Investing in a television is like bringing home a new member of the family — you want it to stick around for as long as possible! Depending on the quality of the product and how well you care for it, a TV can reasonably last anywhere from 5 to 15 years. While no maintenance technique can promise your TV immortal life, some practices can dramatically extend its usable life and keep it functioning optimally.
Neglecting television maintenance can have a range of consequences:
- Higher energy bills from an energy inefficient unit
- Frequent repairs or full breakdowns from damage and accumulated wear
- Poor picture quality or sound
- Shortened overall lifespan of 5 years or less
With regular maintenance and preventative practices, you can avoid all these headaches while keeping your TV looking great. We’ll explore several key areas to consider for maintaining the valuable investment that is your beloved television.
Powering Off Fully
One of the most important TV maintenance habits is powering off the device fully when it’s not in use. While most modern televisions have some sort of standby or sleep mode, these are not the same as completely cutting the power by hitting the main power button.
Standby modes still draw a small amount of electricity. Over days, weeks, and months of casual downtime use, this vampiric energy drain can noticeably increase your electric bill while subtly damaging the TV’s sensitive internal components. By fully powering down the unit when you’re done watching TV, you gain multiple benefits:
- Energy Savings: Eliminates all power draw when the TV isn’t needed, lowering electric costs
- Component Lifespan: Allows sensitive boards and chips to fully discharge and rest
- Prevents Damage: Avoids storms or surges damaging an idle, half-powered TV
Aim to manually cut the power part of your viewing routine, just like adjusting the volume or inputs. Modern units generally boot quickly, so the minor inconvenience pays off through years of extended operational life of your television.
To make the power down process fast and frustration free, consider placing a smart power strip within arm’s reach of your couch or TV stand. These strips have designated “master” plugs that can cut power to all connected devices with one button press. Simply plug in the TV and any streaming boxes or game consoles, hit the master power toggle when done, and everything shuts down at once.
Surge Protectors and Voltage Regulation
The sensitive electronic components inside modern televisions need steady, stable electrical delivery to avoid damage over time. Unfortunately, occasional power surges, brownouts, and blackouts just come as part of living life connected to the grid. Without protection, damaged ports or internal shorts could knock out your TV at any time.
- Power Surges: Brief spikes in voltage well above 120V levels that risk burning out circuits
- Brownouts: Drops in voltage often from grid strain during heatwaves
- Blackouts: Complete losses of power from weather, accidents or grid failures
Protecting your investment through power regulation and surge protection devices lets you rest easy even in stormy weather. There are two main products that together create full protection.
Surge Protecting Power Strips
Also called surge protectors, these affordably priced power strips function like normal models but contain circuits designed to block or shunt away sudden high voltage spikes. Some protectors have indicator lights showing connected protection status, while premium models may even offer connected equipment warranties up to thousands of dollars in the event of failure.
Uninterrupted Power Supplies (UPS)
UPS devices combine surge protection strip functionality with an internal battery backup. In the event of brownouts or blackouts, the UPS automatically switches to battery mode to continue feeding the TV set steady voltage. This prevents unexpected reboots or damage while providing continuity of operation for a short time if the power is cut unexpectedly.
Using both a surge protector and a UPS device together ensures your television has clean, stable power delivery free from grid fluctuations. Position these vital products within easy reach of power sockets so connecting your TV and other A/V equipment stays convenient.
Maintaining Proper Ventilation
Like a high performance sports car, your television needs ample airflow and ventilation to stay in peak operational condition. Whether moderately sized or an immense movie theater-style display, all TV sets generate internal heat from normal operation. Without letting this heat dissipate effectively, several issues can crop up over time:
- Premature Component Failure: Excessive heat accelerates aging of boards, chips and screens
- Dust Build Up: Heat convection pulls more dust bunnies into vents and crevices
- Thermal Throttling: Unit may reduce performance to compensate for high internal temps
Maintaining open and accessible ventilation openings keeps internal operating temperature ideal. Follow these tips:
- Allow for open space around the TV unit rather than confining tightly in cabinets
- Don’t block side or rear vents with decorations, plants or mounting accessories
- Use dust filters over intake vents that can be washed monthly to prevent internal buildup
- Don’t mount directly over heat sources like fireplaces or radiators
Positioning components to allow for convection airflow is crucial. The general airflow pattern moves cool room air in through bottom and/or side vents, heated air rises carrying heat from components and exits out the top openings. Avoid placing cable boxes, game systems or streaming units directly on top or underneath the television if possible — the extra heat from these can compound ventilation issues over time.
