When is it safe to turn on a TV left in a garage?

January 6, 2006 12:33 PM

I've got a 28" CRT Television, it was left in the garage in the freezing cold and I'd like to know what I should do before I power it on again.

In the last week it has rained a few times, plus it's been bitterly cold. The TV was left on the floor of the garage about a meter from the door which has about an inch gap from the floor.

I brought the TV in today, and the front of the CRT was quite damp so I phoned a friend before considering turning the unit on. I understand that CRT's with it's mega capacitors can be quite the death device when mixed with dampness so I left it.

Currently it's in the corner of my small bedroom which is well heated and ventilated. The house is generally dry - does anyone have advice on what I should do about undampening this TV and when it would be safe to turn on?

posted by rc55 to technology (6 comments total)

Just let the water dry off before you plug it in. If the machine is new, hopefully the capacitors weren't charged.

I would let it sit just a couple days to be safe.
posted by delmoi at 12:36 PM on January 6, 2006

The TV is around 2-3 years old. It's a fairly cheap brand too - hopefully this wont matter too much. Thanks for your reply.
posted by rc55 at 12:48 PM on January 6, 2006

Oh in regards to the caps - the TV was in use on New Years Eve, the day it was moved - and I moved it indoors today so there probably was some sort of charge there.
posted by rc55 at 12:49 PM on January 6, 2006

If you're mechanically inclined and can avoid touching stuff, the best thing to do is open up the back and aim a good sturdy fan at the components for a couple of days in a warm, dry room. Condensation is not likely inside the set unless you had a spell of humid weather and then a chill, but I've seen stubborn moisture inside of electronics weeks after water was spilled in them.
posted by rolypolyman at 1:14 PM on January 6, 2006

I'd like to know what I should do before I power it on again

plug it in first

I doubt you have anything to worry about from water on the screen. If the ball game is on soon plug it in and enjoy. If you have time to spare letting it air out in your dry living space couldn't hurt. You would have to get an awful lot of moisture in there to short something out, and the capacitors are not really your worry, more that water on the circuits could cause a short.
posted by caddis at 1:59 PM on January 6, 2006

You should probably let it warm up for a few hours, just to be safe. The cold is more of a factor than that small amount of water will be.
posted by kyleg at 8:34 PM on January 6, 2006