How to run power to a wall mounted TV
People just love to mount TVs on the wall, not sure if it's just the wife factor or what, but there is no doubt it's the thing to do. There are a few problems though, how high, which mount, where do you put the rest of your equipment, and how to you get power to it? Now, we don't know what the electrical codes are like in your area -- seriously we don't, you have to check for yourself -- but in most areas you can't just run the power wire through walls; and while we doubt an inspector will be knocking on your door anytime soon, if there was a fire, the insurance company might not pay out. But don't worry, there are easy ways to get the job done properly, and if you play your cards right, you'll even be able to use a UPS or power conditioner.
Here are the tools you'll need.
Drywall saw (assuming you have drywall)
Phillips and flat-head screw driver
Level
Stud finder
Wire stripers
First we need to find the stud in the wall to ensure we don't try to put a receptacle where a stud is.
Next, we need to line up our template to figure out where we're going to put our box, we want ours next to our feed, so we want 'em to be level.
Now that we have it level, we'll trace out the template with a pen.
Then use our drywall saw to cut on the line.
And here is our new hole, right next to the feed receptacle
The kit includes two double gang, retro-fit, high voltage electrical boxes, you'll notice the tab at the top that will grab the drywall from the inside and hold it in place.
Before we run our wires, we check to make sure it's level.
Repeat the installation of the single gang box behind the TV and run your in-wall certified wire (again, check your local codes for any additional requirements) between your new holes. Because we're only making an in-wall extension cord, there isn't any reason to turn off the power.
Feed the wires through the retro-fit single gang box and then screw in the screws to secure them.
Using the directions, strip and tighten the wires onto the power-inlet.
Repeat behind the TV on the power-outlet.
After all the wires are secured, fasten both the outlet and inlet to their respective single gang boxes.
Here is the newly installed power-inlet right next to our power source.
Here is both the inlet and the outlet, and while they're not very far from each other, it looks much better than an extension cord running up the wall.
Finally, plug in your TV to the recessed outlet.
Connect the UPS or power conditioner to the srouce outlet and the extension cord from the kit to the power-inlet and turn her on. (The Insteon FilterLinc pictured is not needed, it helps make our power line network more reliable)
We keep our UPS in a piece of furniture -- yeah we know this model produces a a simulated sine wave.
And here is the finished product with no wires running up the wall, and we get a piece of mind knowing that our house won't shouldn't burn down.
Filed under: DIY
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
TK101 @ Sep 21st 2007 10:39AM
I don't have a need for it, but that is COOL. I'll pass it along to friends that do have a wall mount.
TK
user @ Sep 21st 2007 10:43AM
I dont know much about eletrical codes but why cant you just put a normal power outlet up there instead?
Ben @ Sep 21st 2007 10:47AM
You can use a regular outlet behind the TV, the recessed just makes it easier. The real trick here is the power inlet. They aren't easy to find.
Iscariote @ Sep 21st 2007 10:52AM
Why would you wall mount a television a foot above a television stand? Couldn't you save yourself some hassle and just use the stand the TV comes with instead of buying a wall mount and cutting up your walls?
I'm just confused. Wall mounting seems like a fad that popped up because of how thin TVs are. I'm not sure what the point is, since staring at a blank wall with a TV floating in the middle isn't terribly nice looking.
At least you didn't mount it over the fireplace I guess.
Ben @ Sep 21st 2007 10:57AM
You have an excellent point and in fact I didn't want to wall mount at all till I started looking at TV stands.
The problem is that all the stands I considered were very high and very expensive. I don't mind spending 6k on a TV, but 1k on a TV stand? 'come on, that's crazy. The biggest problem isn't the price, but the height. The stands put the TV too high and when a TV is on a stand you can't tilt it to compensate for the height. That particular wall mount is an articulating mount which means it, tilts, pans, extends, etc. I can move it closer to me or point it towards my kitchen, but most importantly I can tilt it down so my eyes are perfectly perpendicular to the screen.
Iscariote @ Sep 21st 2007 11:23AM
Well, on the plus side your install looks nice. It's a lot cleaner than bizarre floating TVs, and the articulating mount seems pretty cool.
Did your TV not come with a stand? My Panasonic plasma came with a decent stand that looks to be about as high off your table as your wall mount.
It doesn't articulate, but you can turn it if you want. ;)
Segarsj @ Sep 21st 2007 11:10AM
@Ben,
What speakers are you using for your main towers?
