Plasma TV's?

Question

I'm looking to buy a large screen Plasma or LCD/HD TV. I'd like to mount it on the wall, but the perfect place is above my radiator. Can the heat rising from the radiator do damage? Common sense tells me yes, but I thought I'd ask anyway.

Answer 1

Yes, it will damage the TV and lower the lifespan. I have a 50 inch plasma and can confirm for you that the manual says to keep it away from any heat sources. The TV itself gets warm while running.

If you have the time/money, you can always have a consultation with installers from Best Buy/Magnolia, Circuit City, etc. come out to your home and verify for you if the heat source is too close, help you with ideas of where it's better to mount, etc. It's always better to have a pro come out and look as it's not as simple to mount as you may think. You not only need to consider running the wires into the wall, but you also must consider where your power source is. You can't just run the power plug into the wall and then pull it out down near the power source. If you want it to look clean, you're going to need to move the power source up closer to the backside of the TV.

Answer 2

Put a thermometer over the radiator and see just how much heat is generated. If, in the location you'd hang your TV, it tops high 80s, it's not only a bad idea, it then becomes a very bad idea. Additionally, is your radiator, in addition to heat, also putting out humidity? That's a killer.

Answer 3

Yes, not a good idea. Overheating electronics will decrease the overall life of the parts. I would try to find a better place. If you can't, then you need to find a way to deflect the heat such as a metal hood or shelf above your radiator.

Answer 4

I have a 60 inch Plasma over my fire place but the mantle deflects the heat very well. Maybe you could put a hood over the radiator to deflect the heat?

Answer 5

Yes the heat can do damage. If you take a look at any instruction manual they always warn you to keep devices away from heat sources.