Plan a Wall Mounted Electric Fireplace With a TV Above

On this page (13 sections)

1. Pick the wall before you pick the fireplace
2. Choose the width by the wall and the TV
3. Plan the depth and stud fit for a recessed unit
4. Plan the outlet and the power cord
5. Wall mounted electric fireplace heat with a TV above it
6. Mounting the TV above the fireplace: weight and anchors
7. Floating stands and TV cabinets: the other ways to build it
8. Flame look and room light
9. Safety basics before you order
10. Check these numbers before you order
11. Common mistakes when you plan a TV wall
12. Questions to ask your installer
13. Pick a wall mounted unit if your wall is ready, and a stand if it isn't

Start with the wall, then pick the fireplace width, then set the TV height. Each choice limits the next one, so working in this order avoids rework.

This guide covers the plan for a TV above an electric fireplace, from studs and outlets to heat and the other ways to build it.

For the bigger picture on wall, recessed and insert units, read our full guide to wall mounted and recessed electric fireplaces.

Pick the wall before you pick the fireplace

Choose a wall where you can rule out pipes and wires in the spot you want to use. If you can't tell what is inside, ask a licensed electrician or plumber to look first.

Look at the room from the sofa. The fireplace and the TV should sit where your eyes naturally go, not where a window glares on the screen.

Measure from your main seat to the wall too. The distance changes how big the fireplace looks, and a close seat often makes a wide unit feel crowded.

Think about what else the wall holds, such as doors, vents, switches and shelves. Each one changes where the fireplace can go.

Check for wires, pipes and studs

A stud finder helps you locate studs, but it may not show wires or pipes, so don't rely on it alone. Ask a licensed electrician to check the wall if an outlet or switch sits nearby.

Sketch the wall with the studs marked. Add every outlet, vent and pipe you can find, so you have one clear drawing to plan from.

Choose the width by the wall and the TV

Let the wall decide the width first, then check that the TV looks balanced above it. A 36 inch unit suits a small wall, 50 inches fits most living rooms, and 60 inches suits a wide wall.

A TV above a fireplace usually looks best when the two share a similar width, with even space on each side.

Measure the TV's width too, and mark it on the wall with painter's tape. Seeing the outline in place shows whether the spacing looks right from the sofa.

If you're not sure which width fits, read what size electric fireplace do you need before you measure anything else. The best 60 inch electric fireplaces are the place to look if your wall runs wide.

Plan the depth and stud fit for a recessed unit

A recessed unit needs framing that matches its stud size, plus a cutout that matches its width, height and depth. Recessed units often need a drywall cut, so plan the framing before you order.

Many wall units sit about 4 inches deep. The Antarctic Star 36 and the R.W.FLAME 60 both measure 3.86 inches, and the Silonn 60 measures 3.94 inches.

R.W.FLAME says its 60 inch unit fits a 2 by 6 stud. Check whether your wall uses 2 by 4 or 2 by 6 framing before you choose a recessed model.

Check the cutout size in the manual before you order, since it sets how big the opening has to be.

Silonn says wall mounting gives a 3.9 inch profile, while a recessed install needs proper framing in a compatible wall cavity.

Silonn also says to read its recessed install guide before you buy. Leave the framing and drywall work to the manual and a pro, and use how to install a recessed electric fireplace for an overview of the steps.

Plan the outlet and the power cord

Plan the outlet spot before you hang anything, and find out whether your unit plugs in or is hard-wired. Those two answers change the install more than most other choices.

Touchstone's Forte 40 comes with a 6 foot cord for a 110 to 120 volt outlet, and Touchstone says it can also be hard-wired.

Touchstone says the Forte draws up to 12 amps and may need a 20 amp circuit when other electronics share it. Ask a licensed electrician to check the circuit before you add a heater to it.

The Silonn 60 is a 1,400 watt heater, so check its circuit notes in the manual too.

Don't assume a unit plugs in. A hard-wired unit, a new outlet or a new circuit calls for a licensed electrician, so check the manual first.

Check where the nearest outlet sits before you pick the spot. Moving an outlet is a job for a licensed electrician, so it's easier to plan around the one you have.

Plan the cord path before the unit goes up, so it doesn't cross a doorway, a rug edge or the spot where you stand. Avoid a long cord run across the floor, and check the manual before you use any extension cord.

Wall mounted electric fireplace heat with a TV above it

A TV above an electric fireplace needs both makers' heat and clearance notes, because no general rule covers every unit and TV. Read both sets, then follow the stricter one.

Touchstone's Forte has front-facing heater vents, and Touchstone recommends at least 8 inches between the top of the unit and a TV. That is Touchstone's figure for its own unit, not a promise for your TV, so check the TV maker's notes too.

Heat depends on the setting you pick. A 1,500 watt setting is about 5,100 BTU per hour, which is zone heat for one room rather than a whole-house heater.

For more on how much warmth these units give, read do electric fireplaces give off heat.

Setting the TV height above a wall mounted fireplace

Set the TV's center near eye level when you sit, then leave the gap both makers' notes ask for.

Sit in the spot you use most and mark where the center of the screen falls on the wall. Then measure from the bottom of the TV to the top of the fireplace, and compare that gap with the notes before you mount anything.

Mounting the TV above the fireplace: weight and anchors

Check the TV's weight and the bracket's rating before you mount it above the fireplace, and use the anchors the bracket calls for. A heavy screen needs a secure mount point, so plan that before the fireplace goes up.

