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Failure to perform basic preventative maintenance can cause lights to fail sooner than they should, and can cause repair costs to be far higher than they should. Photos Courtesy of Josh Hancock.
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"Scheduling preventative maintenance on a quarterly basis is a great way to make sure to cover the needs of both [LED and arc-based fixtures],” say Mike Graham, product manager at Chauvet Professional. Photos Courtesy of Josh Hancock.
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“An [arc-source] moving light is basically a robot with an oven in the center," says Eric Loader, sales director, Elation Professional. Photos Courtesy of Josh Hancock.
More than a few churches that I've visited have a set of moving lights piled in a corner that no longer function. There are a variety of reasons for this: churches fail to recognize that unlike static fixtures the complexity of moving lights with all the mechanical moving parts means that they are going to break --- something they fail to budget time or money for. Or, in trying to save money, they invest in low-quality fixtures, which often means that they are going to break far sooner and more often. But another reason is a failure to perform basic preventative maintenance, which causes lights to fail sooner than they should, and can cause repair costs to be far higher than they should.
“Moving head preventive maintenance is really important and needs to be a scheduled event,” states Mike Graham, product manager at Chauvet Professional. “Keep in mind that there are some commonalities between arc-source and LED-source fixtures, but there are some differences as well. Scheduling preventative maintenance on a quarterly basis is a great way to make sure to cover the needs of both types of fixtures.”
“Light maintenance schedules are influenced by location, and lights may have a light duty vs. medium duty schedule,” states Gines Gines, service manager for Elation Professional.
“However, even in churches where by most standards would be a medium-duty environment (they aren't like a cigarette-smoke-filled night club), adopting the heavy-duty schedule for arc-source lights is a good idea due to the heat of the lamp.”
Eric Loader, sales director for Elation Professional, adds “An [arc-source] moving light is basically a robot with an oven in the center. Even if it is an LED fixture it still produces heat. Therefore, the cooling fans are critical. If your fans fail, your moving light will cook on the inside and lamps, LEDs, motors, and wires will all suffer.”
Gines and Graham recommend that the following maintenance items are performed on a regular basis:
1.Check the belts. Are all of the belts tight enough, and do they show signs of cracking or fraying? To make sure that they are tight enough, you should be able to twist them 90 degrees with a little force, but not much more than that. If the belt won't turn at all, it is too tight, if it just spins to 180 degrees, it is too loose. This is a good rule-of-thumb to go by.
2.Check the fans. Are the fans clean? If not, wipe them with a soft cloth, or you can use an air hose or a can of compressed air. However, make sure that you are not allowing the fans to free spin with the air hose. While it sounds cool, you can cause major damage to the fan and to the driver PCB (printed circuit board) that the fan is attached to. Free spinning fans generate electricity and can cause electrical feedback to the PCB as well as potentially damaging the brushes inside the fan itself. Keeping the fans clean and operating are the most important things you can do to keep your lights working well.
3.Clean the optical components. Is there any gunk buildup on your colors, prisms, lenses, or gobos? Cleaning your optics is important because you decrease the light output when your optics are dirty. Use a lint-free micro-fiber cloth to clean off all of these components. If wiping them with a clean cloth isn't sufficient, use a little denatured alcohol on the cloth. Denatured alcohol evaporates completely, leaves no streaks, and isn't as harsh on the components as an ammonia-based cleaner would be.
4.Check the cable connections. Are all of the wire harnesses properly and firmly connected? Make sure everything is plugged in tight and the cables are not crimped or caught in other components.
5.Clean the base. Is there any dust build up in the base? Fans suck in everything from hair, hazer fluid, to confetti. This tends to build up on top of the power supply and main PCB. Make sure that you clean all of this out of the base. This will extend the life of your power supply and main PCB greatly. Remember that these items are really expensive to replace out of warranty.
6.With specific reference to arc-sourced fixtures, you will need to take the extra steps of inspecting the wires that connect to the lamps and make sure that they are still looking like new and are corrosion-free. If corrosion is present, use some contact cleaner to clean them off. You also will want to check the coatings on all of the wires that are around the lamp itself and make sure that the shielding is not burnt up or crispy. If they are, you will want to send in the light for additional inspection at an authorized repair center.
7.Make sure nothing looks ominous like something is about to happen. If you see inflated capacitors, replace the capacitor or possibly even the PC board, as may indicate a failing board. Check where the drivers (electronic chips) are soldered onto the board. If there's discoloration, it's on its way out and should be replaced.
8.For discharge lamps, be proactive and replace the lamp after its rated lifetime. When it gets to 70% of life, increase the frequency of inspections and look for warping. If this is present, replace the lamp. If the lamp is over-used and it blows, there may be collateral damage to the fixture: The lamp can literally explode, spraying sharp debris into the fixture.
The ballast and heat filter will take the brunt of it, and can be damaged. And remember not to let the bulb of the lamp come in contact with your skin---the oils from your skin will cause the lamp to shatter when hot. Should you accidentally touch the bulb, use denatured alcohol to clean it before installation. While you're in there, do a full preventive maintenance check as already outlined.
How much maintenance can be performed by the end user, and how much should be done by a qualified technician, really depends on the individual. “During the warranty period of new lights,” says Graham, “if they break, you can return them to the manufacturer and they will cover the costs of the repair. However, they will not cover the costs of getting the light down from the installation or the shipping costs back to the repair center.” These costs are not insignificant, so this should be added incentive to perform regular maintenance.
Buying from a local dealer may also make more sense. “Churches often like to go for the cheapest price. Sometimes you're better off spending a little more that includes service behind it. We have dealers that do a great job of servicing church groups. You'll pay more, but you have someone to call, which is especially wise if you don't have someone on staff that has both the time and abilities to maintain them.” Given that moving lights are also installed in awkward locations, contracting regular maintenance out to a local company may be a smart move to ensure it actually happens.
“As lights get older, your maintenance costs go up, just like owning a car,” comment Graham. “Keeping a war chest of 10% of the purchase cost [annually] is a good idea to start with. Once the units are out of warranty, you may want to put aside 15% to 20%.”
