There’s nothing worse than being in a quiet, tense scene of a movie and hearing nothing but the projector whirring. People have been complaining about how loud projectors are for years, and it is one of the most important things to think about when buying one.
But why do they make so much noise? I’ve made a list of the top six reasons why your projector is so loud to help you:
- It’s possible that your projector is not the best.
- You might have an old projector.
- Something might be wrong with your projector.
- Your projector might not be in the best place.
- The noise level could be made worse by the project’s iris.
- You have turned up the power.
Continue reading if you want to find out what makes your projector so loud. I’ll explain why projectors make so much noise and what you can do about it.
Why Is Your Projector Noisy?
Ultimately, projectors are loud because they get hot and need fans to cool them down. Both the spinning of the blades and the motors of these fans make noise.
But how loud the fan is and how often it runs will depend on a number of things that we will talk about below.
Projector Quality
You probably won’t be surprised to learn that high-quality (more expensive) projectors make much less noise than their low-quality, less expensive counterparts.
High-quality projectors cost more to make because they take more time and money to design and are made with parts that cost more but do their job better.
For example, a high-quality projector might make less heat because it has better parts, or the fan might work better at lower settings just because it is made better. This will all help make a projector that runs more quietly.
You will have to decide how much a nearly silent viewing experience is worth to you, because the quietest projectors on the market can cost thousands of dollars.
The Age Of Your Projector
The louder your projector is likely to be, the older it is. There are two ways that your projector’s age can change how loud it is:
- Technology that is old. Technology has made it possible for projectors to make less noise while they work. This could be done by using better fans or parts that don’t make as much heat.
- Use and abuse. Some older projectors may be about to stop working. Due to dust buildup and normal wear and tear, the projector can get hot and the fan will run more often and louder.
Of course, the age of the projector isn’t everything. This is less likely to happen if you take good care of your projector.
There’s Something Wrong With Your Projector
If your projector was quiet when you first got it and only started making noise recently, something may be wrong inside. Most people will find that something is wrong with the fan, which is making the extra noise.
Some signs of trouble with fans are:
- The projector gets too hot and turns off.
- The projector is making strange sounds.
- Fan runs all the time.
- Fan doesn’t run at all (if it doesn’t, your projector probably isn’t that loud)
If your fan is giving you trouble, you usually don’t have to buy a whole new projector. You can just have the fan changed. It may even be covered by a warranty.
If you know how to fix electronics, you can usually buy a new fan from the manufacturer and put it in yourself. However, this may void the warranty.
The Location Of Your Projector
Where you put your projector will have a big effect on how loud it is when it’s running. It changes how hot the projector gets and how close you are to the sounds it makes.
We’ve put together some tips to help you put your projector in the best places:
- Choose a place behind the seating area rather than right above it. The less noise you hear from the projector, the farther away it is. In many home theaters, the projector is set up right above where people sit. This makes it hard to ignore the sound of the fan spinning. Aim to put the projector at least 6 feet away from where you will be watching.
- The projector should be put in a room that doesn’t get too hot. If the room is 95 degrees, it will be even harder for the projector to keep itself at a good temperature, just like it is hard for your body to keep itself at a good temperature when the room is the same temperature. Keeping the temperature down in your home theater or media room will also make it more comfortable to watch movies or TV shows.
The Iris
It’s not just the fan that makes annoying noises. Another problem can be the iris. People who have problems with their iris usually hear a grinding or crunching sound. Sometimes it only happens when the projector is turned on, but for some people it happens more often.
Just because your projector makes iris sounds doesn’t mean it’s broken. Some projects just have noisy irises. But if the noise doesn’t stop or if it started all of a sudden, you may need to have your projector fixed.
High Power Settings
Most projectors have so many settings that it can be hard to figure out how to use them. If your projector is making too much noise, one of the settings you need to know about is the ECO settings.
Depending on the brand and model of your projector, the ECO setting will do different things, but in general, it will reduce the amount of power needed to run the projector by lowering the brightness of the bulb and the speed of the fan.
Many people who complain that their projectors are noisy find that changing this one setting fixes all their problems.
Do All Projectors Make Noise?
Yes. All projectors make some noise, but many of them don’t make enough noise to make it hard to watch a movie or play a video game.
At the moment, the fans in the quietest projectors make about 22 decibels of noise. In comparison, breathing makes about 10 decibels of noise, and whispering makes about 30 decibels of noise.
So, if you’re standing next to your projector or if it’s hanging over your head, you’ll probably hear it no matter what.
How To Make Your Projector Quieter?
You got lucky! No matter if your projector is one of the quietest on the market or not, there are several ways to make it quieter.
Shop Wisely
If you haven’t bought a projector yet or want to get a new one, make sure you read up on each one you’re thinking about.
Most projectors’ sales information will tell you how many decibels you can expect the projector to make. The number should be as low as possible.
If you can, try to get a demo of how the projector works. If it doesn’t, make sure that the store you buy it from has a good return policy. You don’t want to be stuck with an overly loud projector.
Let Your Projector Breathe
A cool projector is a quiet projector. For your projector to cool down, it needs to have enough space around it so that the heat from inside can go somewhere else. Here are some things you can do to let your projector breathe:
- Don’t get in the way of the projector. If the vents on the projector are right up against a wall, they won’t do anything. Keep the area around the projector clean so that air can flow as well as possible. You should have about a foot and a half of space on all sides of the projector.