Where you can, mount the TV bracket into studs, since drywall alone may not hold a heavy screen. Some fireplaces come with their own drywall anchors and screws, like the Touchstone Forte, but those secure the fireplace, not the TV.

Follow the TV maker's mounting instructions and the bracket's weight limit, and ask a pro if the wall type is unclear.

Floating stands and TV cabinets: the other ways to build it

A floating media unit or a freestanding TV stand with a fireplace can replace a wall build, but each needs different walls and floor space. Compare the wall first, then the storage you want.

LEMBERI's 70 inch floating stand measures 70 by 13.8 by 21.1 inches and weighs 87 pounds. It has a 36 inch fireplace built in, with an open shelf, cabinets with doors and two cable holes.

LEMBERI says it works on wood, concrete and brick walls, and not on hollow or gypsum board walls.

Check that rule against your wall before you buy, since many living room walls are covered in gypsum board. If you're not sure what is behind your wall, ask a pro to check it first.

A floating stand also hides cords and adds storage, which can make the room look tidier. It asks more of the wall than a slim unit does, so the wall check comes first.

PRAISUN's 70 inch stand is freestanding, so it needs no wall work. PRAISUN says its 48 inch fireplace is larger than most fireplace TV stands use, and that the stand fits TVs up to 80 inches.

The stand weighs 80.3 pounds and stands about 32 inches tall, so measure the floor space before you order. Read wall mounted vs freestanding electric fireplace to compare the two styles side by side.

Flame look and room light

Most units here let you change the flame color and speed, so the look can follow the light in the room.

R.W.FLAME offers 12 flame color modes, five speeds and five brightness levels. The Silonn 60 has 20 flame colors and an automatic color mode.

Silonn says its fireplace runs at under 45 dB, which matters if the TV and the fireplace share a quiet evening.

Safety basics before you order

Follow the maker's manual for every step, and use a licensed electrician wherever the manual calls for one, such as a hard-wired unit or a new outlet. An electric fireplace is still an electric heater, so treat it that way.

Keep cords out of walkways and away from rugs, and don't run one under furniture where it can get pinched.

The National Fire Protection Association's home fire safety pages cover heating and alarms, which is worth reading before a heater goes in a living room.

If you aren't sure what is behind the wall or what it carries, have a pro check before any cut.

Check these numbers before you order

Write down the wall width, the height to the TV, the depth you can fit, the stud size, the outlet spot and the cutout size before you buy. Those six numbers decide most of the choice.

• Wall width, measured at the top, middle and bottom.
• Height from the floor to the bottom edge of the TV.
• Depth you can fit in the wall or on it.
• Stud size and spacing, plus any wires or pipes you can find.
• Outlet spot and whether the unit plugs in or is hard-wired.
• Cutout size from the manual, and both makers' clearance notes.

Keep one sketch with these numbers in inches, and bring it when you talk to a pro. For the buying choices beyond the wall, see the electric fireplace buying guide for the living room.

Common mistakes when you plan a TV wall

The most common mistakes are measuring the TV instead of the wall, skipping the stud check and forgetting the outlet.

• Measuring the TV, not the wall. A TV can be the right size while the wall is too narrow.
• Skipping the stud and wire check. A wall that looks open may hold pipes or wires you can't see.
• Forgetting the outlet. An outlet that's too far away leads to a long cord, so plan the spot first.
• Trusting the room size on the box. Room sizes are maker claims, not rules for your room.
• Skipping the TV maker's notes. Read them before the bracket goes up.

Fix these before you buy, since moving a mounted unit or a TV bracket is harder than planning it right the first time.

Questions to ask your installer

Ask the installer how the unit mounts, where the outlet goes and which steps need a licensed electrician. Those three answers show whether the plan is ready.

• Does the unit plug in, or does it need a hard-wire?
• Which parts of the install need a licensed electrician?
• Are there studs at the mount points you planned?
• What does the manual say about clearance above the unit?

Pick a wall mounted unit if your wall is ready, and a stand if it isn't

A wall mounted electric fireplace with a TV above it suits a framed wall you've checked for studs, wires and pipes. Pick it when the width matches the TV and both makers' notes allow the gap.

Pick a floating unit if your wall is wood, concrete or brick and you want storage under the TV. Pick a freestanding stand if you can't open the wall or want no wall work at all.

Next, compare the best wall mounted electric fireplaces to hang under a TV by width and depth before you choose.

Frequently asked questions

Can a TV go right above an electric fireplace?

Sometimes, but the answer depends on the two makers' heat and clearance notes, not on a general rule. Read both sets of notes, follow the stricter one, and ask a pro if they don't match or don't cover your spot, since a wrong guess is hard to undo once the unit is mounted.

Do I need an electrician to hang a wall mounted electric fireplace?

It depends on the unit, since plug-in units often need no electrician while a hard-wired unit, a new outlet or a new circuit does. Follow the maker's manual for the install steps and for whether your unit plugs in or is hard-wired.

How deep is a wall mounted electric fireplace?

Many wall mounted units are about 4 inches deep, such as the Antarctic Star 36 and the R.W.FLAME 60 at 3.86 inches each. Check the depth against your wall and framing before you plan the opening, since the Silonn 60 runs slightly deeper at 3.94 inches.

Can a recessed electric fireplace go in any wall?

No, a recessed unit needs a wall with the right framing, and its cutout must fit the stud spacing and depth the maker gives. If you're unsure what is inside the wall, have a pro check before any cut, and leave the framing and drywall work to the manual.