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How to repair TV remote control

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One of the best inventions in the history of man would be the television set. This is where we view the outside world without having to leave the comforts of our homes. It is entertainment, information, leisure all rolled into one. Amongst the many innovations that came along with the ever evolving design of the TV is its closest companion, the remote. From what used to be a turn of a switch from one TV channel to another is the convenience of clicking a piece of hardware, wirelessly operating the magical box of pictures and sounds. Convenience at its finest until that nifty tool ceases to work and it seems like everything to do with the television set is tiring and complicated.


For most people, how to repair TV remote control is banging it a few times hoping that it works afterwards. It actually causes more damage than providing a solution. Initially, check if the batteries need replacement. Place a new set of batteries before concluding that the remote is damaged. In certain cases, due to neglect, the batteries become too old that they leak and damage the contact points that disable the supply of energy to the remote. When this happens, it would be best to immediately discard the old batteries and using a clean cloth, dry out and take off any battery residue, liquid or rust. Be sure to avoid contact to the skin as the residue may be harmful.

Check for loose springs, broken or bended parts where the batteries are to be inserted. If you place a battery in and it seems loose, try folding a small piece of paper and squeeze it in an edge or gap. Make sure that the battery and the contact points are not restrained by the paper as most likely it may also stop supplying energy to the remote unit. If you are using a universal remote control that are also being used for appliances, check to see if there are other appliances that may interfere with the signal of where you are aiming the remote at. Try to switch off any other appliance or gadget sharing the remote’s use and focus on using the TV and try it solely on that. In case it still doesn’t work, you may have to consider looking at other parts in order to repair remote control.

Looking at the remote pointer, there should be an opaque plastic or glass strip which contains the infrared sensor or bulb which allows the remote to send signals to your TV. The infrared bulb should light up when you press a button. You may use a digital camera and view the infrared via the camera’s screen and check if the light turns on when you press a button on the remote. If it doesn’t light up, you may have to open the remote up. You may opt to check the parts inside for any loose parts that might need soldering or parts that may have accidentally had contact with liquid and are in need of drying. You may find yourself clueless on repair remote control at this point but a great tip is to ensure that you remember where the original parts are. You may list down, group parts together and for some, the easiest way is to capture each part being taken off via a digital camera as picture guides for placing the parts back later on.

Once you have cleaned, soldered, dried and inspected the entire remote content and have placed everything back into place, test the remote again. If it still does not work, then you may have to consider bringing it to the manufacturer or to a repair shop. Most often than not, they may advise you to replace certain parts that you may opt to do yourself if you feel that it would be a minor repair instead of incurring more cost. Also, be sure to check your TV set’s infrared receiver as it may also be blocked or may be the one that needs repair instead.

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I love writing about interior design. I am in love with achieving harmony at home to improve the well-being of my family. I usually write for the "Visitacasas" blog, both in Spanish and English, and personally answer the questions about home decoration of all our users.


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