How to Fix a Television Set

The average lifespan of a television set is usually around 5 to 6 years. A plasma screen television can last up to 60,000 hours or 20 years, so the type of television set you have plays a huge role in how long the TV lasts and what repairs you may have to make a long the way. Making your own repairs to your television set can add years to the life of your TV. Another benefit to making your own repairs is the money you will save by avoiding the use of television repair shops, which can often be very expensive.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Owner's Manual
• Magnetic coil
• New pieces

Instructions

1. Diagnose what is wrong with your television set. Turn the television set on and examine the picture quality. Is the picture fuzzy and blurry? Are there discolored spots all over the screen? Does the picture roll when you flip to a new channel? By answering these questions you will be able to figure out what you will need to fix it.

2. Gather the tools. The most important tool to have when working on a television set is a screwdriver. You will also want to have the owner's manual to the television set handy as well, as this will include a diagram of the inner workings of the television and how all the parts fit together so that you can replace bad parts.

3. Take the cable that is hooked into your cable box and into your television set and jiggle it around. Turn the cable in a circular motion. You are doing this to check and see if you have a loose cable connection or possibly a bad cable. If the fuzzy, distorted picture becomes clear when you jiggle the cable, try tightening up the cable connection. If this still does not create a permanent fix you will need to disconnect the cable from the television and the cable box and replace it with a new one.

4. Remove the color splotches on your screen by using a magnetic coil. The spots are caused by your television set becoming magnetized. This can happen by someone touching the screen with a magnet, or something magnetized. Take the coil and starting from the upper right hand corner, move the magnetic coil in a circular motion until your circles are as big as the whole screen. Keep backing away from the screen as you are making the circles until the magnet completely loses contact. This should remove the discolored spots on your screen.

5. Turn off the television set and unplug it from the wall outlet. Even though the television is unplugged, it could still be holding an electrical charge that could cause you to become electrocuted. Wear some protective rubber gloves to avoid the hazard.

6. Lay the TV face down on a soft surface to avoid scratching or cracking the screen and to allow easier access to the back of the television.

7. Take your screwdriver and remove the back of the television. This allows you access to the inside of the television where you can replace blown picture tubes, speakers, and other important electronic pieces. Bring your manual along and use the diagrams to make sure you replace the parts correctly.

8. Place the back of the television set back on and screw it back in place.

9. Plug the television back in to the wall outlet and test your repairs. If the problem is still not fixed you may need to go back through the testing process to make sure you replaced all of the bad parts.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Spare TV Parts
• Repairing a Coaxial Cable
• TV Repair Tips
• TV Repair