Projector Overheating: Why & Solution how to cool down quickly.

9 min readJun 6

Is it normal for a projector to get hot or projector overheating? Yes, it’s normal for the projector to get or overheat. It’s an obvious thing if any machine works. It will produce heat. Projector also gets hot.

If you want to solve the projector overheating instantly. You can do these things to solve the overheating issue of your projector:-

Power off projector
Cleaning air filter
Keep away projectors from congested places
Place projector in normal room temperature

If these four tips don’t work. You don’t need to feel sad. There are six more things. You can do it with the projector. I have explained.

To get rid of the projector overheating.

But before that. You should learn what happens if the projector overheats. And why is your projector is getting hot?

Content Shortcuts

Why is my projector getting hot?

Air Filter

Here your projector is overheating because of the air filter. Sometimes when you don’t do maintenance of your projector.

Your air filter gets dusty. And its cloth gets stuck with a tiny particle full of dust. Which doesn’t let the outside air inside.

Temperature

External temperature. There can be various reasons your projector is getting the external temperature that overheats your projector.

Your room is not circulating the air with the outside atmosphere. And during the summer days, your room increases more than its normal temperature.

Or you put your projector in front of your home device that produces heat. Like over the DVD player and near to the heat-generating device like a heater.

Which produces heat or any other device you have in your home. Put the projector on these devices.

Not accurate RPM

Your projector thermal sensor is not reading the speed of your projector fan accurately. It could be a problem with your fan not spinning at legit speed.

Or your projector thermal sensor is dusty or faulty. And you are getting the wrong information.

Fan and Blower

What I think first is that your projector fan and blower are deteriorating. Or inside your fan and blower something tiny unwanted object gets stuck. Which does not allow them to move.

It happens generally when your lamp bulb explodes. And a tiny part of the projector was stuck inside the blower.

Position or Place

Your projector isn’t in a good place or position. Which doesn’t allow the projector exhaust to pump out the projector’s internal hot air. Or take the cool air inside.

Bulb

If your projector doesn’t clean for a long time. In your bulb dust collects and burns. Which also can cause the projector to overheat.

How do I stop my projector from overheating?

Power Off

When your projector gets extremely hot. First I will suggest turning off your projector. Let’s relax the projector. It takes ten minutes to cool down the projector.

Open the projector

First, unscrew your projector screws and dismantle the projector top. Now you have to inspect your projector there and you have to check many things. Let’s see what projector parts you have to check out.

For a while on the projector. And check your projector all fans are working constantly fan and blower both. If not then fix them, and if it’s all good then fine.

While you are checking the fan they are moving at enough speed that your projector can sense. And also check your thermal sensor condition.

It’s alright or not? Sometimes it gets dusty, and not reading the right amount of heat. And giving the wrong info.

If your projector fan is not moving at enough speed. You can try the high-altitude mode. In which fans move fast to run the projector constantly.

But remember it can downgrade your projector bulb life span. Because the projector bulb needs a certain amount of heat to work.

Here I wanna add another point related to the bulb. Also, check your bulb if it’s dusty and clean from the compressed air. Try to avoid the compressed air to clean from the inside. Use the vacuum air to clean from the inside.

Don’t touch it (Because it will be hot after use. It will burn your hand). If it’s burnout because of overheating. Then you have to change the projector.

And when you are about to close the projector top portion. I will suggest you use compressed air all around the projector. It will be good for projector maintenance.

Cleaning Air Filter

This is the first thing you have to do. When your projector is overheating. In every projector, you will get the air filter which can be disassembled.

Because the companies know that it’s necessary for projector maintenance.

So, open the projector air filter. And tap on the hard surface if it’s clean your air filter then it’s ok. If this step does not clean your projector.

Wash your projector air filter. If it is washable. And let it dry then assemble it. Because a clean air filter lets the air enter the projector. Like our nose for our body.

Right Position & Place

Place your projector in that place. Where form the projector exhaust and air flitter can easily do air in and out.

If you have hung the projector from the ceiling. Then make sure the projector has enough distance from the ceiling. So projector exhaust can work properly.

Room Temperature

Make sure you put the projector in an environment that is normal or cool (Not cool like a freeze). For that, open your room window, which I prefer.

