Wall mount HDTV - Run electric and AV cables together?

cw-kid

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Hello

I plan to wall mount my HDTV in my lounge, I plan to cut out a channel in the wall and use some plastic conduit to put the cables inside and then plaster over.

I need two electrical plugs up on the wall behind where the TV will be mounted, one for the TV and one for a Media Center Extender.

I plan to run the following AV cables in the wall to the TV.

HDMI
Component Video
Stereo Audio Phono Left / Right
Optical Audio
CAT5 Network

And possibly:

VGA (For PC monitor)
3.5 mm jack audio lead

Will the electrical cables be a problem running next to the AV cables? And cause interference?

If so what can I do to shield the electric cables from the AV ones?

Many Thanks
Stuart.
 
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There are numerous issues with doing this from electrical regs and practicalities sockets behind wall mounted TV's are a big no no in my book TV should be fed from SWitched and fused Spur to an outlet plate behind screen. This is for many reason not least it allows you to isolate power to the TV before sticking your hand back there in a jumble of live mains and video cables!!!!
 
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There are numerous issues with doing this from electrical regs and practicalities sockets behind wall mounted TV's are a big no no in my book TV should be fed from SWitched and fused Spur to an outlet plate behind screen. This is for many reason not least it allows you to isolate power to the TV before sticking your hand back there in a jumble of live mains and video cables!!!!

Hey thanks for the reply, I have no idea what "SWitched and fused Spur to an outlet plate behind screen" means but it sounds good.

I planned to extend a near by electrical socket by running electrical cables from it to a new electrical socket that I would place in my wall behind my TV.

I take it from your reply this might not be a good thing and the way to do it properly.
 
Someone else on The Green Button, also suggested I should be using two seperate conduit's one for the AV cables and one for the electrical cables.
 
YOu add a switched fused spur to the side of the existing socket and runfrom this to an outlet plate behind the screen.

So in laymans terms I buy one of these:

Buy 13amp Switched & Fused Spur, Fused Spurs : Tool-Up UK


Connect one side of that to a nearby electrical socket / outlet.
Then from the other side of this switch run some cables in to the wall
behind TV to an outlet plate.

What is an outlet plate? An electrical socket without a switch I presume?

I do know how to turn the electric off, so hopefully I won't blow myself up lol.

Thanks
 
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FLex outlet plate Flex Outlet Plates - Contactum Please if you are in any doubt consult a qualified electrician

That's not was I was expecting to see. It just looks like a blanking plate.
I thought I'd have something like a regular electrical socket behind the TV to plug it in to.
Maybe minus a swtich on the socket, because of the switched and fused spur
that would be used to turn the power on and off.


These are good for lose cables coming out the wall but I cannot find them on any UK sites only US ones.

For only $1.88 each when QTY 50+ purchased - 1-Gang Recessed Low Voltage Cable Wall Plate - White | Recessed Low Voltage Cable Wall Plate


Cheers
 
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Yes I did find those brushed outlet plates on UK sites already, maybe I will have to use those instead.

Thanks again for all your help.
 
I thought I'd have something like a regular electrical socket behind the TV to plug it in to.
Maybe minus a swtich on the socket, because of the switched and fused spur
that would be used to turn the power on and off.
You don't need a plug and socket as the fuse is inside the fused spur as suggested above and you aren't moving the TV about anyway are you so why have a plug? A flex outlet of some type would be slightly flatter and a little more thief proof.

You shouldn't run mains and AV cables in close proximity (or mains and doorbell cable either) unless the insulation on the AV cables is beefed up to mains standard. For instance wiring speaker cable in PVC twin or something. Keep a gap between them.
 
I'm also doing this project. I already have the fused spur and white plastic trunking. I plan to use a separate trunking channel for the power cable.

Will this separation (1 inch) be sufficient to shield my AV cables from the power cable?

Is there a specific type of power cable required for running behind plasterboard?

Do you recommend one of the more expensive shielded power cables?

Thanks for sharing your knowhow!
 
I'm also doing this project. I already have the fused spur and white plastic trunking. I plan to use a separate trunking channel for the power cable.

Will this separation (1 inch) be sufficient to shield my AV cables from the power cable?

Is there a specific type of power cable required for running behind plasterboard?

Do you recommend one of the more expensive shielded power cables?

Thanks for sharing your knowhow!

Best practise is to have power and signal as far apart as possible and to cross each other if necessary rather than run in parallel. 1 inch separation is very little especially if you run them side by side over a long distance.
 
Interesting question, and I'm no expert, but although I've often read that mains and signal cables should be kept apart, in practice how many people manage to keep the mains cables on all their equipment separate from all the signal cables in the snakes nest behind the boxes? Not many is my guess!

The cables behind my system are a right mess, but I've never noticed a problem. ;)
 
Interesting question, and I'm no expert, but although I've often read that mains and signal cables should be kept apart, in practice how many people manage to keep the mains cables on all their equipment separate from all the signal cables in the snakes nest behind the boxes? Not many is my guess!

The cables behind my system are a right mess, but I've never noticed a problem. ;)

when ever we do a install we always run power and Av cables apart. segragation is essential IMO.

We recently did a opus multi room install, The electricians were the bigest bunch of monkeys i have ever seen.

anyways when we returned to second fix the install we found major video interance on the touch screens, we later found that the electricans had run there power cables in top of our CAT 5 cables, had confirmation today that his boss will be paying for the walls to come and cables re-located:rolleyes:
 

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