Answered How to Shift Dust Blobs from Epson TW7200

[Duke]

Hello all,

Long time since I've needed to visit these forums for advice however I've got an issue with my new Epson.

Had an EH TW3200 that served me well for several years and that hardly ever suffered from dust blobs. When it did get one then it was just a matter of removing the filter and giving a quick blast with a compressed air canister to clear it (only had to do it a few times).

My new EH TW7200 on the other hand, bought just over a year ago, started collecting dust spots from the first couple of months. I have tried to get the air blast from the canister directed properly but I can't seem to shift the blobs and I now have around 10 spread out across my screen at last count.

The old PJ drew air from the back and vented via the front. The 7200 feeds from the front left and vents to the front on the right (looking from the front). Obviously this means the airflow takes a different path and because of the internal baffling the blast of air from the canister doesn't reach the back of the optics or LCD panel surfaces or wherever to dislodge the particles.

The question is - WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GET RID OF THE DUST?

I appreciate any help as I am regretting replacing my old 3200. I only bought the 7200 to watch 3D films with... Buyers remorse maybe?

P.S. Don't like not having specific makers sub-forums like the old days - say Epson owners, Optoma owners etc as opposed to PJ and Screen forum. 1400 pages is a bit much to read through... Sorry if this has been asked before but searches didn't bring up the info I needed.

Thanks and a Happy New year to you all.

 

[chienmetallique]

I had to do this on my Panasonic after the warranty ended, best advice I got was get a rocket air duster used for delicate photographic optics, so you get no liquid exacerbating the problems, you will have to open the top and have a look, it is quite obvious where the dust is, I ended up detaching a few ribbon connectors to get into the guts, took me less than half an hour and has been trouble free since.Google+

 

[Duke]

Hi and thanks for the reply.

Yeah I have had a look at other websites to see if there was any advice about this issue and unfortunately the solution seems to be just that. Take it apart to blast it clean. Problem being this is a difficult thing to do as my PJ is ceiling mounted and difficult to get down when perched atop a ladder holding the Epson with one hand whilst unscrewing the PJ from its bracket.

What's worse is trying to get it back up again and with all the realignment that usually entails. And if this is a regular occurrence that makes it all the more depressing a prospect...

Why can't they just design these with an access panel on the side/top/bottom of the chasis or wherever with a few screws and a decent seal on it. Surely that is not beyond the realms of possibility and considering this is a one of the major caveats of LCD PJ's, and the number of PJ's that get sent back under warranty because of dust blobs then wouldn't Epson (and ultimately the customer) save a few quid?

Like I said before, this wasn't that big a problem with my old 3200. I was able to shift the blobs easily and for some reason it only collected a few specs in the 3 years plus that I owned it. The 7200 has picked up twice as many in less than a 3rd of the time... And I don't even get the chance to use it as often... Go figure... Might be increased fan speed (and therefore increased air intake) to cool it during 3D viewing? More air = more dust. Fat lotta good the filter does then HA HA...

Cheers.

If anyone can explain the path the air takes and the approximate position of the panels I might be able to aim a bit better with the can/tube...

 

[jfinnie]

I'll never understand why more manufacturer's don't do what Sanyo did and have a little hatch on the bottom with a specially designed rocket blower? Works a treat and you can sort out panel dust in a matter of minutes. I can only guess it is because building such a mechanism involves admitting that your products will suffer from dust, putting you at a disadvantage versus people who don't...

Anyhow, surely it must still be under warranty and the kind of thing Epson can sort for you? If it is under warranty, I'm not sure how they'll take to you being inside it...

 

[Duke]

I'll never understand why more manufacturer's don't do what Sanyo did and have a little hatch on the bottom with a specially designed rocket blower? Works a treat and you can sort out panel dust in a matter of minutes. I can only guess it is because building such a mechanism involves admitting that your products will suffer from dust, putting you at a disadvantage versus people who don't...

Anyhow, surely it must still be under warranty and the kind of thing Epson can sort for you? If it is under warranty, I'm not sure how they'll take to you being inside it...

