Keeping my TV New for Years to Come
Televisions are an expense that we all have had to pay at one point or another, and typically it is one of those purchases that we take our time to make. Whether the television is an LED, LCD or a plasma, the price tags are hefty price tag. Let’s face it, you want a television that not only looks great sitting in your living room or perched on your bedroom wall, but you also want a television that sounds amazing, has quality picture, and is durable. So, sometimes this purchase can be a bit expensive but worth every single cent. Once that television is delivered and hooked up, you want to be sure to take the appropriate steps to keep that sound as pitch perfect as possible, that picture as crisp as the very day you bought it, and keep it looking new for years to come.
Here are some steps you can take to ensure that your television is working at its optimal performance for a long time.
No Soap and Water
Soap and water may be the ideal cleaning solutions for most items in your home, but your television is not one of those items. Water, soap, and a television are not a good combination. Ever. Do you want a clean TV? Yes! Do you still want a TV that works after it is cleaned? Of course! So, let’s leave the soap and water alone for this clean up.
There are safer options to guarantee your TV is clean and ensure that it is still working properly after cleaning. For starters, be sure to shut the television off and unplug it. Then use an anti-static cloth and rub gently across the TV. Remember, no water. Simply use the anti-static cloth dry.
To keep your television screen clean, you will need to moisten a dry cloth that is soft and clean with a little bit of water only. This step requires a little amount of water, but stay away from any alcohol, soap, window cleaners, or any solvents. Use enough water to simply dampen the cloth and then rub the screen in a gentle motion. The key word here is gentle. You don’t want to damage the screen by pressing too hard, so be careful to be as gentle as possible. It is crucial that you do not let any water drip down the front of the screen or leak into the back of the screen. Once you have finished using the damp cloth, wipe the screen with a dry cloth.
Once the screen is dried completely, you can plug the television and begin watching TV on a clean smudge-free screen.
Don’t Forget to Shut the Television Off
This may sound easy and, maybe even, common sense, but if no one is watching TV, then shut it off. Think about how many times you or someone in your home walks away from the TV leaving it on. Think about all of those times that the TV is left on for some background noise. Those hours of the TV running and no one watching is a waste of the TV’s longevity. Keeping the television on when no one is watching can drastically decrease the life of your set. This step is the easiest and most effective way to increase the life of your TV. Along with increased life of the TV, you will save money on your electricity bill.
Check Your Brightness and Contrasting Settings
Televisions are typically delivered with the brightness and contrast settings a little higher than necessary. If you enjoy the higher brightness or brighter picture, then no need to adjust, but keep in mind that the higher brightness causes your television to use more power than it would on a lower brightness level or darker picture. A very high brightness level can decrease the length of picture by nearly half of its intended life. Also, consider that the show room where you bought the television is very bright and has many lights, so the higher brightness setting was needed to showcase the TV’s potential.
Consider setting the TVs contrast on the standard mode versus the dynamic or vivid setting. The same applies to the contrast, which controls the vividness of the brighter and darker colors.
Lowering the brightness and contrast can create a more detailed picture and add years of enjoyment from your TV set. The same holds true for the contrast. So, take a few minutes to check the settings on both of these options.
Room for Ventilation
Televisions produce a lot of heat as they use a lot of power to operate. The televisions have a ventilation system to maintain the temperature of the television at an optimal level. When installing your television, be sure to consider if there is enough room around the set to properly ventilate. If the television is too close to the wall, it may not have the appropriate room it needs to breathe. This could result in the television overheating and causing damage to internal components of the television.
Check the television’s user guide and maintenance information, but typically a four inch space between the set’s ventilation system and the wall should be sufficient room to allow for proper ventilation.
Every television set has an expected lifespan that is measured in hours of quality picture. The lifespan does not necessarily refer to the amount of hours a TV works then suddenly stops working. The hours refer to the quality in reference to the brightness and picture quality. This means that as the television ages, the brightness will decrease and offer a crisp picture as it originally did. Taking the time to your television both clean and tidy and steps to maintain quality of picture and ensure the television is providing a crisp vivid picture for years to come.
