How to Tell if TV Fuse Blown? – Complete Guide

If you don’t know how to tell if TV fuse blown recently, then you should read the entire guide to learn everything about TV fuses, what causes them to blow and how to prevent it.

Almost any piece of electronics has fuses that are there with one purpose, which is to protect the unit from power surges.

Without the fuses, our electronics will be in danger every time when the power fluctuates and repairs in such cases are a lot bolder than replacing a single fuse.

To be able to tell when a TV fuse is blown, you should open the cap holder and check the wiring. When a TV fuse is blown, there are going to be melted parts within the cap holder including the wires, and other metallic smears inside the glass cover.

Now when we know what a blown fuse looks like, let’s learn more about the fuse and how a blown fuse is actually a good thing.

About Blown TV Fuse

The TV fuse is a component from the electrical family, designed to protect your television from power surges.

Power surges can attack your TV and potentially damage the motherboard, where the TV fuses negate the surge, sacrificing the fuse instead of more critical TV parts.

Power surges are mainly an excessive current passing through your TV and can be caused by thunderstorms and malfunctioning wall outlets/dividers.

To sum up, the TV fuse is there to receive the damage of a power surge and prevent more expensive and harder-to-repair parts from being impacted.

Note: On most TV models, there is only 1 fuse (the AC line fuse).

What Causes Blown Fuse On TV?

There are a few general causes for a blown fuse on your TV and here you will be able to familiarize yourself with the occasions.

In case your TV has a blown fuse, your problem is guaranteed to be related to one of the below-described scenarios.

#1 – A Short Circuit

The short circuit is a usual suspect when we’re referring to a blown fuse on almost any piece of electronics.

Quite a few things could lead to a short circuit including insects, impacted wires, moisture, liquids, and malfunctioning wall outlets/dividers.

#2 – Circuit Breaker

In case there is a problem in your household electrical system, the circuit breaker might not be operating equally in all rooms.

You can easily identify problems with the circuit breaker in case of a blown fuse or other power-related problems in the same room as your TV.

#3 – Overwhelming Circuit

For users that utilize a power divider with many connections such as computers, sound systems, monitors, and TV all in one, overloading the circuit is possible.

This can lead to blown fuses on your TV as well as on other devices.

#4 – Bad Wiring

Whenever there is a problem with the wall outlet, your TV power cable, or the TV power entity, this can lead to a blown fuse.

In most cases when there is a problem with the wiring, things get hot, and you could identify such a problem by the smell of plastic/rubber.

Inspect the TV power cable body, adapter, and power outlet for any melted parts to identify whether this is the reason for the blown fuse.

Tip: Be cautious of bare wires when inspecting your setup!

What Happens When A TV Fuse Is Blown?

When your TV goes through one of the occasions above (power surge), the TV fuse will be blown and, in turn, you might experience a lot of performance issues.

Most users report that before they found out that a TV fuse has blown, they encountered the so-called “black screen of death”.

With a blown fuse your TV will most definitely turn ON but you won’t be able to interact.

The LED will be indicating that the TV is ON but the screen will remain black indefinitely.

In some rare cases, the TV might not be able to turn ON entirely, and the problem could be hard to diagnose. 

In such cases, it’s best to check whether there is a blown fuse or something else that is causing the trouble.

Let’s find out how to check if a TV fuse is blown…

How To Check If A TV Fuse Is Blown?

It’s fairly easy to check whether your TV has a blown fuse or not. You’ll need a screwdriver before you begin so make sure to acquire the necessary tool beforehand.

Alert: Disconnect your TV from the power outlet before you begin!

Depending on the TV model, the fuse cap holder could be located in different places.

The first place to check should be on the back TV panel, somewhere around the cable entries.

The cap holder should be held by screwdrivers and should be a visibly openable compartment.

What you need to do is unscrew the TV fuse cap holder, and carefully check the fuse wire.

In case there is a visible dark or metallic smear inside the glass or a gap between the wires, then you’ve got a blown fuse.

Note: You can check the TV user’s manual for the type of replacement fuse.

How To Replace A Blown Fuse?

Now that you know how to tell if TV fuse blown, you’re probably wondering how to replace the unit so you can continue using your TV.

Well, replacing the fuse on your own depends on what the TV fuse is and how good you are using soldering tools.

You first need to determine what type is the blown fuse. It could be a soldered fuse that is locked into place and requires unsoldering to remove and soldering to install later.

On the other hand, it could be a hand-fitted detachable fuse that comes right out by pulling it.

With the soldered fuse, it could be more challenging to replace, while the hand-fitted fuses can be replaced within minutes.

The recommendation for users without experience in replacing fuses would be to bring the TV to an electronic store/service for a professional fuse replacement.

Note: Fuse replacement prices are between $50 and $150, depending on the TV model.

How To Protect A TV From Blow Fuse?

There are a few measures that you should undertake to protect your TV from being damaged by power surges and more specifically to preserve the TV fuse.

Do the following on each occasion:

• Use only reliable (standalone) wall outlets.
• Inspect your power cable/wall outlet every now and then.
• Disconnect your TV from the power in case of a thunderstorm.
• Relieve electricity usage when using a power divider.

Following the above bullets should help you bypass a power surge, which will essentially protect your TV fuse from blowing.

Tip: Turn OFF your TV when you’re not at home or you’re not using it.

Thus, to find out if a TV fuse is blown you should unscrew the cap holder on the back of your TV and check what happens inside the glass cover. Any metallic smears or melted wires are an indication of a blown fuse that would require a replacement.

Read Next: Is It Better To Turn Tv Off Or Leave On?

Last Thoughts:

Now that you know how to tell if TV fuse blown and how to replace it at home, it would be easier for you to take the next step.

We hope that his post was helpful and if you’re interested in more guides related to your smart-home electronics, make sure to check our blog!