Cleaning Your Screen and Components
From incriminating finger smudges to a suspicious layer of dust, keeping your TV screen clean is key to maintaining that out-of-the-box shine. Protecting the vulnerable screen surface from damage or abrasions will also keep picture quality crisp for the long haul.
Follow these Do’s and Don’ts for keeping your TV display sparkling:
| DO | DON’T |
| Use a soft, dedicated microfiber cloth designed for screens/glasses | Use paper towels or other rough fabrics |
| Lightly dampen cloth with distilled water or screen cleaner spray | Use chemical cleaners like Windex that could strip coatings |
| Gently wipe fingerprints/smudges immediately after they occur | Press hard or wipe aggressively on the screen surface |
| Carefully blow dust off with a manual blower bulb | Use compressed air cans which may contain liquid propellants |
The same gentle approach applies to dusting and wiping down the exterior cabinetry, control buttons, bezels and stands. Microfiber cloths lift light dust easily without much pressure needed. For more stubborn dirt or grime spots, slightly dampen your cloth with distilled water and avoid chemical cleaners or solvents that could react poorly with paints or plastics.
Pay special attention to media ports in the rear connection panel. Built-up dust in inputs like HDMI or cable RF connectors can degrade signal quality surprisingly fast. Use a dry toothbrush or cotton swabs to gently dislodge any debris around the plug interfaces. finish up with a quick wipe down using our screen cleaning cloth.
Professional Calibration
Even with pristine external maintenance, the inner calibration of your TV can begin to drift over the years of operation. You may notice colors seeming a bit more washed out, weaker contrast levels, or the picture just lacks some vibrance compared to when it was new.
Thankfully, a professional calibration service can restore your set to factory conditions relatively quickly. A technician uses specialized equipment to map your display’s color reproduction and dial in the picture settings for ideal brightness, contrast and color accuracy. Calibrations generally cost a few hundred dollars but make a world of difference in picture quality from fading sets.
As components drift and age over 5+ years of use, a fresh calibration service can make your beloved TV look and perform significantly better. Displays used for creative work, gaming or home theaters benefit the most from tuning and alignment. While there is no substitute for upgrading an extremely aging display, recalibration maximizes the lifespan you can reasonably get from any television.
Cautious Transportation
If you anticipate needing to move your TV in the future, considering how you’ll safely transport the precious cargo is part of the maintenance plan. Even modest size flat screens easily sustain hundreds of dollars in damages from drops, falling objects or shifting unrestrained inside moving vehicles. Protect your investment by moving smart.
For local transport like moving across town, the TV’s original box with padding offers the ideal option. The box was designed specifically for that model’s dimensions and sensitivities. Carefully packing accessories like stands or wall mounts guards against rattling or interactions that cause cosmetic issues.
For cross country journeys involving haulers, reinforcement is key. Some TV transportation tips:
- Double box the unit with extra loose fill dunnage padding all open spaces
- Anchor to dolly using specialty TV straps to prevent falling or jarring
- Use thick furniture pads underneath and between stacked items
- Explicitly label DELICATE-TV with arrows pointing up for carriers
- Inspect for new cosmetic damage before signing delivery paperwork!
Professional residential movers also have experience especially in handling fragile items like flatscreen televisions. While an added expense, the peace of mind and avoidance of damage may be worthwhile for long journeys or multistory building moves.
No matter how far the trip, restraint and plenty of padding gives your TV the best chance of arriving safely. Skimp on protection at your own peril!
Protect Against Static Electricity
Ever experienced a painful spark when touching metal on cold, dry days? That’s static electricity, and within sensitive electronic devices, it can cause catastrophic failures. Guarding your investment television against static discharge makes plenty of sense.
On the outside, people carry thousands of volts of static potential just wandering around on carpet. Motions like sitting down or taking off a jacket transfer some of this extreme voltage onto surfaces – including your TV screen. ZAP! If the voltage discharges into sensitive components, the spike fries boards and chips. Prevention is crucial since this type of damage leaves minimal traces to repair.
