Hot Projector Room

[lncomp]

I am currently using the Mitsubishi HC1500 and I love it, the only problem is like all projectors, it runs pretty hot. I have this set up in my room which is what I would say an average sized room(not a master bedroom)

But anyways, I prefer to keep the door closed so I don't get any interruptions from the other TVs around the house or annoying family members, and doing so, whenever I watch a movie longer than 2 hrs or play games, my room can get incredibly hot now that its summer as well and the A/C in my room isn't as effective in reducing the heat.

I'm sure home theater rooms may have the same issue? Anyone figured out a effective/silent way to reduce the heat output of the projector. I was thinking about hooking up more fans to it (kinda like the big computer fans) to kind of dissipate the heat better and cool down the projector more, a huge bulky fan is out of the question though since I really don't want one of those blaring with a movie on.

[ERPGURU]

Heya - I had the same problem, a rack of equipment and a projector in a room with one AC vent. The hvac would never be accurate in the room since the thermostat was in another part of the house, and since the door was closed the temperature was always higher than the rest of the house.

I looked into all different things, but I eventually bit the bullet and bought a split-a/c unit. What is nice about a split-air ac unit is that the compressor goes outside and the inside is only a air handling unit. Even on full blast the unit is maybe 30 decibels. You can get all different sized ones, and even heat pumps (which I got) which will heat/cool your room..Another thing about (most) split-air AC units is that they are highly efficient, the one I purchased (Sanyo) is much more efficient than the main units for the house..There are lots of manufacturers, but two of the biggest are Mitsubishi and Sanyo.

Yeah, it was expensive, but in the end, I don't get any more complaints from my wife about the heat - nor do I have to worry about the electronics failing early.

[moviefan]

Or you could try these folks:

http://www.activethermal.com/defau

[Beta Man]

When I move into our new home, the theater will be a finished attic and the heat issues concern me, but it looks like the previous owners addressed these problems, as the house has (2) central A/C units, (2) forced air furnaces, and the attic has a separate through-the-wall A/C unit, and baseboard heat..... even if you have Central Air, a separate window/thru-the-wall unit might work for your application as well. If you have window units now... maybe get another one?

[sticks4legs]

I'm not sure if your HVAC is the same as in my area.
Do you have cold air returns? Where are you?


If so, i have seen some success is putting mutliple sets of cold air returns. One low close to the floor to pull the warm air down in the winter months (i live in canada) and a higher one for the summer months to pull the cold air up. That way you can just have adjustable vent registers and open/close them according to your needs.

[ERPGURU]

Don't know who you are directing the question to - if you are directing it to me..I am in the Dallas, Texas area. The HVAC in the house is basically the same as anywhere else I have lived. Two zones in the house, two air returns (one for each unit).

The problem is that there is one air duct in my media room (18' x 21') - close the door, add a projector and large amps and the room frequently hits 90+ degrees. The wall is solid/no window - and even if there was a window, I would not want a window AC unit - too loud. With an split-duct unit, all you hear is the quiet fan of the air handler..worked out perfectly for me. The only drawback is cost, was around 4k installed..but the comfort and saved electronics is worth it in my opinion.

[syncguy]

Too hot is not good for the projector itself. If you feel very hot it is too hot for a projector room. You need to somehow manage it perhaps with additional air conditioning. Meanwhile consider increasing the projector fan by selecting the high altitude mode.

[ryoohki]

I run a AC unit in the Windows convered with Velvet. It's pretty much 99% light effective and the cooling power is great.