How to Connect a TV to Electricity
A wall-mounted TV can create an eye-catching focal point in a living room, but dangling power cords and wires can ruin the look of the space. To conceal these wires, install molded plastic cable raceways to your walls and baseboards. Or, run the wires behind the wall and hide them inside a hollow stud.
1. Use a stud finder to locate the studs that will house your TV mount.
In most cases, a stud finder will tell you not only the studs that will hold your TV mount but also where electrical wiring is in the studs. This will help you determine where to fish the wires through the stud.
2. Select a TV wall mount that is compatible with your TV and will fit into your space.
The type of TV mount you choose will depend on how large your TV is and how much weight it weighs. For example, a large flat screen TV can weigh up to 80 pounds (36 kg), so you’ll need a strong, sturdy mount. You’ll also need to use a TV wall mount that attaches vertically or horizontally to avoid having the weight of the TV rest on the floor.
3. Cut a hole in the wall for a low-voltage ring to house your audio-visual cables.
If your cable box or media player has an HDMI port, you’ll need to run an HDMI cable from your TV’s AV jack to the HDMI port on your device. You can find HDMI cables at most home improvement stores.
4. Use an IR extender to connect your cable box and TV remotes.
You can buy an IR extender kit from a local hardware store or online that lets you route your TV remote’s infrared signals to the cable box from the television. This way, you can control your cable box and the television from one remote.
5. Hook your TV’s power cord and cables into a lower exit hole in the wall.
If you’re using a TV mount that uses anchor bolts to secure the mount to the wall, attach the brackets to the studs in the wall using the appropriate screw sizes. Make sure the studs are solid before you screw in the wall brackets and don’t overtighten the screws, which can damage your TV.
6. Hang your TV on the wall mount.
When hanging a TV on a wall, you’ll need a power cable that is longer than the TV’s cable length. The longer the cable, the less likely it is that the TV will pull away from the wall. You’ll also need a wall-mounting bracket that is compatible with your TV and will fit in the available space on the wall.
7. Turn on the TV and your other devices.
If the TV won’t turn on, or shows an abnormal display when you power it on, try disconnecting both the power cord and the HDMI cable from your TV and other connected products and reconnecting them in the opposite direction. This will reset the signal between your TV and the other device and allow it to operate properly.