Wall mounted TV – where to put sockets??

bpk101

We’re currently refurbing a victorian terrace and have the electrician starting at the weekend, chasing in all the new sockets around the house. I need to be absolutely clear by this Saturday on what I’m asking him to fit and where.

We’ve yet to buy a TV (!) but we know where we want it to go (wall mounted in the fireplace alcove) and at what height on the wall it will sit. We will either buy a 32” LCD or a 40” LCD (40" is a bit of a squeeze but doable i think).

We’d like the power socket (to plug TV into) and a HDMI exit faceplate (routed down to the media cupboard via internal wall trunking) to be hidden directly behind the wall mounted TV but until we buy the TV we don’t know what the wall bracket will be or where to position the sockets so the bracket doesn't clash with them?!

Here’s a rough layout of the set-up I’m considering.

http://bpkersey.com/images/TV-ALCOVE.jpg

You can see where both the 32” and 40” TV options might exist in the space. Will my suggested HDMI exit plate and power socket be out of the way of any wall bracket where I have positioned them?

And do I have all the other sockets and connections in the right place for a BT Homehub / Youview set-up?

StuC75

are you wanting the tv to be on a 'pivotable' wall mount (I had one before) so that the tv can be moved out of the alcove to get a better viewing angle, so as not to be affected by the fireplace?

I channelled in the sockets and wiring in a bedroom once (as wanted the wall below to be clear, and it was the middle of the room - so no 'edge' to use trunking., so that was a case of checking the wall mount instructions to check where the screws\bolts for that would be located .. it look good, but involved a lot of mess and chasing the wall out..

Whats the media cupboard look like? it may be a lot of work that you are undertaking just to avoid the couple of inches between the bottom of the tv and the top of the media cupboard?

B&Q used to have paintable strips that would go over the cabling to hide the wires? maybe if just had some trunking in the corner - nearest the fireplace side that the cable would run down? or down the middle... so wouldn't be seen?

bpk101

StuC75 wrote: »

are you wanting the tv to be on a 'pivotable' wall mount (I had one before) so that the tv can be moved out of the alcove to get a better viewing angle, so as not to be affected by the fireplace?

Yes, correct!

StuC75 wrote: »

Whats the media cupboard look like?

Something a little like this (although first shelf will be missing in TV alcove to allow for TV): https://www.pinterest.com/pin/148689225167652455/

As for the work involved, we have about 45 connections to do around the house (switches, sockets, light fittings etc)... it's no extra for the builder to chase a neat internal channel into the wall for HDMI cables, so i'm keen to do it whilst we have the chance and have everything looking really neat.

TheCyclingProgrammer

One option is to have a wall height (behind the TV) flex outlet socket that you connect the TV to (one caveat: will require plug removal, potential warranty issues if plug is moulded).

This has flex running (chased into the wall if you want, or in surface level trunking) down to a switched fused spur off of an existing socket.

bpk101

TheCyclingProgrammer wrote: »

One option is to have a wall height (behind the TV) flex outlet socket

I think we'd prefer an actual plug socket due to the warranty issues you mentioned re: moulded plugs... but thanks!

Regardless, the face plates of any plug or hdmi exit panel will still need to be positioned in such a way that a pivoting TV wall bracket doesn't breach their position... which is the crux of the issue for me, not knowing what the TV bracket is yet :mad:

StuC75

Does look quite smart..

The big question mark really is where the back plate of the mount will be fitted, the one I used had a few options \ points where the bolts could be fitted through (it was an 'older' 40" Samsung lcd tv which had quite a bit of weight to it when extended out from the wall - but granted newer models are much lighter!..).. think mine could extend about 4ft plus out from the wall - allowing the tv the full 180degree range (ie out flush from the wall and 90degree rotation each way)..

with the hdmi cables are you having the cable it self chased in or a conduit [think that's the word I mean] through which you could then pass the variuous cables - not forgetting that youll need extra cable length to then cover how far out from the wall the tv may need to extend..

