it is impractical to continue using it. I read about a study a few years ago that showed how a properly cooled lamp lasted an average of 30 percent longer than a poorly cooled lamp. Over the life of a projector, this could translate into as much as $1000 or more!
A poorly designed projector mount can trap excessive heat within your projector and magnify it causing extensive damage. There are 2 basic flaws in a poorly designed projector ceiling mount: The wrong material is used and the mount is shaped so that it traps heat near the projector.
A steel projector ceiling mount will hurt your projector and lamp.
Because steel is a poor conductor of heat, it stores the heat energy generated by the lamp and keeps it near the projector. The stored heat then combines with the newly generated heat and scorches the projector and lamp.
A good example to use is the automobile industry. The engine in your car generates excessive heat. If left unchecked, the heat would destroy your engine. The heat is removed from the engine by your radiator. Your radiator is made of aluminum because it is excellent at dissipating heat. Although aluminum is more expensive than steel, it would be ridiculous to use steel in a car that you had to warranty because any savings would be quickly paid towards fixing the engines that were blown. If the auto industry thought they could make an acceptable radiator out of steel and save some money, they would. If you buy a projector ceiling mount, make sure it is an aluminum projector ceiling mount.
Now that we know that an aluminum projector ceiling mount is the best way to go, let’s talk a little about the finish. By the finish, I mean is it painted or powder coated? Is it available in one color or a number of colors? One thing to always be sure of is to insist that it is finished somehow. There are a number of “basement” projector mounts that are unfinished. The sellers of these mounts say that the aluminum will not corrode but that is ridiculous. Unless it the projector mount is treated by means of anodizing or covered by paint or powder, it will corrode.
A poorly shaped projector ceiling mount can kill your projector and lamp.
An example of a poorly shaped projector mount is a large flat plate. The more surface area, the more heat trapped close to your projector. Combine a projector ceiling mount that has a large surface area and is made of steel and you will have a recipe for disaster. If you think about it, the projector is usually mounted within inches of the ceiling. The heat has very little clearance already, so a poorly designed projector ceiling mount will only magnify this.
Look for a projector mount that has a minimum of surface area. Avoid a projector mount that has a large surface area and that can trap heat close to your projector. Always stay clear of large steel projector ceiling mounts.
One of the most important features a projector ceiling mount can have is balance.
What I mean is that the projector’s center of balance or center of gravity must be taken into consideration when it is designed. If it is not, there can be a great amount of stress put on the projector’s case and this can cause premature failure. Here’s an example. Most children can pick up a broom and hold it horizontally for any given period of time as long as they grasp it in the center, near the center of gravity. On the other hand, if they grasp it at either end, they will have much more difficulty. This is because the further you move out from the center of gravity, the more force is exerted on the opposite end of the broom. The same applies to a projector ceiling mount. If you mount a projector using a poorly designed projector ceiling mount that does not take center of gravity into account, a great deal of stress will be placed on the projector. Since projectors are made of plastic these days, it is not uncommon for the plastic to crack and for cards and chips to be pulled from their sockets.
Some companies offer cable management mounts. In my opinion, this is a little silly since the projectors a so close to the ceiling that the cables must be bent sharply to fit into the “cable management” holes. This places undue stress on the cables and projector and can cause them to fail. When routing cables, be sure to use gentle curves in order to prevent bending and damaging them.
How far should my projector hang down from the ceiling?
The distance that your projector should hang down from the ceiling is directly related to the positioning of your screen. For example, if the top of your screen is 36 inches from your ceiling, your projector should hang between 12 and 24 inches from your ceiling depending on your specific projector and the amount of keystoning it has built into it. Many companies offer free extensions but most of the time they don’t work. The reason is that it is impossible to take every installation and use one length of extension for all of them. For example, most of the Chinese made mounts offer 18-36 inch extensions. This is fine unless your projector needs to be at 12 inches or 45 inches. It is much better, easier and inexpensive in the long run to purchase the correct extension kit for your installation.
What if there is a drop ceiling in the room that I want to hang my projector in? Drop ceilings, sometimes called suspended ceilings or false ceilings are very common in North America. Some people see this as a problem but I see it as a blessing. With accessories like false ceiling adapters available, your installation time can be cut in half or better.
A false ceiling adapter is installed directly into your ceiling grid and your projector ceiling mount is bolted directly to it. The best false ceiling adapters are adjustable so that you can move your projector side to side or front to back. This helps immensely when installing and adjusting the image. The best false ceiling adapter available (and the only one I use) is made by Perfectmounts and can be found here: False ceiling adapter. Avoid the large false ceiling panels that take up the whole tile area. They are difficult to install and are not very flexible when it comes to adjusting.
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