Preventative maintenance for audio systems
More speakers doesn’t mean better sound. Call a qualified sound company to assist with proper speaker locations for a music room, theatre or gymnasium.
W
e have recently received a number of service calls with respect to sound systems which are all related to preventative maintenance, so we thought we’d share a few of our expert tips on how to keep your audio and video systems running as long as possible. There is simply nothing worse than hosting a large function at your facility, only to discover that the sound system is not operational for a standing-room-only crowd. While some contractors offer 24-hour support, the travel time involved may make it far too late for the tech to be of any useful assistance. Let’s look at some basic maintenance tips to keep your systems in top shape.
the no-name brand ones. When was the last time you took your television to a TV repair store to get serviced? These days, you simply throw it out and purchase a new one. Sadly, the same can hold true for sound and video systems.
Lifespan of a typical audio/video system
While the days of a smoke-filled environment are long gone, the large metal heat sinks that keep an amplifier cool are also long gone. Today’s amplifiers use small heat sinks, and rely on fans to keep cool. Even in a relatively clean office environment, an amplifier can gather a lot of dust. This heats up the internal components quickly, resulting in damage that can exceed the cost of a new unit.
Back in the day, we simply advised that a piece of equipment was not worth repairing. Currently, we use the catch phrase “end of life cycle” or “built-in obsolescence” because now most equipment is designed to be disposable. Most audio manufacturing companies historically put forth claims such as “17 years mean time between failures”, but all have long since quietly dropped these sentiments as the equipment they are manufacturing no longer will perform reliably for 17 years. This applies across the board to all manufacturers – not just 46
Ops Talk • Spring 2018
From our experience, a typical commercial sound system will last no more than 15 years before problems start creeping in due to component aging. That is assuming that the sound system is properly designed, is well ventilated, and that namebrand equipment is being used. Sound systems that are poorly ventilated, or located in a closed closet can see that longevity number drop to under half.
Failures due to heat
While we do not recommend that anyone open their amplifiers to clean them, a jet of compressed air into the vent slots at the front of an amplifier can certainly clean off the serious
