Four Most Common Audio Visual Service Calls

Cory’s breaks down the four most-common service calls and how to prevent them.

From rogue employees trying to crank up the volume (too far) to faulty cords to water spills, our service team has heard it all! While our professionals and engineers are ready to take on any audio visual need for your existing system—even if we didn’t install it; we want you to be armed to prevent some of these calls.

Honestly, many of them could easily have been avoided with a few things in mind.

The team who has seen it all breaks it down for you. Here are their four tips to help prevent you from calling a service technician.

1. Count your bulbs before they hatch. While we are quite certain they are not “hatched,” we know there is an easy way to know when your projector lamp is likely to kick the bucket. Average lamp life is typically 1,200-2,000 hours. Our recommendation is to be familiar with the menu feature on your projector showing the number of house on the machine. At around 1,000 hours, it is time to purchase a replacement. By following this rule of thumb, you are much less likely to find yourself calling around trying to find a replacement lamp.
2. “Someone messed with it.” If our engineers had a dime for every time this call comes in…! If you have technology that seems to be tempting to turn up, rearrange, flip switches, etc., it is time to talk to the Cory’s team about how to better secure your system. We have options that allow ease-of-use while keeping your investment protected. More than just people can “mess” with your system as well. Factoring in access to dust, dirt, debris, and even liquid can help give longer life to your system.
3. Aging equipment is a thing. Some pieces of technology are expected to last 5-8 years, depending on the type and brand of the equipment. Some could last much longer, but knowing your window can help you to plan ahead and forecast for your budget. If your monitor is getting up there in age or your speakers have been around a few years longer than expected, it won’t hurt to start planning a replacement now. This will help with the headaches of needing to purchase new technology when you least expect it. Our experts suggest to start saving or budgeting for a new AV system around 5-6 years after your system is installed. While it is possible to stretch the system life out to 10 years, it usually results in increased system downtime and incompatibility with new technology.
4. Power issues. Brown outs, blacks outs, lightening, and surges can cause equipment to fail. Power conditioners and surge protectors can go a long way, but this is not the area to cut costs. Surge protectors can age as well. Low-cost protection gear can sometimes only take one to two hits before they need to go into retirement. The higher-end equipment can last longer and become your first line of defense. If you know your facility faces frequent power problems, don’t skimp!

While these tips on scratch the surface of how you can keep your integrated audio visual system in order, you are not alone. The Cory’s service team offers service agreements to help keep things running smoothly. In addition, we work on all audio visual technology—new or aging, installed by our team, or not.

We can help your team stay efficient and communicating effectively without the worry. Contact us today to talk about your audio visual issues and how our pros can help.