This is topic Xenon lamp shelf life? in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Tom Sauter (Member # 616) on 12-11-2000, 03:16 PM:
Greetings all:The persons from whom we acquired our projectors just dropped by to give me two spare Osram 1600W HSC-OFR lamps that have been sitting in the back of a closet since the end of the (last) Bush Administration. Should I be concerned that the seals may be dried out or do these lamps have an indefinite shelf life?
Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 12-11-2000, 07:16 PM:
They pretty much have an indefinite shelf life.Try to store them standing up. If they are new, leave them in the box. If they are used, (and you don't have the plastic sleeve/tool) wrap them in newspaper and place them in a sturdy box with packing "peanuts."
Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 12-11-2000, 10:43 PM:
I'm indifferent about the orientaion during storage. If you stand it up it could fall over and get busted. If you lay it down maybe the electrodes will sag. I don't know. I'd say it's whatever you think is right. How about laying it down and rotating it every couple of months?The way I look at it is most lamps spend months lying on their sides installed in the lamphouse. The electrodes get red hot. If they were going to sag, they'd do it then.
As far as storage life... as long as it has been stored someplace "safe" without getting knocked around, I agree, it's pretty much indefinate.
Posted by Stefan Scholz (Member # 147) on 12-12-2000, 12:04 PM:
I have found a lamp dating back to the Osram XBO 2001 times, somewhat 1958. It was still igniteable and normally the shelf life seems to be quite long.
But there is a warranty claim period, even though your bulbs might have never been istalled, there will be no more warranty from the mfg..
Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 12-12-2000, 01:17 PM:
I agree with Randy that "electrode sag" is an issue only when the electrodes are red hot, so storing cold lamps horizontally should not matter. Storing them on end does risk them falling over or out of a cabinet. AFAIK, the seals are metal-to-quartz or ceramic, and so should not deteriorate with time. Try contacting the lamp manufacturer for a definitive answer.------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Posted by Ari Nordström (Member # 288) on 12-12-2000, 04:03 PM:
We bought two 4k Osram bulbs that had been sitting on a shelf for about ten years, more or less untouched (they had been moved with the rest of the gear in that storage space, but carefully, or so the seller told us). We got them cheap so I thought what the heck. Also, our tech said the same thing as you all seem to agree on. Properly stored bulbs should have a pretty much indefinite shelf life.The first one ignited without a hitch, it was perfect. No problems at all. The second got really black in a matter of seconds.
The lesson? None I can think of, except that I didn't dare to keep the good one in either. We had a film festival coming up, and I did not want an incident right then.
Posted by Neil Fish (Member # 698) on 12-12-2000, 07:34 PM:
I believe the only problem with electrode sag during storage is with higher wattage lamps and correspondingly heavier electrodes (4kw and up). It is a factor with a cold lamp and seal stress, and possible xenon leakage. The same risk does not apply to a hot (operating) lamp in a horizontal position as the seal assembly has expanded and is designed to accomodate this stress on the electrodes.
Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 12-12-2000, 08:26 PM:
Yeah, you guys are probably right... electrode sag wouldn't happen, especially with a lamp that small (1600 watts.)That's what the old timers told me when I was starting to learn projection, and you know about old dogs and new tricks.... 
Posted by Art Averett (Member # 367) on 12-19-2000, 09:20 PM:
I met a representative from Strong a few years ago and he told me that XENON lamps have an average shelf life of five years. Nothing about "sagging ends" to say the least. However I've had brand new 2KW Osrams explode on the shelf. They were in the horizontal position in the protective casing and in the orginal box. I've also had a brand new ORC 4KW explode on me just after it was installed, the minute I turned on the lamp. Follow the lamp manufacture's
storage recommendations and you should have no problems.
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 12-19-2000, 10:09 PM:
Tom, I don't think you will have any problem with them. If they went flat, they probably wouldn't fire anyway. If for some reason they did fire, they would blacken in a matter of seconds, and your ammeter would show a very high reading. The issue I would be concerned with is how they were handled before you got them. Namely, contamination by oily fingers, etc. If the protective envelope has the slightest sign of being compromised, then be very careful. When I ran across bulbs that were questionable in that aspect, I donned the protective gear and cleaned the bulb with alcohol and distilled water. So far I have been lucky - I had none blow up on me yet.