thunder04

iTrader: (1)

All of our classrooms are equipped with SMARTboards and LCD projectors. A teacher just asked me a good question...

She uses her SMARTboard regularly and always turns the projector off if she's not going to be in the classroom for at least a half hour. So, on average (throughout a 7 hour time span), she says she may "cycle" the projector 3 times.

Would it be more harmful to be turning the projector on/off multiple times throughout the day or more harmful if it is left on an entire 7 hour period?

My instinct says to turn it off when not using it for extended periods of time, but I don't know if the heat-up/cooldown is more damaging than staying hot for 7 hours.

Any thoughts?

TS_eXpeed

I've never heard the argument that turning it off and that back on is 'harmful', but if it is, I can't imagine it being any worse than leaving it on. That's just my 2 cents. If it was my personal projector, I would turn it off. The replacement bulbs are fuggin expensive.

Sarlacc

My wife has a smartboard in her classroom, and she turns the projector when its not in use.

rza49311

iTrader: (1)

Turn it off, the bulbs are ridiculously priced. The amount of heat the thing generates is worse than the on/off a few times I'd say. Also, our projectors have a cool down phase so it doesn't just shut off when you power it down so its not like's rapidly changing temp. I'd imagine yours would be the same?

thunder04

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, all the projectors have a cooldown period they go through. They also will not let you turn them on/off quickly (unless you use the hard power switch), so they're pretty idiot proof.

So far research has leaned towards powering them down when not in use...I just wonder if the 15/30 minutes here and there is really worth the effort...maybe it is.