Electrical Tips for Setting Up Your Home’s Entertainment Center

A home entertainment center will let you enjoy a movie, sing to music, or cheer your favorite team. It is a place for your family’s relaxation and enjoyment. However, any media center needs to be properly set up to maximize its potential. The following will cover tips for planning and organizing your center, maintaining safety, and equipment protection.

Plan Arrangement First

First, plan the arrangement of the electronic equipment and furniture at the very beginning. Your decisions will determine the placement of speakers and wiring of the entertainment center. Ensure that this space has an adequate number of electrical outlets that can be easily accessed. If more are needed, consult with an electrician.

Control the Cabling & Wiring

The cabling and wiring of an entertainment center can become a tangled mess if poorly organized. Use solutions such as clips, runners, and raceways to keep cables and wires in place to and from electronic devices. In addition, zip ties and sleeves can be used for color coding, so you know which cable and wires are connected to a device.

Surge Protection

Ensure every electronic device is plugged into a surge protector to keep it safe from potentially damaging electrical fluctuations. Although a power surge does not happen often, it can be the cause of expensive damage to electronics when they do occur.

Avoid Overloading Circuits

A proven way for avoiding overloaded circuits is dispersing the power draw over several outlets in your entertainment center. It is a bad idea to plug every electronic device into a single outlet because it can result in overloading the circuit. Verifying how your home’s circuit breakers control the outlets of your entertainment center will allow you to determine which outlets your electronic equipment should use.

Monitor Temperatures

Home entertainment centers need ventilation and air conditioning because electronic equipment generate high temperatures. If equipment is placed together in an enclosed space, it can lead to overheating, which can damage their component or create a fire hazard.

Electrical Services You Can Trust

Founded in 1991, Meyer Electrical Services provides home and commercial electrical services in Maryland, Virginia, and D.C., where we are licensed and insured. Based in Bethesda, our team proudly serves all of Montgomery County. Receive a free consultation for custom electrical work today by calling (301) 941-1400.