TV over Fireplace

[kwired]

I think the only time the TV should be above the fireplace is in a room that you do a lot of entertaining, but don't spend much time in otherwise. Having it there is great for a Super Bowl party where people are sort of milling around, eating, talking about the commercials.



I had a bit of an epiphany a few years back when I thought about how often my mom told me not to sit so close to the TV when I was a kid. All these years I assumed she was worried it would ruin my eyes. Then I thought about how we sit a few feet away from our computer screen, sometimes for hours.

So I asked her about it and she said, "It's because we couldn't see the TV through your head."

Still not so certain there isn't potential damage to eyes though. The source of the light emitted from such screens has changed over the years and may have an impact on how harmful t could be though. LCD screens first had a fluorescent tube in them as the light source. I think most now use LED's as the light source. Both of those sources have some that claim they are hard on the eyes, I don't know what to believe but not many people are going to stop using their computers either.

 

[cowboyjwc]

If your fireplace doesn't draft well, smoke residue on the screen will become an issue. When my wife smoked in the house, it would be all over the tv and the computer screens.

 

[dfmischler]

If your fireplace doesn't draft well, smoke residue on the screen will become an issue. When my wife smoked in the house, it would be all over the tv and the computer screens.

Yeah. But it will not be as bad with an LCD TV as with a CRT; the electric charge of the CRT attracted dust and smoke particles like crazy. Now the screen will only be as scuzzy as everything else.

 

[user 100]

Yeah. But it will not be as bad with an LCD TV as with a CRT; the electric charge of the CRT attracted dust and smoke particles like crazy. Now the screen will only be as scuzzy as everything else.

I've noticed this too and I don't think the soot would be that much of a problem. Speaking CRT's, I can't believe that its been a decade since I junked my last one.

 

[ggunn]

Speaking CRT's, I can't believe that its been a decade since I junked my last one.

It hasn't been that long for me, but so long to CRT TV's and good riddance. It used to be that I had to get someone stronger than me to help haul my 150lb 32" behemoth of a CRT TV out onto the deck for a Super Bowl Party, and its resolution was terrible. Now I can move my 40" flat screen out there carrying it under one arm and the picture looks great. That a TV can now double as a computer monitor is a plus, too. Hooray for HD!

 

[user 100]

It hasn't been that long for me, but so long to CRT TV's and good riddance. It used to be that I had to get someone stronger than me to help haul my 150lb 32" behemoth of a CRT TV out onto the deck for a Super Bowl Party, and its resolution was terrible. Now I can move my 40" flat screen out there carrying it under one arm and the picture looks great. That a TV can now double as a computer monitor is a plus, too. Hooray for HD!

Technology is great isn't it? And your right- a lot of times those crt's were heavy and were real back busters!!!

 

[cowboyjwc]

Yeah. But it will not be as bad with an LCD TV as with a CRT; the electric charge of the CRT attracted dust and smoke particles like crazy. Now the screen will only be as scuzzy as everything else.

I kind of thought about that after I posted.

 

[Sierrasparky]

My fireplace can put out quite a great amount of heat. I would not want a expensive tv to be melted.

 

[ggunn]

My fireplace can put out quite a great amount of heat. I would not want a expensive tv to be melted.

It would be much less likely to melt mounted on the wall above the fireplace than close by and out in front of it.

 

[ggunn]

Technology is great isn't it? And your right- a lot of times those crt's were heavy and were real back busters!!!

...and awkward to carry! Most of the weight is right behind the screen, so they try to hit the floor face down if they get away from you. Like I said, good riddance!

 

[gadfly56]

I've noticed this too and I don't think the soot would be that much of a problem. Speaking CRT's, I can't believe that its been a decade since I junked my last one.

Wait...what, junked!!?? It's perfectly good!!! I mean, the one I bought in 1987 works just FINE, why would I get rid of it? Got the 30" one on the table right now...

 

[ggunn]

Wait...what, junked!!?? It's perfectly good!!! I mean, the one I bought in 1987 works just FINE, why would I get rid of it? Got the 30" one on the table right now...

I didn't junk any of the five that I had. I donated them to Goodwill and let them junk them.

But seriously, I like to watch baseball and football on TV, and over the past few years the stats displays have gotten smaller to take advantage of HD resolution. Is that a 3, a 6, or an 8? On my old CRT TV I couldn't tell. Once HD TV's got cheap I got rid of the CRT's.

 

[kwired]

My fireplace can put out quite a great amount of heat. I would not want a expensive tv to be melted.

It would be much less likely to melt mounted on the wall above the fireplace than close by and out in front of it.

If TV is close enough to melt, you haven't met the codes for installing the fireplace. Better not have anything else above it either that isn't metal, stone, or masonry. There are specific distances a mantle or other objects must be above the opening, as well as how far those items can extend out at certain distances.

Besides why would you want one that gets extremely hot once you get a little distance from the firebox? Generally for efficiency you want something to take heat away and distribute it throughout the room.

 

[ggunn]

If TV is close enough to melt, you haven't met the codes for installing the fireplace. Better not have anything else above it either that isn't metal, stone, or masonry. There are specific distances a mantle or other objects must be above the opening, as well as how far those items can extend out at certain distances.

Besides why would you want one that gets extremely hot once you get a little distance from the firebox? Generally for efficiency you want something to take heat away and distribute it throughout the room.

FWIW, the TV doesn't have to get hot enough to melt to take damage. I had a DVD player on a portable shelf about three feet out front and to the side of my fireplace, and it stopped working one night while we were watching a movie. I felt the case and it was too hot to leave my hand on it. When it cooled down it did not recover.

 

[kwired]

FWIW, the TV doesn't have to get hot enough to melt to take damage. I had a DVD player on a portable shelf about three feet out front and to the side of my fireplace, and it stopped working one night while we were watching a movie. I felt the case and it was too hot to leave my hand on it. When it cooled down it did not recover.

Some of those get pretty warm while in use without outside help (fireplace). Some people put AV equipment in non ventilated cabinets - sure it doesn't help them any in those situations either.

Design at your own risk is all I can say.

 

[SMHarman]

The TV center should be at eye level when you're sitting down.



http://www.crutchfield.com/S-UAFV4ihJkdf/learn/learningcenter/home/flatpanel_install.html

Yep at Eye level. Mine kinda looks funny at Eye level on a 13 ft ceilings wall but less funny than neck ache.

View attachment 13134


Not an issue at all, this is my personal setup, the height works just fine, I plan on moving up to the 75" tv in the near future... I always used a tilt mount to slightly tip the tv downward, but it's only a few degrees...

You have a decent sized mantle there which does a good job directing heat.

It's not melting but running electronics outside optimal temp ranges.

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[mgookin]

...

It's not melting but running electronics outside optimal temp ranges.

The specs for the tv should have ambient operating temperatures listed in it. (storage temps too but that would not apply).

A simple test by placing a thermometer on the mantle with a nice fire burning should give some kind of indication of where you stand in that regard.

If in doubt, buy the extended warranty! :lol:

 

[SMHarman]

Next they will put thermo detectors in tv's like the water sensors in cell phones.

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[stickboy1375]

You have a decent sized mantle there which does a good job directing heat.

It's not melting but running electronics outside optimal temp ranges.

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If the molding isn't going to catch fire, i'm certainly not worried about the TV....

 

[SMHarman]

It's not about catching fire. It's about running electronics at Or above their higher temp range for prolonged periods. It will reduce their effective life.
On the other hand that means it's time for a newer bigger telly.

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