Oh, and I can see the Blu-ray films but where is the Blu-ray player?
Galley @ Sep 21st 2007 10:58AM
If my TV was no higher than my center channel speaker, I would run the wire up the wall behind it. Great article, though.
Ben @ Sep 21st 2007 10:59AM
I'd agree, but it's an articulating mount so the wires aren't always hidden by the center channel. When my wife isn't around I pull the TV out 26" from the wall so I need the wires to be nice and clean behind the TV so they don't get caught. Cause everyone knows that you can't even touch an HDMI cable without it coming out, never the less pull on it.
Ben @ Sep 21st 2007 1:26PM
The company that makes those speakers went out of business a few years ago, and I actually forgot the name. I am really happy with them.
All my equipment -- including my Blu-ray player -- are in my closet. I have long run cables run from the main closet to every HDTV in my house.
Ben @ Sep 21st 2007 1:18PM
It's all about the tilt. I can't stand for my eyes not to be perpendicular to the screen. Since DLPs and stands don't tilt, they'd have to be really low and no one seems to make really low stands.
DWAnderson @ Sep 21st 2007 11:23AM
Why wall mount? In our case we wall mounted an LCD so that it could swivel to be seen in two different parts of the room.
I have a couple of other questions, however:
First, don't you need ports behind the TV for all the various inputs as well?
Second, how great is the marginal advantage of this system vs. just running an extension cord through the wall without the outlets and inlets at either end?
For our wall mounted TV we just ran an exension cord and cables for all the other inputs down through the wall. It did not look as cool, but it was a whole lot cheaper!
Ben @ Sep 21st 2007 1:21PM
As Kevin said you can't run extension cords through walls. If you run an extension cord through the wall and anything were to happen your insurance company could deny your claim.
And yes I also had to run component, HDMI etc through the wall. I might do another how to on that.
Kevin @ Sep 21st 2007 11:27AM
DW, in most states, it is against fire code to run an extension cord through the wall. I live in NJ, so we had to use a similar inlet idea used above.
Dave @ Sep 21st 2007 12:10PM
Even with the adjustable wall-mount, that picture is exactly the reason I have a DLP that sits on top of my stand. I'd never put it flush against the wall even if I could--because that would only increase the distance to the screen. That space is already being taken up by the stand, so there's really no GOOD reason not to just sit it on top. The wires are hidden because they go through or behind the stand, and you don't have to bother with all the work. Still, if you have to wall-mount, this is the way to do it. Good job.
Ben @ Sep 21st 2007 1:28PM
I agree with you, but for me this works. I now have a place to put my center channel. I can pull the TV 26" off the wall when I watch movies etc. But the rest of the time the TV is against the wall. For me it's really about the tilt, with a DLP or a plasma stand, I can't tilt the screen to ensure it's perpendicular to my eyes.
Barry Ralphs @ Sep 21st 2007 12:52PM
Cool product & tutorial. Now can someone create a cheaper A/V wall place with HDMI & component
I can't be leave how expensive these things are.
http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/wallplates-liberty.html
Ben @ Sep 21st 2007 1:29PM
Yeah those are way over priced. I got my HDMI wallplate from monoprice for like $15 and the rest are made by Leviton.
Justin @ Oct 6th 2007 10:42AM
Monoprice.com has all sorts of wall plates for a fraction of what RAM charges.
gescamil @ Sep 21st 2007 12:59PM
I have mine wall mounted and if you ask me, it's way better than a stand simply because it removes the footprint...allows for other thing to be placed under the tv like a receiver, ps3, xbox... not only that, to me, it makes the room look bigger. But I have a question about the fire codes...why would a power cable going through the wall be a hazard? is it something that isn't a concern anymore, but is there because it used to be a hazard way back when? If it's a hazard to run power cables through the wall, is it the same for video and speaker cables?
Ben @ Sep 21st 2007 1:33PM
Any wire that is in a wall that carries high voltage (like 120) has to be rated for use in the wall by UL; this is to prevent a fire. If there were a fire and you had wire carrying high voltage current through the wall that wasn't rated by UL for that use, then the insurance company can deny your claim.
Dale @ Oct 5th 2007 8:26AM
Ben,
Thanks for sharing the information on the outlet and inlet installation. What device do you have running from the inlet?