...And another very good reason for NOT taking the thing down and opening it up - voiding the warranty... Might try hooking up the Hoover to the exhaust vent and (removing the filter) emptying a can of compressed air through the intake into the guts of the thing and hope it shifts the dust...

Thanks for the response(s)

 

[jfinnie]

I wouldn't empty a can of anything through the vents. All cans of compressed air also have propellant which will be expelled as tiny little drops. You are very very unlikely to be able to reach anything directly of use from any of the vents, and will more likely just stir up the dust which has settled all over the rest of the projector. The panels are arranged as a little "huddle", tightly packed around the prism. If you can reach one side of one panel you'd be lucky, and there are two sides on 3 panels, all of which can gather dust (you can see which panel the individual spots are on by judging the colour of the spots).

The only compressed air kind of things that don't have propellant (I believe) are the little CO2 "bullets" by American Recorder etc:
Gas Dusters
But you'll still have the issue of doing it blind.

 

[Duke]

Was exaggerating slightly with my description of how I intended to shift the spots. I use compressed air designed for optics and it is usually only a quick blast. And no fear about getting near the panels (or the optics) in this PJ, they are well protected... Obviously not from dust though.

Cheers

 

[jfinnie]

Will be interesting to know how you get on. Dust blobs are my main reason for being slightly leery of the Epson LCD ranges.

 

[True Romance]

Use to have my very first lcd pj serviced by my local AV dealer each year which would include a clean out. Sadly this sort of service seems to have disappeared? Might be someone online that does this sort of thing?

 

[Duke]

Will be interesting to know how you get on. Dust blobs are my main reason for being slightly leery of the Epson LCD ranges.

Just seems to be the design of this one that allows more dust in. I don't think it is endemic across all Epson PJ's as, like I mentioned before, never really an issue with dust ingress with my old 3200 (Epson). On the rare occasions one or two would appear, a quick blast of air would sort it...

The more I think about it the more I believe a lot of this must be down to the ramped up fan speed during 3D viewing which now accounts for about a third or more of my movie sessions. 2D films are still viewed as they were on my old Epson - ECO mode with Natural or Cinema - much more sedate (and a damn sight quieter!) fan speed, but those couple of hours a week, with the PJ sucking air like a Dyson whilst I re-watch Guardians of the Galaxy, Pacific Rim, or some other riotous 3D fayre must be a major contributor to the dust problem.

And I will let you know if I am successful shifting the dust with the Hoover/Air combo. I hope it works. I'd rather not have to upgrade the PJ again until I go the whole 4k (or 8k?) a few years down the road...

 

[Duke]

So far the results are not brilliant. I think I have rid the image of a couple of lesser particles however the most noticeable ones are still there. I think I will get hold of Epson and see if something can be done under warranty. Why oh why did I get rid of my old 3200? Did I really need 3D in my home?

Well yes. As much as I resisted the 3D movement for in home, I future proofed myself by buying Blu-Rays in 3D believing that my next PJ/TV would invariably have 3D functionality. In the end it was a self fulfilling prophecy - I had amassed a fair few 3D Blu's and decided to get the 3D enabled Epson to be able to enjoy them. I have now found that well executed 3D, for the right film, can be so much more immersive and involving. So I am bloody gutted about the apparent side effect of increased dust caused by increased fan speed. It just shouldn't happen in a PJ retailing for 1800 quid or so.

No mind, will get in touch with my retailer and see if I have any recourse...

Happy New Year...

 

[jfinnie]

That sucks. Hope you get sorted.

It could be lots of things. Of course the increased airflow won't help; your unit might be particularly bad if the filter wasn't tightly fitting, for example. I see quite a lot of complaints about dusty 3200 units too, so maybe you got lucky there.

I have always thought 3D is a gimmick, but I sat my little boy (7) down in Hughes the other day, with some 3D specs on a 3 set curved OLED setup they have there, and he was totally blown away - kept reaching out to touch the stars which were coming towards him etc. Probably going to try and resist upgrade-itis until I get some more value out of my current lamp. These dust issues and panel degradation mumblings on Sony units make me fancy the JVC units for my next purchase.

