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Hang A TV Above A Fire Place

How To Hang Your Flat Panel TV Above A Fireplace

A nice modern, artificial (usually gas powered) fire can be an attractive feature in any living room. The fireplace is usually the focal point and it can make for great aesthetics if a smart PDP can be placed above it. But can you do it?

In a word yes... But there are a few precautions and checks.


Safety, generally speaking is not really the main issue. If your fireplace is a good old fashioned coal or wood burning thing where loads of smoke and debris (embers, ash) etc are emitted then you absolutely should NOT put anything electrical or plastic anywhere near it.

I guess most people who have a fireplace and are considering putting a flat panel Plasma above it probably have an artificial fire. This is a totally different matter because the fumes, smoke and other debris given off is almost zero. In this instance the issue is temperature. This post will explain what to check for.

OK, so the important factor is temperature. If an LCD TV (or any wides-screen beauty for that matter) is used when the temperature is too hot then it will significantly reduce the life of the television. So the question of course is how hot is too hot? Different makes and models will state different operating temperatures but as a good rule of thumb if the temperature around the Plasma Display Panel is less than 90 degrees then everything should be, well cool, and the life of your beloved 50" Samsung (or whatever) screen should be unaffected. Even a little higher than 90 is probably fine as well. If your a one for detail then check your manual.

This method should enable you to decide if it is possible or wise to put the LCD super cinema above the fire. Tape a thermometer to the wall near where you intend to position the bottom edge of the TV. This is the hottest point. Now turn the fire on and give it a good roaring for a while. If the thermometer is 90 or less your gorgeous 50" Sony Screen should be fine and dandy.

Even if the temperature is a bit higher it does not necessarily mean you cannot hang it there. Just that you should be more cautious. Some precautions you can take are not using the Panel at the same time as the fire or only using the TV for short periods when the hearth is roaring.

The last point is that you will probably want to mount you 42" super television with a slight tilt. Plasma has the best viewing angles but even in that case (especially because of the light source directly beneath it) a slight tilt will make the picture easier on the eye and help avoid eye strain etc. With LCD TVs where the viewing angle is not so good then a slight tilt is probably essential.

My last caution would be that when you clean your fireplace (and if its gas have it checked as well by a professional) be sure to cover you liquid crystal (or whatever) display as dirt, dust and soot can damage the electrical components. And give it a quick clean afterwards as well be extra careful not to wipe the display area when there is debris on it..
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