Three main things contribute to gels melting quickly:
1) The transmission of the
Gel. If you use something like congo blue with a .5% transmission, that means 99.5% of the energy from the light is being absorbed by the
gel as heat.
2) the way the
gel transmits or blocks wavelengths over 800nm. higher than 800 is
infrared (aka- Heat), so if it crops those wavelengths (and absorbs them), even if it has a high transmission, it will most likely burn out fast. R47 is a prime example of this. A very light colored
gel that burns through in minutes because it absorbs the high wavelengths.
3) The
focal point of the
fixture. If it is an
ERS and isn't bench focused properly (spot-focused vs.
flat field), it will burn through the
gel very quickly. So will NSP and VNSP PARs.
Best suggestion is go straight to the manufacturers and get THEIR advice on how to extend the life. Maybe they can
point you towards a similar color that might transmit more light?