 

[Duke]

That sucks. Hope you get sorted.

... These dust issues and panel degradation mumblings on Sony units make me fancy the JVC units for my next purchase.

Hey again. Are Sonys having issues with dust as well? I thought with their SXRD technology (and therefore different design) that they didn't suffer like LCD PJ's do. I had considered JVC or Sony - except for their noteable bulk, and cost, but after this experience I might turn my back on LCD tech and look for something else. I thought about DLP but the increased noise (PJ a few feet directly above and behind my seating position and they do run a little louder than LCD) might be an issue. There is also the risk of rainbow effect (noticed it on an Optoma a decade or so ago when trying out early DLP's so went for LCD). Are newer DLP projectors any less prone to this?

Anyway spoke to Richer Sounds today who I purchased the 7200 from a year ago (Got an extended 5 year warranty thrown in with a couple hundred discount from RRP) and found that dust ingress is NOT covered by warranty. Great, So unless I fork out for a strip down and service (HUNDR£D$ I presume - and every year or so after) then I am stuck with a PJ with a sub standard picture. This same fault would then make it difficult to sell on - or foolhardy - as I would probably lose a fortune on it now.

Hmmm. There's always the lottery.

 

[jfinnie]

Sorry, no, some Sony's are having issues with panel degradation it seems from posts on other forums (I have no personal experience of this), causing the native black level to rise and hence contrast to reduce. I understand Sony's shouldn't suffer from dust ingress; though there is at least one post on here from someone who has had a nightmare dealing with a Sony issue that sounded like dust.

If it is any consolation; I was in our local cinema this morning watching Snoopy with "my gang" - they're using Sony 4K projection and the uniformity was terrible - much worse than my own setup at home! Dread to think what that cost - so no matter what you pay, there is always going to be an element of variation.

My own view is that if you've ever seen rainbows on DLP then you'll likely see them in some form or another on pretty much any single chip DLP (if you look for it). If you're the kind of person who notices dust blobs on an LCD, and you've seen and know what a DLP rainbow looks like, I reckon you'll see them quite quickly. Easiest way to find out is get yourself somewhere that has a selection of good units.

Interesting that RS don't class panel dust as warranty - I can't see that as an exclusion on their warranty terms here, and I would have expected it included. I was considering a new Sony from them before the panel degradation started to surface (the RS shop is behind my house...).
http://www.richersounds.com/action.php?cdx=loadstatic&page=5yearTVterms
They do say that you'd be liable if you haven't cleaned the filters, which I assume isn't the case for you?

Edit: and for what it's worth, my first foray into projection was a low-end DLP Benq I picked up locally; that had so much dust on the DLP chip it wasn't funny. It was very easy to clean though as the case came apart with about 6 screws, the lens unbolted, and then you could get in with camera sensor cleaning gear and get it spotless. There are quite a few reports of Benq units with dust (mostly noticeable if you unfocus the projector, as it brings the dust into sharp focus).

 

[mikemag]

Apart from the Richer Sounds, should you not have a warranty with Epson themselves ?

Unlike yourself, both my original 3200 and a replacement unit have been plagued with dust blobs but a phonecall to Epson Customer Service registered the PJ with them and they arranged for an engineer to call out. The warranty lasts 3 years and I wish I still had it 'cos the blobs are back even though the unit is in a dedicated room and the filter cleaned regularly.

 

[Richer Sounds]

Hey again. Are Sonys having issues with dust as well? I thought with their SXRD technology (and therefore different design) that they didn't suffer like LCD PJ's do. I had considered JVC or Sony - except for their noteable bulk, and cost, but after this experience I might turn my back on LCD tech and look for something else. I thought about DLP but the increased noise (PJ a few feet directly above and behind my seating position and they do run a little louder than LCD) might be an issue. There is also the risk of rainbow effect (noticed it on an Optoma a decade or so ago when trying out early DLP's so went for LCD). Are newer DLP projectors any less prone to this?

