I have a 20+ year old television set sitting in my house. It mostly works, but not really well enough for video games. It is housed in a nice oak cabinet, and I get an epiphany; it’s the perfect size to hold a little beer fridge. The question is this: I know there are dangers associated with “mucking” with the CRT, which I will have to do when I rip the guts out of this thing. So, any tips on how to do it safely?
Unplug it. Try to turn it on – if it’s 20 years old, the on/off switch is probably an authentic on/off switch. Then, leave it unplugged for a week. It should then be safe.
Actually, a week is overkill, but you need to give PLENTY of time for stored energy to naturally discharge.
If you feel condifent, you can build a discharge rod from a piece of copper ground rod and cable, ground it to your house via a water pipe or electrical outlet (ONLY if your tester says your outlet’s okay, and ONLY the earth pin!). If you don’t feel like you know what you’re doing, don’t do it! Then with the TV unplugged, and open, start poking at the transformers, tubes, electrican contacts, capacitors, etc. You shouldn’t need gloves, but I’d tell you to wear them anyway.
If I’m wrong, someone please correct me before muppetsoup kills himself.