The builder \ electrician will be able to let you know if the current wiring runs up from the floor or down from the ceiling as to how the plugs will be added in - as that will need considering when the floating shelves are added too..

could be easy to add a backboard between the unit and the first shelf that the cable can be accessed via.. which when sealed and painted wouldn't look any different..

Ive done the chasing in when on a plain full length room wall and it was worth the effort, but with an alcove where wall space is at a premium for chasing cable(S) - power and coax and cat5 say? then where the support for the floating shelves will need to be added, and the mounting points for the bracket.. theres likely to be a wire drilled through.. but a hidden panel then painted would hide it away and would not be noticed.

bpk101 wrote: »

Yes, correct!



Something a little like this (although first shelf will be missing in TV alcove to allow for TV): https://www.pinterest.com/pin/148689225167652455/

As for the work involved, we have about 45 connections to do around the house (switches, sockets, light fittings etc)... it's no extra for the builder to chase a neat internal channel into the wall for HDMI cables, so i'm keen to do it whilst we have the chance and have everything looking really neat.

bpk101

StuC75 wrote: »

with the hdmi cables are you having the cable it self chased in or a conduit [think that's the word I mean] through which you could then pass the variuous cables

Exactly, it'll be a conduit / internal trunking channel (whatever the term is) that we can feed 3 or 4 HDMI through, faceplate at each end with brushes like this

StuC75 wrote: »

The builder \ electrician will be able to let you know if the current wiring runs up from the floor or down from the ceiling as to how the plugs will be added in - as that will need considering when the floating shelves are added too..

Floating shelves wont be added in for a coupe of months yet (baby steps project unfortunately $$$$) and will be fitted by a different company to our current builder / electrician.

No network cabling going in, just basic BT Youview set-up as in the diagram.
All sockets will be chased in from the ground up.

Again, the real dilemma is the HDMI exit panel and power socket behind TV and wether where i have put them in the diagram will clash with a TV wall bracket??

StuC75

Yes,, used that kind of faceplate before.

Do you know that the plug socket will be floor or ceiling fed (in my house the downstairs is ceiling fed..

looking at your first diagram,its logical that the wiring would come down \ up the centre line - so becomes easy to know where to avoid.. the brackets do have a bit of range in terms of where to fit through, probably for this very scenario..

bpk101 wrote: »

Exactly, it'll be a conduit / internal trunking channel (whatever the term is) that we can feed 3 or 4 HDMI through, faceplate at each end with brushes like this



Floating shelves wont be added in for a coupe of months yet (baby steps project unfortunately $$$$) and will be fitted by a different company to our current builder / electrician.

No network cabling going in, just basic BT Youview set-up as in the diagram.
All sockets will be chased in from the ground up.

Again, the real dilemma is the HDMI exit panel and power socket behind TV and wether where i have put them in the diagram will clash with a TV wall bracket??

EssexExile

Just a tiny non-technical point - the drawing shows the power socket quite low behind the tv, the flex out of the plug will loop downwards & may be visible. I'd put it nearer the top.

bpk101

... so will positioning the 2 x sockets (power and HDMI exit) behind the TV in the bottom left hand corner of the TV area as i've done in my diagram be the correct place for them if i wanted to avoid the bracket?

I presume centring them perfectly behind the TV would be the worst place?

bpk101

EssexExile wrote: »

Just a tiny non-technical point - the drawing shows the power socket quite low behind the tv, the flex out of the plug will loop downwards & may be visible. I'd put it nearer the top.

Yeah.. that did cross my mind but in the event we need to stand the TV on the cupboard surface for some reason or another (wall bracket doesn't work) we risk 'exposing' these higher sockets if the drop in TV height is considerable.

Placing the sockets bottom left corner of TV rear means they're still covered if we do need to drop the TV down onto a stand. If that make sense?!

I can always use a cable tie to make sure nothing shows.