Anyway spoke to Richer Sounds today who I purchased the 7200 from a year ago (Got an extended 5 year warranty thrown in with a couple hundred discount from RRP) and found that dust ingress is NOT covered by warranty. Great, So unless I fork out for a strip down and service (HUNDR£D$ I presume - and every year or so after) then I am stuck with a PJ with a sub standard picture. This same fault would then make it difficult to sell on - or foolhardy - as I would probably lose a fortune on it now.

Hmmm. There's always the lottery.

Hi Duke,

I was sorry to read you're having problems with your projector, I have sent you a PM asking for some more information with a view to resolving the matter.

Look forward to hearing from you soon.

Many Thanks

John Clayton
Operations Director
Richer Sounds
​

 

[webby]

Was this ever resolved?

 

[Rictor]

If it helps, I have returned my EH-TW7200 3 times under warranty within 2 years of purchase for dust spots. Refurbed each time but within a couple of months, they soon gather again. I'm quite disappointed to be honest.

I barely use 3D, always on Eco mode so not sure that has influenced the dust intrusion like the previous poster.

Let me know if you want anymore details of the returns process I used.

Now I'm out of warranty, I'm looking into cleaning it myself.

Probably won't buy Epson again unless they prove that the dust prevention has improved.

 

[jfinnie]

Don't use compressed air cans or an airline if you do go DIY route as both can spray out contaminant which will be a pain to clean. Either use a hand powered rocket blower or if you need something with a trigger a CO2 cannister based tool.

 

[Supersonic]

Bit of a necropost but it's time for me to clean out my TW3200 again. Easily done once disassembled, I've used canned dusters - the invertible kind that don't spew out liquid - to blast 'air' down where the LCD ribbon connectors enter.

Works fine, but the invertible air dusters are around £12 a can (RS Components) so I'm looking now for a machine of some sort. The trouble is avoiding moisture ingress. True air compressors do just that and the moisture in the air condenses out as the air leaves the nozzle at high speed.

Sadly might have to stick with the un-eco-friendly gas dusters. At least it's only every couple of years, and keeping an older unit running is I guess less carbon footprint.

 

[phAge]

Bit of a necropost but it's time for me to clean out my TW3200 again. Easily done once disassembled, I've used canned dusters - the invertible kind that don't spew out liquid - to blast 'air' down where the LCD ribbon connectors enter.

Works fine, but the invertible air dusters are around £12 a can (RS Components) so I'm looking now for a machine of some sort. The trouble is avoiding moisture ingress. True air compressors do just that and the moisture in the air condenses out as the air leaves the nozzle at high speed.

Sadly might have to stick with the un-eco-friendly gas dusters. At least it's only every couple of years, and keeping an older unit running is I guess less carbon footprint.

Could you give a few pointers or even a full walkthrough on how to do this? My TW9200 has developed a single, rather large dust blob, and I have no idea how to get rid of it.

 

[Lensman5d]

Seems I m rather behind the. Times but I have a 7200 and it’s blobby. I will look at filters etc tomorrow but would appreciate any experience gained beyond this post.

 

[bnieman]

Seems I m rather behind the. Times but I have a 7200 and it’s blobby. I will look at filters etc tomorrow but would appreciate any experience gained beyond this post.

Were you able to get your dust blobs removed? I am dealing with another one on my Epson 1080UB.

 

[Lensman5d]

Nope. I couldn’t access the lens without a fuller strip down and didn’t want to risk a misalignment or whatever. If it gets any worse I will have to. The lamp unit just failed so when I fit a new one I will go deeper to see what I can access.

 

[bnieman]

Nope. I couldn’t access the lens without a fuller strip down and didn’t want to risk a misalignment or whatever. If it gets any worse I will have to. The lamp unit just failed so when I fit a new one I will go deeper to see what I can access.

Bummer. I just had my 1080UB cleaned twice professionally and still dealing with the dust. I've been doing a lot of research in the meantime.

I've found these videos helpful:



And I just created these two videos showcasing my problem:



Good luck! Let me know if you get anywhere!