Also, I would be interested in viewing your technique for running the HDMI and AV cables through your walls. When can you share this information?
p-k-r @ Sep 21st 2007 1:57PM
At the first glance this looked like an odd way to do it. (Most people would probably just install a hard wired wall jack behind it.) But I can see the big reason this is good. It allows you to have an APC protecting one of your biggest investments. Just running an extension cord is not a good way. If you really want to be cheap just go to your hardware store and buy some pre-wired flexible conduit cut it to length and put a plug on each end.
BodegaBay @ Sep 21st 2007 2:49PM
Ben,
Excellent write up.
For users asking why Ben used the Inlet-to-Outlet method like this PowerBridge product, it's all about convenience and safety. Yes, you can just route another power outlet behind the flat screen but that involves turning off the power at the circuit breaker and routing Romex from the source outlet to the new outlet. It's easy enough but for those people who don't like performing those extra steps along with the fear of being electricuted, the Inlet-to-Outlet product is a breeze to install.
BTW, Ben, if you know that particular UPS is a sine wave unit, why use it? There are specific non-sinewave units made for home theater gear including APC's S Type series.
Ben @ Sep 21st 2007 2:58PM
I actually had the plug behind the TV before using this method, but I wanted to use my UPS.
As for why I have that UPS. I bought it for a computer I don't have anymore so I re-used it for the TV. I will eventually replace it with a proper HT UPS.
Jon @ Sep 26th 2007 1:35PM
I'm as much of a gadget addict as the next guy, but do we really need UPS units for our home theaters? lol
If the power goes out, I dunno, go have funtime with your girlfriend! Isn't that what they are there for? In case of power outtages? The GF not the UPS..
Tim Dunlap @ Sep 21st 2007 4:35PM
Do you need special rated cables for HDMI or Component or speaker wire for in wall use or do the regular ones you can buy anywhere work for all this?
Ben @ Sep 21st 2007 4:40PM
No, it's low voltage so there aren't as many rules. They do make special in wall wires, but mostly they just use a higher gauge wire for the long runs.
Jeff @ Sep 21st 2007 4:52PM
It looks as if you were working with an exterior wall. Was it difficult to run the wire back there due to the insulation in the wall? Seems like it might be tough as you might hang on the insulation and have a problem with that? Did you have any problems with the insulation getting snagged or anything like that? I have a wire fish and I just think if I tried to fish wire through it would hang up on the insulation.
Nice write up by the way.
Ben @ Sep 21st 2007 4:54PM
Yeah it snags a little, but I usually send though nylon line first. This run was so short I just stayed inside the insulation and feed it straight down.
BodegaBay @ Sep 26th 2007 4:46AM
Just curious if one can purchase the recessed outlet and inlet individually at lower pricing locally (or the net). Maybe Home Depot or Lowes? Not sure it the complete PowerBridge pkg. is worth the $50 price (their "regular" price is a ridiculous $100).
Ben @ Sep 26th 2007 1:38PM
The UPS isn't for when the power goes out for prolonged times, it's for brown outs and lighting strikes.
In Florida the power usually comes back on within a few seconds, 5 minutes at the most. Most TVs and HT equipment takes more than 5 minutes to turn on these days. So a 5 second outage causes a 5 minute one, not to mention will cause you to miss 5 minutes of your show when your TiVo loses power.
david farmer @ Sep 26th 2007 2:03PM
you can buy male and female recessed outlets for about half what this "kit" costs. You can get the male at most RV supply stores (used for Air Condition plugs) and the female at any electrical supply store. Nice clean way to add backup power, although I think running a quality drop chord through the wall is probably safer, considering most people don't work with wiring very often.
ML @ Oct 1st 2007 1:33AM
Would love to see a writeup on how you ran your AV and speaker wires through the wall and what adapter plates you recommend.
Thanks
ML
Wizdad @ Oct 1st 2007 7:58AM
Ben, if you had a power cable in the wall and had a fire somewhere else in the house, would an insurance company still deny your claim?
Ben @ Oct 1st 2007 7:59AM
That doesn't seem plausible to me, but honestly I don't know.
dan @ Oct 1st 2007 1:52PM
ben: you should always use recessed power outlets. almost every time you mount a tv with a quality mount (except for an arm like yours), the tv is too close to the wall to be able to fit a 3 prong power plug behind it without sustaining damage.
most HT electronics take 5 minutes to turn on? what brand are you using....
good writeup though, this is the safer way to do it if you are not a professional installer.