- Clear out the bottom. Make sure air can flow under the projector as well. The projector has little feet on the bottom to let air flow under it. So, don’t put the projector on soft surfaces like carpet or pillows, which stop the legs from doing their job.
- Don’t use hush boxes. Some installers will put a projector inside a hush box to help muffle the noise, but this isn’t the best idea because it doesn’t let air circulate around the projector and limits its ability to cool itself. If you use a hush box, you’ll probably need extra cooling equipment, like fans on the back of the box, which kind of defeats the purpose.
Use Power Saving Settings
Power-saving settings like the ECO setting are great for helping to keep your projector cool and the fan running at a lower level. Most ECO modes have two functions:
- Dims the light. Most power-saving settings will lower the brightness, which will also make the lamp last longer and reduce the heat of the unit right away.
- Uses less electricity. With ECO modes, the projector will also use less electricity.
Because of both of these changes, the projector doesn’t get as hot as fast. The fan won’t have to run very hard, and the projector will stay cool.
Some people worry that lowering the brightness will hurt the picture’s quality. This is a good reason to worry. If you watch in a dark room while in ECO mode, the picture will be better. Also, newer models are getting a lot of smart eco modes. These modes will figure out how much brightness you need and only lower it when it won’t hurt the quality of the picture.
Improve The Air Circulation
Many of these tips are based on keeping the projector cool, because that has the biggest effect on reducing fan noise.
You can make air flow better by:
- Putting the projector where it won’t be blocked by walls or other things.
- Putting the projector on a hard, flat surface and using a small fan to move the air around the – projector
You don’t have to use a small fan to help keep your projector cool unless you think the projector is having trouble cooling itself.
Replace The Fan
If you’ve been working on your project for a long time, the fan might not be working as it should. Many projector manufacturers sell replacement parts.
We don’t think you should switch out one fan for another unless you know a lot about electronics.
Keep The Projector Clean Most Of The Time
Dust and dirt will build up on the projector’s outside and in its vents. This dust isn’t just ugly to look at. If it covers the electronics inside the projector or blocks the vents, it can cause too much heat to build up. If you do this, your fan will have to work harder, which will make your projector louder.
How to clean your projector is as follows:
- Turn off and unplug the projector.
- Pull out all the cables.
- Use a soft, dry microfiber cloth to clean the projector.
- If there are spots that won’t come out, you can clean them on their own. Start by wiping them – down with a damp cloth, and if that doesn’t work, use a gentle detergent to treat the spots.
- Use a vacuum with a soft brush attachment to clean the vent of dust.
- Reconnect everything! Your projector should now be working better.
Your projector doesn’t need to be cleaned very often. Check it once a month to see if dust is building up near the vent. If it is, you should clean it, but if it isn’t, you shouldn’t worry about it.
Style The Room With Some Noise Dampening Materials
How loud your room is, including how loud the noise from the projector is, depends on the materials you have in it. Some things block out sounds, while others make them bounce around the room.
Here are some things you can use to quiet down the noise of your projector:
- Carpet \sCurtains
- Sound-proof ceiling tiles
- Acoustical panels
You don’t need to lose your mind. If you put a throw rug on hardwood or tile floors and hang curtains with your blinds, the sound from your projector might travel through the room differently.
Avoid Hot Spots
Since keeping the projector cool is the most important thing for keeping it quiet, you shouldn’t put it near anything that gives off heat. This could be something obvious like a heating vent, but you should also avoid putting it near or on things like:
- Computers, TVs, and game systems
- Lighting
You don’t want to make your projector hotter, but all of these things make heat. The best way to find out is to let something run for a while and then put your hand on the outside of it. You shouldn’t put your projector on something that feels hot to the touch.
Turn Off The Projector When Not In Used
If you’re not using your projector, turn it off. If you turn off the projector, it can cool down before you use it again. Even if you plan to watch something in half an hour, you should turn it off to give it a break from the constant heat of the lamp and electronics.
You could also set your projector to turn off automatically so you don’t have to think about it.
Place The Projector Further Away
It should be easy, right? The less you’ll hear that fan noise, the farther away the projector is. You want the projector to be at least 6 feet away from where people will be sitting and up higher. When it comes to noise, the farther away, the better.
It might be easier to move the chairs than to move the projector. With an HD or 4k projector, you can sit closer to the screen, but with a lower resolution, you should sit further back.
Do You Need Some Cooling Pad For Your Projector?
Most likely, your projector does not need a cooling pad. If you follow best practices, like leaving space around your projector, that should be enough to keep it cool and quiet.
But if your projector’s fan is too loud and you want to cool it down, a cooling pad probably won’t do the trick. Laptops are meant to be used with cooling pads. They bring fresh air to the bottom of a laptop, which is often where heat escapes from laptops, especially older ones.
Heat doesn’t escape from the bottom of a projector. On the bottom of the unit, you might be able to improve air flow a little, but it won’t make much of a difference.
Also, using a cooling pad could make your warranty invalid, so be sure to read the fine print.
Final Thoughts
The noise from your projector is only a problem if it bothers you or someone in your family. If the fan noise from the projector doesn’t bother you or get in the way of what you’re watching, you don’t need to do anything about it.
In fact, a noisy projector is good in a way because it shows that the fan is working. If the fan is running too much, you may need to make some changes to keep the projector from overheating. However, most of the time, a noisy fan just means the projector is working as it should.