Ah, flat screen TV ... just what so many were waiting for to put on the wall, mostly inspired by Hollywood and television programs over the decades. Yep, putting that flat screen on your wall is the Buck Rogers thing to do for so many of us. What most people don't know is that by doing so you have made yourself responsible for additional services and charges if the product fails.

All service programs and fees, whether it is covered by the manufacturer, extended warranty or out of warranty service, is based on the TV still being on the stand it came with for easy access. If the product is still under manufacturer's warranty or an extended warranty, it is your responsibility to remove the product from your wall so it can be serviced. Anytime you put a TV in an area that is difficult to access you have always, wittingly or unwittingly, taken on the responsibility of your choice to put it there and have it removed for service.

A service center may or may not help you with removal and it all depends on where you have located the product. Bear in mind most servicers want to be helpful provided you have not put us in a situation that creates liability or risk of injury. Let's go over the ins and outs of what you can expect and what you can do.

Weight of the Product

This does not have the importance it once had with our old CRT televisions of the past, but there remains some HDTV versions in customer's homes. For CRT you want to keep the bottom of the cabinet at about waist-high for the average adult. Chest-height becomes a problem real quickly and may very well make the servicer request and require you figure out a way to get it down, depending on the weight. At shoulder-height you are likely on your own. At this height even a 27" CRT TV becomes unwieldy and difficult. Remember also that going down is way easier than going back up and a servicer may help going down but bow out on putting it back up. This was a common problem back in the day where folks would install a TV in a recessed area created by the builder of the home, sometimes over the fireplace. I still recall 3 men grunting and groaning while taking down a 36 CRT from a recessed area with the bottom of the TV at 6 feet!

Bear in mind with flat panels that they too can become rather heavy with larger sizes. Plasma is a heavier product than LCD for the same screen size. The key is to keep heavier products within the physical limitations of the average human body that will be standing on the floor to install and remove the product from the wall.

Height of the Product

Height plays the greatest role and is directly proportional to weight of the product. A 42" flat panel can safely be handled if the bottom of the cabinet is at shoulder height. The bottom of a 46-48" flat panel needs to drop down to about chest height. For any flat panel over 50", the bottom of the cabinet needs to be about waist-high. There should be clear access along with stable footing for each person to do the job. If you follow these guidelines, chances are really good that your servicer won't mind giving you a hand at no charge.

The best mounting height for your display will be based on your seated viewing position. Your face should be in about the middle of the screen and not go below the bottom of the screen. This height lends itself naturally to easy and safe display, and wall mounting as well.

The Flat Panel Mount

Some are easy, some are complex and some have security measures. If you are buying and installing the mount yourself, chances are high you will naturally go with what is easy and uncomplicated and in turn a servicer is more likely to assist. If somebody else is installing the TV on the wall for you, than get involved in this part of the process for your own benefit. The main element to look for is that the mounting product provides a quick and easy method for mounting and un-mounting the display. Be wary of any mount that requires special tools to unlock the mating pieces of the mounting product or worse yet, some security system that will require a key or yet again a special tool to unlock.

Mounting Over the Fireplace

If this is where you want the display then you need to know that most servicers will not touch this with a 10 foot pole, even if you offer to pay them. It is common in such installations that two men and two ladders will be required. More often than not you paid someone else to install it. It is highly likely the servicer will request you contact the original installer and have them remove the product. If you mounted the product on your own, the good news is that you should be able to take it back down. You may have the rare service center in your area that also does these types of installations in which case they will be happy to help or bring the necessary bodies and ladders, charging accordingly. This service is not covered by anybodies warranty.

There are good reasons to not put your flat panel plasma or LCD over the fireplace regardless of the fact that the architect put the fireplace in the same central area in your room where a TV would be best positioned; if this is a new home chances are high your mantle is pre-wired further promoting the concept. I have covered serviceability and along with that is potential heat or soot from the fireplace getting to the display. The potential heat could reduce reliability and the soot could get in between the display panel layers. Check your warranty because some manufacturers may not cover a product in whole or in part, or for specific problems (soot getting in between layers) when mounted above a fireplace. The viewing height created by this application can also cause problems for those who are seated, potentially suffering neck or eye strain from looking up. If seating provides a head rest along with a laid back position to reduce or eliminate potential neck and eye strain, the position itself resembles that of rest for the human body and folks may easily start dozing off.

What's the Big Deal?

This common response comes from folks who have wall mounted their display, are unable to take it down themselves or cannot get assistance to take it down. The big deal is directly related to weight, mounting height, the ability to easily release the display from the mount, personal injury and damage liability. First and foremost, providing this service consumes precious time by the tech that arrives. Liability is a huge concern; most insurance carriers will not cover damage caused by an accident in mounting or dismounting a display on the wall. Nearly all who provide this service are doing so at their own risk. Due to this fact, if you can get a servicer to assist you it is not uncommon for them to require your signature on a release of personal injury and damage liability before lifting a finger. Just as disconcerting is risking the personal injury of an employee. A servicer cannot risk their technician on the site injuring themselves from pulled muscles or crushed appendages taking them out of the working schedule (or worse). Many techs are paid on commission and will decline providing such help even if asked by the owner or service manager; they simply cannot afford the risk to their livelihood.

Conclusion

If you can keep your wall mount installation service-friendly, chances are much higher you can get the servicer to assist you. If you do not portray this as an expectation or a service you are entitled to by the servicer when you call for service, chances are much higher they will be inspired to help, rather than inspired to share the rules of wall mount engagement and warranty protocols based on industry standards. If you just have to have the display installed over the fireplace, you know what to expect if it breaks and needs service as well as to the pitfalls of fireplace mounting that may affect the warranty on the display.