Or you can also use the room AC or Fan. And keep away your projector from other devices which produce heat. Which produces the heat around the projector.

Wait to cover

If you cover the projector. When you don’t use the projector. I will suggest that you wait. Before you cover the projector. Because after you turn off the projector.

Its fan will work. So let it cool, don’t cover the projector.

Cooling System

If your projector’s internal cooling (Blower, Fan, and Heatsink) system doesn’t work you can also use the external cooling pad. Which can cool your projector silently.

You can use a projector hush box. Which also reduces the projector noise. And also cool down the projector. Or you can also find another cooling pad.

Using CPU Heatsink

This kind of heatsink is used for the big CPU. You have to apply this heat sink over the lamp replacement unit. For a practical overview of how you can do this, check out this video.

Using Noctua thermal paste

There is the last option left if all other tips failed to resolve the problem for you. This is the last option I know you can try. For this first, you have to open the projector.

And pay attention to your circuit where the heatsink is. Now on the projector for a while so you can checkout. Which heatsink gets warmer?

To check. You will need a phone that has a thermal camera. Which helps you to figure out which heatsink is overheating. When you can figure out which heatsink is overheating.

At this position, you have to use the Noctua thermal paste on the overheated heatsink. And also you have to use the 70s or ’81 pennies.

Take the pennies and move back and forth over the heatsink. And spread the Noctua thermal paste over the heatsink.

And left the coin over the heatsink. Hope it will not fall apart. This is what you can do with your projector heatsink. To avoid the projector overheating.

To know more about this you can read this expert opinion.

BONUS

It is possible. When you open your projector for any reason. You have unplugged the wire. And you forgot to plug those wires.

Again open your projector and check this thing.

If you 3DMD projector. In this type of projector. A liquid cooling system is used. It’s possible that. In the liquid, there are some air bubbles that get inside the liquid. And preventing the liquid from circulation.

For that, you should go to the expert. Which can change the liquid of your projector. And you get rid of your problem.

Some special instructions:-

If you have these projector brands you can try some special instructions to avoid overheating.

ZTE projector overheating.

Before I say the cure for overheating. I would like to talk about some reasons why your projector is getting hot. There are many reasons related to overheating.

In a ZTE projector, you may get the pop on the projector about overheating, because your projector is in high brightness. To solve this, close the pop-up and lower your brightness.

There will also be another pop. Which tells you that the projector battery is higher than its normal heat. In this case, you have to close the projector. So it can cool down.

Same thing you have to do. When your projector is used for a long time. And the dialogue box opens and says your projector sussed for a long time.

There is only special instruction for the ZTE projector I have. If you have other brands of projectors like Viewsonic, Hitachi, Optoma, Sony, Epson, BenQ, and Panasonic.

You can try the above option. I have told you to stop the projector from overheating. One of them will work for you for sure.

Is the projector overheating because of the ceiling mounting?

Yes, the projector can overheat because of the ceiling mounting. If you hang up the projector there will be no space for the air exhaust of your projector.

Then it will overheat the projector. So make sure. Whenever you hang up the projector from the ceiling. There should be a distance between the projector air exhaust and the ceiling floor.

If you have ducts in the ceiling then use the ducts to divert the hot air coming from the projector heat.

Why does the projector overheat after replacing the lamp?

This is happening because you have used the unofficial projector lamp. So make sure you always use the projector lamp from the authorized seller.

If you are still facing the overheating issue because of a projector lamp. It might be a bug so disassemble the projector lamp again. And put it back.

I am not sure about this trick. But you can try.

What happens if a projector overheats?

When your projector overheats. You will get the red LED light blinking on your projector top. Or you may get a warning on the screen.

Your projector is about to close in minutes. If it’s getting too hot your projector is not even on for a second. It will shut down to prevent the projector.

Also, the projector bulb will get burned. Now let’s know why your projector is getting hot.

Conclusion

So, in conclusion, the projector overheating. If your projector gets hot. That’s not a big issue, it can be solved by the following tips. If all these tips do not work for you.

I am sure your projector has a serious issue in your projector related to overheating. I will suggest you contact your projector’s official support staff.

Now they can only help you out with this problem. I have shared everything I know about the projector overheating. I hope all my tips help you out with this overheating issue.

So you can enjoy gaming and movies with your friends and family.

See you next time…