The lamp is the heart of any projector; it shines light through a DLP or LCD system so that the projector lamp can display its beautiful images. The projector lamp can be found by locating a square or rectangle plastic plate on the outer shell of the projector, the plate is usually on the bottom of the projector but can sometimes be found on the top or sides. The covering is often secured in place by two screws. Undoing the two screws and lifting the plate off, will reveal the bottom of the plastic housing that holds the projector lamp in place in your projector. The plastic housing usually has a handle attached to it. Pulling the handle gently will remove the projector lamp and housing from the projector.

A projector lamp contains several components: the ARC tube, ultra-high pressurized mercury vapor, electrical wiring, a quartz globe or reflector, a fastener, a spoke, a bolt, a screw and finally the black plastic housing itself. ARC Tube – The ARC tube is a component made of blown quartz measuring about 2 inches in length that located at the base of the quartz globe. The ARC tube is positioned by highly-accurate machines and set with extra strength plaster. Mercury Vapor – The mercury vapor inside most projector lamp ARC tubes is ultra-high pressurized. The mercury vapor is sensitive to the amount of current running through therefore it is needed for projectors to have electrical ballasts inside them to regulate electricity flow. The ballasts ignite the mercury vapor at a high voltage and then bring the voltage level down to the appropriate running voltage required to operate the projector lamp. Electrical Wiring – The electrical wiring on a projector lamp is fused inside the quartz ARC tube and runs out the top of the tube through the side of the reflector. Electricity, regulated by the ballast, runs in a circuit from the back of the projector lamp through the side and back into the projector. Quartz Globe reflector – The quartz globe or reflector is the hard exterior skeleton of a projector lamp. The quartz globe is usually lined with a highly reflective metal material on the inside in order to reflect the light generated by the ignition of the mercury vapor inside the ARC tube. The quartz globe also holds the ARC tube in place and is usually filled with extra strength caulking to seal it in its base. Plastic Housing – The plastic housing is the piece of molded plastic that holds the projector lamp in place when it is sitting inside the projector. Projector lamps are usually locked into the plastic housing using a retaining clip. The attached wiring easily screws into a slot at the back of the plastic housing. For more information about projector lamps, please do not hesitate to call or email us.

A projector lamp operates by sending an electrical current across an ARC gap that is full of ultra-high pressurized mercury vapor. The electricity lights the mercury vapor which then causes the lamp to emit a light with an extreme intensity or brightness. The bright light created by this process shines onto an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or DLP panel which then in turn produces the fantastic images projectors are known for. Projector lamps are produced by a extremely complex technology that is very costly to manufacturer, therefore the price of projector lamps tends to be pretty high.