J. Evans Turner @ Oct 5th 2007 6:12PM
Wouldn't it have been better, in this case, to just get a stand with a spine? All of your components are right there anyway! I'll have to take a picture, but my stand looks great with the TV extending outward and the PS3 standing vertically, concealing the spine completely, with the "Playstation 3" lettering facing forward. I'll have to take a picture, but it all comes together quite nicely with the PS3 Blu-Ray player being very prominent. The traditional front of the PS3 in a horizontal position is just too ugly to draw attention to, but my arrangement works out perfectly. The only problem was that I had to have a custom-made right-angle power cord and imported right-angle low-profile HDMI adapter to better conceal the wires.
Jtmonkey @ Oct 14th 2007 7:50PM
they have these at Magnolia HT Best Buys. Panamax makes them.
Kevin G @ Oct 14th 2007 9:34PM
if you don't care about a UPS:
1, turn off breaker
2, cut receptacle hole behind tv mount position
3, remove bottom power outlet
4, run romex from top hole to power outlet hole
5, install new outlet behind tv and connect romex to both outlets
6, turn on breaker. you're done.
if you need a surge supressor, you can get an outlet with that built in. this is the first time i've seen a UPS installed on an AV system that cost less than $20K.
Ben @ Oct 14th 2007 9:35PM
You must not live in the lightning capital of the world (Florida).
Kevin G @ Oct 15th 2007 9:30PM
You don't need a UPS for that, a surge supressor protects your equipment from lightning. I always install a surge supressor or line conditioner/surge supressor. I live in Phoenix, where we have our share of lightning every fall during the monsoons. Just wanted to point out that you can install an extra outlet easily without all the extra steps if you don't need a UPS, which I've only seen in architechtural or ultra high-end installations.
Ben @ Oct 15th 2007 9:34PM
I'm not worried about the surge as much as the outage.
I had a PS2 port in a brand new computer go out after a power outage, despite being plugged into a surge protector. After that I decided it was worth the $50 for a UPS on my PCs.
Then my first HDTV had problems after a power outage -- again had a surge protector -- after fighting with Mitsubishi for two months I got it replaced and when I did I spent the $100 on a UPS.
The bottom line is that I've had two incidents from power outages, it is well worth $150 for me to protect my $5k HDTV. This combined with not having to stop watching TV -- or miss recordings -- when the power goes out for a few seconds makes it a great investment.
JDoc @ Oct 18th 2007 2:39PM
Nice tag heuer link watch.
Ben @ Oct 18th 2007 3:02PM
Thanks, but I'm surprised you could even tell what it was.
JDoc @ Oct 18th 2007 3:15PM
I have the black dial version, so it's not too difficult to spot one.
Nice post on running power to a wall mount tv. And to think, I was about cut a couple holes in the wall and call it a day. Thanks
Steph @ Oct 19th 2007 3:13PM
Ben,
DO you experience any loss of signal with long HDMI cables?
Ben @ Oct 19th 2007 3:15PM
I don't, but I know other have.
My HDMI cable is only 35-foot. They do make amps for really long runs.
JeffY @ Oct 23rd 2007 8:32PM
Nice write-up. My 46" Sony will be going on a floor to ceiling 8' wide masonary (brick) fireplace. I'll be running the power cord thru a shelf mantle to the side and then down behind the trim molding to an outlet. Will that still be code OK since its not in a wall? Or should I run Romex thru the mantle and put a box in the mantle under the tv. There's no way to put a box in the brick behind the tv.
Ryan @ Nov 14th 2007 4:21PM
I think there is an even bigger argument for doing this type of setup on front projectors: If you have a power outage, your bulb will not have a fan to cool it down--significantly decreasing bulb life--or even killing the $400 bulb. A UPS solves that, because you should still probably shut down if your power does not come back in a couple minutes, but at least your bulb will be adequately cooled.
I have been exploring ways to do this for a while. Panamax has a power kit that is this PowerBridge thing on steroids, with metal plates and a locking power inlet with a dedicated cord. I am too cheap for either system, so I am looking at buying an IEC inlet (probably from PartsExpress) and just mounting it in a blank decora plate, soldering my romex to the pins on the back and then insulating them. Like somebody mentioned above, the only special part in that PowerBridge kit is the inlet (which I found sans-wall plate at my local electricians supply for $15) and the recess outlet is nice, but you can still buy the old "clock hanger" recessed outlets at HomeDepot.