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TVs

Is It Okay To Leave A TV In The Cold? (Explained & Solved!)

Antonio Forde
Updated: February 27, 2024
3 min read

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you left your television in the cold?

If you choose to keep your television in the cold for unexpected winter trips and perhaps other reasons, always practice caution when retrieving it back from a cold environment.

Here’s if It’s Okay to Leave a TV in the Cold:

Cold temperatures can degrade the functionality of an LCD/ LED television or cause harm to sensitive electronic components by forming condensation on them. Due to the semi-solid nature, the liquid crystal in the display does not freeze as water does in cold temperatures.

Suppose you leave your TV in the cold for an extended time. The battery will expire, and the LCD/ LED screen will most likely develop problems, if not entirely fail. After all, any electronic battery will quickly deplete in the cold. When monitors are left out in the cold, they suffer damage.

The more times the temperature of your smart appliance drops below freezing, the more likely it is that your panels and monitors will completely fail to function. When quickly warmed, the cold appliance accumulates condensation.

Plasma televisions are unaffected by cold temperatures until they fall below freezing. A television is unaffected by cold so that it can be carried and stored in subzero conditions. 

However, bringing a cold television back and quickly turning it on might cause irrevocable harm to its electronic components. 

While a cool atmosphere is generally better than a warm one when keeping your electronics working, specific components may fail unexpectedly if the temperature drops too low. Suppose you reside in the extreme north, where temperatures can fall into the negatives. 

In that case, it is critical to understand the failure limitations of your electronics, which should be listed in the documentation that came with the device when you purchased it. 

Furthermore, any electronic component that requires movement, such as disk drives, motors, or servo valves, can malfunction due to the cold. As the temperature drops, metal contracts, putting moving parts under increased load stress and posing a risk of failure.

okay-to-leave-tv-in-the-cold_man-fixing-tv

What Temperature Is Too Cold for a TV?

Ideally, it would be best to store your LCD between 40 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid freezing the liquid crystal fluid. LCD televisions should not be stored below minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

In the cold, an HDTV image’s response time may lag. As a result, many LCD and LED television manuals to provide a temperature range that is considered safe for operation. This range is typically between 50 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit on most high-definition televisions.

While different televisions work at varying temperatures, always consult your owner’s manual before using your television in harsh conditions. 

Generally, the temperature range over which television may be stored is greater than it can be operated, albeit damage may occur if temperatures fall below this range.

If temperatures fall below the specified working range, wait at least 24 hours before increasing the temperature to allow moisture on internal metal components to dissipate. When condensation forms on electronic components, turning on the television can irreversibly ruin it.

While operating your television at temperatures below the manufacturer’s suggested operating temperature will not kill it, the image will become distorted and pixelated.

Sources:

Home Theater Heroes
PhysLink.com

Written by
Antonio Forde
I'm the head-writer @ Ask The Home Geek (or, in plain English, I'm the guy writing & editing the majority of the content here). Current learning project: Korean.
Have any questions? Write us a message.
Antonio Forde
I'm the head-writer @ Ask The Home Geek (or, in plain English, I'm the guy writing & editing the majority of the content here). Current learning project: Korean.