Manufacturers have a maximum heat tolerance for their TVs. But if you look at them, it seems too low for anyone to mount a TV above a fireplace. That’s why a common question that many homeowners have is how much heat do fireplaces produce, and can they get too hot?
Fireplaces can get too hot, especially if you’re using a wood-burning fireplace. You only need 5,000 BTUs to warm up a small to medium-sized room, but wood-burning fireplaces can generate up to 60,000 BTUs. However, 90% of this heat goes out of the house, so we can’t really feel much of it.
If you’re planning to install a TV above a fireplace, it’s important to determine whether it can get too hot and cause damage. We’ll talk about all of them in great detail, including a few tips that you can use to keep your TV cool even when a fireplace gets too hot.
How Much Heat Do Fireplaces Produce?
Fireplaces are interesting because of the varying options that homeowners have. In general, fireplaces can produce anywhere from 5,000 BTUs to 60,000 BTUs. To put that into perspective, a fireplace that produces 5,000 BTUs and is 100% efficient is enough to warm up a small to medium-sized room.
Well, if most people only need 5,000 BTUs to warm up their room, why do we have fireplaces that can produce as much as 60,000 BTUs? The answer is because we have different types of fireplaces, and they vary a lot in terms of heat produced and efficiency.
A perfect example of this is a wood-burning fireplace. The amount of heat you can get from these fireplaces depends on the type of wood you’re burning. But even if you’re burning hardwood, you won’t feel much of it because at least 90% of the heat leaves through the chimney.
On the other hand, ventless gas-burning fireplaces are far more efficient than wood-burning fireplaces because the heat they produce does not escape the room. Still, they are not designed to be the primary source of heat inside a room and may not be enough to maintain the warm temperature you want.
Electric fireplaces are very efficient because the heat they produce does not go out, and instead, the fan pushes the warm air into your room. So, even with a relatively lower 5,000 BTUs, they remain the most efficient way to keep your room warm. Aside from this, you can also adjust the energy that it consumes, reducing the heat it produces.
Can a Fireplace Fire Get Too Hot?
A fireplace fire can get too hot, especially if you have a wood-burning fireplace and you’re burning hardwood. Generally, hardwood produces higher BTUs than softwood, but it would also depend on several factors, including your home insulation’s efficiency.
One misconception that many people have when it comes to fireplaces is that it helps keep the room warm. Although it does make you feel warm, it doesn’t necessarily make the room “warmer,” similar to how a furnace can increase the indoor temperature.
A fireplace only supplements the primary heat source you have; it only makes you feel warm because of the radiation. That’s why if you light up a fireplace, you immediately feel warm, but not as much as soon as you turn it off. Fireplace fire can get too hot, but it is a radiant heater — it only makes you feel warm if you’re sitting or standing close to the fireplace.
Does Heat From A Fireplace Damage TV?
Another question that homeowners often ask about fireplaces is if it will be safe for them to mount their TVs above a fireplace. If a fireplace fire can get too hot, will it be enough to cause damage to the TV? After all, it’s a radiant heater that can make you feel warm if you’re close to it, right?
Yes, heat from a fireplace can cause damage to a TV, but it doesn’t mean that it’s not safe to mount them above it. Samsung TVs have a heat resistance of at least 104°F (40°C), so you only need to ensure that it doesn’t exceed this temperature to avoid damage.
Another metric you can use is to keep the heat going into the room at 5,000 BTUs, which is easy if you have an electric fireplace. However, it can be a bit complicated if you’re using wood- or gas-burning fireplace; you may need to have better insulation to ensure that the radiant heat your TV gets does not exceed OEM standards.
Remember, even though several people are mounting their TVs above a fireplace, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it won’t cause damage to your TV as well. In fact, some manufacturers will void their warranty if the damage was caused by fireplace heat.
Can You Safely Mount a TV Above a Fireplace?
The safety of mounting a TV above a fireplace can be tricky, but it’s possible to prevent it from getting damaged. You can do several things to keep it safe, but it’s also important to understand why you need to do these steps.
Remember, fireplaces can get too hot, and most manufacturers won’t cover any damage caused by heat exposure. So, even if it’s relatively safe, you have to be very careful because there’s still a risk of damaging your TV.
If your wondering if fireplaces give off carbon monoxoide indoors, check out our article.
Another factor that you need to consider is the wall mount you’re going to use for your TV. Although you can choose from tons of options, not all of them will provide you with the features that you might need. Keeping your TV safe even when above a fireplace is more of a balancing act between safety and viewing experience.
How To Keep a TV Cool Even When Above a Fireplace
Remember, fireplaces are radiant heaters — they can only make you feel warm if you’re sitting or standing close to them. So, one of the best ways to keep your TV cool even when above a fireplace is to have enough space between your TV and fireplace.
It’s where the “balancing act” starts because you need enough space between your TV and fireplace, but it doesn’t have to be so much that you’re already mounting your TV too high. Remember, you still need to consider your viewing experience while ensuring that you’re not exposing it to too much heat.
The easiest solution to your TV’s height is to use a full-motion wall mount. It creates enough space between the brick wall and the TV, keeping it cool even when the fireplace fire gets too hot. Aside from this, it also allows you to get a comfortable viewing experience while watching, avoiding eye and neck strain.
Another important step you need to take when trying to mount TVs above fireplaces is to install a fireplace mantel or mantelpiece. It’s a hood for the fireplace that catches smoke and may or may not extend to the ceiling. You need to have one because this helps deflect some of the heat that the fireplace generates, keeping it away from your TV.
It’s one of the best and easiest ways to keep your TV cool, even when the fireplace fire gets too hot. A mantelpiece is also an easy way to improve the living room’s aesthetics or help organize the other devices that you use with your TV.
Doing all of these will ensure that your TV remains cool, even when above a fireplace. Although there are risks involved in mounting TVs above fireplaces, it doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything to reduce the risk.
Conclusion
Fireplaces can get too hot, but most of them aren’t efficient and only send the heat out of the house. However, you still need to be careful with it because TVs are vulnerable to heat. Prolonged heat exposure can void the manufacturer’s warranty, so you need to ensure that it remains cool even if the fire gets too hot.
In a nutshell, you only need two things to solve this issue: (i) a wall mount that creates enough space between your TV and fireplace and (ii) a mantelpiece that can prevent heat from going straight to your TV.
