TV's in the workshop

[Greg Just]

How many of you have a TV in your workshop? What do you do about dust getting into them? I have an old analog TV that I'm looking to replace with a flat screen but worry it will attract just as much dust as the old one.

[Chuck Wintle]

How many of you have a TV in your workshop? What do you do about dust getting into them? I have an old analog TV that I'm looking to replace with a flat screen but worry it will attract just as much dust as the old one.

I suppose you could make some kind of clear acrylic case for it and place the tv inside of it?

[Ralph Okonieski]

I have a tv in my shop. I just replaced an analog with a flat screen. The analog was in the shop for many years and saw lots of dust (before good dust collection that I now have). I've only had the flat screen for a few months, but it does not seem to be collecting dust. It is located up high and in a corner so the location may have something to do with keeping it clean.

[Greg Just]

I have a tv in my shop. I just replaced an analog with a flat screen. The analog was in the shop for many years and saw lots of dust (before good dust collection that I now have). I've only had the flat screen for a few months, but it does not seem to be collecting dust. It is located up high and in a corner so the location may have something to do with keeping it clean.

I wonder if the flat screens develop less static electricity and that is why they stay cleaner?

[bob svoboda]

I have pretty much the exact same experience as Ralph. Have been wondering myself why the new tv doesn't seem to be getting as dusty as the old one.

[Dave Lehnert]

Am I the only one who likes to go to my shop and just sit and relax at times. Get out an old tool and do nothing but clean it up, oil it etc....................

I have an old tv in my shop but don't use it much. The radio is first thing on going in and the last thing off going out the door.

[Doug W Swanson]

I've got a small flat screen TV set up in the corner of my shop. Seems like it attracts less dust than the tube TV it replaced. I usually listen to music when I'm in the shop but sometimes I will have the TV on when there's a big game on.

I also practice shop safety so I never worry about it distracting me because it's more for keeping updated on the score. If there is something good happening I will pull up a chair and watch for a few minutes but I never look at the TV when I'm using a power tool.

[Larry Frank]

I have a 32" flat screen in my shop. I also do planning and drawing plans in my shop. I have my back to the TV when working on table saw. There are a lot of things that I work on sitting and have the TV on.

[roger wiegand]

No way, no how. The shop is a fun, relaxing, and pleasant place; TV is pretty much the antithesis of that. I do stream music nonstop from my extensive collection of weird and unusual music.

[Ed Aumiller]

Had a small analog for years in shop, enclosed it in a small box w/ glass front to keep most of dust out..
Replaced it with a 32" flat screen sitting on one workbench... I like to watch golf and need tv close to do that...
Have minor problem with dust but I kept the box it came in, cut the top flaps off and set it over tv when making a lot of dust...
Mostly use it for background music...
It is not near the dust magnet that an analog tv is due to much lower voltages in it...
Agree with Dave.... often during a good golf tournament will watch it in the shop and do misc cleanup, etc kind of hangout at times...

[Ed Aumiller]

Also, an analog tv in the shop is a major fire hazard due to dust build up if not protected from dust... the high voltage remains on CRT even with tv turned off and a static spark at the right time can be a BIG problem...

[Duane Meadows]

Also, an analog tv in the shop is a major fire hazard due to dust build up if not protected from dust... the high voltage remains on CRT even with tv turned off and a static spark at the right time can be a BIG problem...


Not generally true... most(granted not all) of the more modern sets have a bleeder resistor built into the hv block. A 40 year old set probably will retain the charge. Though as a TV tech for 40 years, I have seen some VERY dirty/dusty tvs. Never saw one catch fire for that reason. I have seen more than a few flybacks melt from overheating, but even then they smell really bad, but no fires. I have seen several that had been in fires, but the TV was not the cause.

There would need to be a very high concentration of fine dust airborne in the TV itself for any danger at all, and even then it would still be unlikely. Kinda similar to the situation with dust collector grounding.

I would not put an older plasma in a shop. Many of those ran quite hot, some even had cooling fans in them. Other than that you are fairly safe, though I would recommend blowing dust out of any of them occasionally.

Won't address the distraction factor other than to say it is likely way more an issue than the fire hazard!

As always if you are not comfortable with it, don't do it, but would not be a concern to me.

[Pat Barry]

I have an old tube TV that I used to have on to keep up with various sports (baseball, Football primarily), but when the switch was made to digital I never got a converter box for it. It now sits up in the corner dusty and neglected. I think if I had the TV working in the shop I would spend more time in the shop though. Come to think of it, I better get that working again.

[Alan Bienlein]

This is how I handled it.
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[Chris Padilla]

Yep, I put one in that has a built-in DVD/VCR (yes, V...C...R). I have AT&T U-Verse and it has a box so I can access all the goodies from that. U-Verse has a bunch of music channels and lately I found myself simply putting the TV on one of those and listening to music. I had the football games on yesterday, however.

I haven't played a DVD nor VCR in it in a very long time but yeah, it gets covered with sawdust and just blow it off when I think of it. Still works fine.

The TV was a Valentine's Day gift from Mrs. Chris some years ago. Bless that woman! :D

[Jim Laumann]

I've got a flat screen/tube style TV - has a DVD/VCR, and a convertor box. TV -DVD/VCR were courtesy of my son/his wife when the moved to his first duty station when he was in the Army - no charge, and I couldn't see them pitching the stuff in the trash....

Dust prevention is a old bed sheet over the TV, the DVD/VCR sits in a rebuilt bathroom vanity left over from remodeling in the house....

Have mainly watched fishing/hunting/tool video's - although the last few weeks I been watching some football. No cable service at our house, local channels via the convertor box only.

[Frank Drew]

Strikes me as odd, a television in a workshop, but I guess a lot of shops are just man caves.