The ideal solution uses a single device – an ionizing air blower. Resembling a desk fan, these specialized appliances emit positive and negative ions that actively dissipate static potentials.
Positioning one nearby the TV sucks away those voltage differences, sending charges harmlessly to ground. Models with oscillating fan heads spread protection across the full room, actively eliminating static concerns. Just turn it on low speed whenever your device is powered up for hassle free prevention.
Using humidity control devices can also mitigate static by keeping humidity above 40% year round. However, whole home solutions require professional installation and higher ongoing costs. For focused protection right where you need it, ionizing air blowers provide the most bang for buck. Keep electrical gremlins away from your precious TV and maintain that long term lifespan.
Out of Sight Security
When your cherished television isn’t the center of attention, keeping it safe from harm’s way makes sense. Out of sight items tucked away neatly in closets tend to stay out of mind as well when accidents happen. Shelving mishaps like spilled drinks or enthusiastic game controller tosses turn disastrous quickly without damage prevention. Extending TV lifespan requires smart positioning choices.
For households needing flexible room use, swivel mounts allow safely stowing displays off to the side of entertainment spaces. Unique mounts provide the following:
- Full Range Articulation – Arms extend, tilt, swivel and often retract televisions out of the way while maintaining viewing positioning flexibility
- 90°+ Swivel Capability – Swing television completely out of walkways or play areas to prevent unintended collisions
- Smooth Motorized Movement – Eliminate manual repositioning risks with integrated motor controls operated by handy remote instead
Full motion arm mounts provide the best blend of visibility when desired and protection the rest of the time. Installed properly using stud anchors, articulated mounts withstand years swinging your prized TV safely out of harm’s reach. Protect your display investment from troublesome room dynamics with automated powered mounting solutions.
For more limited spaces like kitchens, lockable wall cabinets keep displays protected without occupying living areas. Under cabinet designs have emerged supporting TV storage with features like:
- Tempered Glass Doors – Prevent impacts while allowing remote IR signal passage
- Ventilation Ports – Cut air holes for convection cooling to prevent overheating
- Integrated Mounting – Hang display safely using back panel mount braces rather than risky shelves
When closed up, steel recessed cabinets protect screens from cooking mishaps, pet damage or general environmental dirt. Flip the hidden latch and your TV appears like magic! While less flexible than articulated arms, under cabinet designs work perfectly for small kitchen installations to maintain precious displays safely.
Protecting Against Power Events
Freak weather storms, unexpected grid outages or confusing new remotes – it’s no wonder many TV lifespan horror stories start from accidental power cuts at the worst moment. Preventable power events like these risk corrupting sensitive electronic TV components if power is suddenly lost. The damaged results may not manifest until days later either!
You can fully protect your large investment from lack of power gracefully by deploying an integrated battery backup system. Combining battery power, surge suppression and software smarts, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems give you time to shut off connected devices safely. Common scenarios protected against:
- Storm Power Cuts – Storms or wind often cause quick power flickers able to damage gear. Battery UPS units bridge milliseconds-long gaps to prevent crashes or corruption.
- Confused Button Pushes – Accidentally cutting main power while a TV buffers risks permanent damage. A UPS detects power loss events, keeping power steady until shut down properly via remote or settings menus preventing harm.
- Scheduled Maintenance – Planned grid outages also cause complications without intelligent battery backups. UPS units get the delay notice via web connection and can automate safe shutdown in advance.
Protecting your cherished TV from both accidents and scheduled events provides peace of mind the gear will last to its designed potential. UPS battery backups intelligently cover power events that used to cause frustrating mystery issues for past televisions. Keep your new gear running reliably for the long term by integrating seamless protection early.
Lasting Entertainment Ahead
Your beloved television provides years of performance at its peak out of the box. But maintaining that just-installed luster requires following some essential care tips tailored to the unique needs of modern displays. From handling power requirements to keeping away sneaky static, this guide explored 8 key areas that deserve attention to maximize your TV lifespan potential.
Years of stellar performance await TVs that receive regular TLC. Follow these guidelines so your whole family can continue enjoying the latest shows and movies.