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Michsunshine · Jan 24, 2012, 07:07 PM

Sony TV with Electric Fireplace
Sorry I messed upmthe first post..

Hi I have a 46" Sony TV and want to buy a electric fireplace to place my TV on. My concern is overloading the plug. I have a 120V breaker with No. 12 wire. My voltage is 120v at receptacle with nothing plugged in. I plugged in my TV and receiver and a 1500W electric heater and voltage dropped to 111.5 volts. Is tis OK for my TV? I hesitate to buy one if it is going to hurt my TV? Here are the specs on it.

It is a decorative fireplace with a built in heater which draws 1350 watts.

Handyman2007 · Jan 24, 2012, 07:45 PM

Basic response... do not use the outlet for both appliances. The heater should be on it's own 15amp circuit. You are looking for problems. The TV is designed to run on 120vac. Dropping the voltage can severely compromise parts in the TV.

ballengerb1 · Jan 24, 2012, 07:50 PM

Your breaker is rated in amps not volts, so tell us is it rated for 20 amps, should be. Your heater is pulling 12.5 amps and you should not load this circuit continuously with more than 16 amps. To be clear you say you have a 1500W heater but later say 1325W, which is it? I can't finish the math without that info and I would need to know the amp draw of the TV. I think you are in a corner here and may have to consider moving the heater or running a new circuit.

Michsunshine · Jan 24, 2012, 08:11 PM

Sorry my breaker is 20 Amps. The heater in the fireplace I want to buy is 1350 watts. A neighbor just used a 1500W heater as a sample to see what it would do. He was concerned because it dropped to 111.5 volts when we plugged in his 1500W heater and my TV. My Sony TV calls for 120W

hkstroud · Jan 24, 2012, 08:15 PM

Bob
The test heater was 1500 watts or 12.5 amps. The desired decorative fireplace is rated at 1350 watts or 11.25 amps. We don't know what the amps of the TV is but must be 7.5 amps or less since the presumed 20 amp breaker did not trip when TV and test heater were used. Max consumption of TV and fireplace would be 18.25.

Since fireplace would be thermostatically controlled, I question whether it should be considered a continuous load.

Sunshine,
Your concern is amperage used and heat build up on the wiring, not voltage drop.
Your breaker limits that to a safe 20 amps. How ever heat can still build up to and unsafe level if a circuit is loaded to more than 80 percent of its capacity for an extended period or time (3 hours).

Look on the TV and tell us what its wattage or amperage is.

ballengerb1 · Jan 24, 2012, 08:24 PM

Thanks Harold, I think it should be considered continuous and total load no more than 16 amps for the 20 amp breaker. The only way an electric heater can operate non-continuously is if you set them to 1 degree higher than room temp with a stat, nobody is going to do that so they run full tilt for about 30-60 minutes. I use one in my home shop and put it on its own dedicated circuit after melting the plug the first night of use.

Handyman2007 · Jan 24, 2012, 08:27 PM

When the heater switches on and off by the thermostat, you add surges to that line that are directly connected to the AC input of the TV. Don't do it. I have been repairing Consumer Electronics products since 1971 and surges are the biggest destroyer of them.

hkstroud · Jan 24, 2012, 08:31 PM

I use one in my home shop and put it on its own dedicated circuit after melting the plug the first night of use.

Well, you should have closed the shop door:D:D:D:D

Michsunshine · Jan 24, 2012, 08:43 PM

All I can find on the TV is that Power Requirement is: 120 V AC, 60 Hz and Power consumption is 245 W

Michsunshine · Jan 24, 2012, 08:51 PM

Thanks to all of you for your help. I am going to just keep the TV stand I have and buy a separate Heater Fireplace and put it on a different circuit. It's beyond me why they sell them to hold tvs, knowing people will have to plug both of them into one plug. You guys are my handymen😃😃😃