Skip to Content

What to Do With a Broken TV? 

My TV stopped working recently, and I was left wondering what to do with it. After doing some research I came to the conclusion that the best thing to do was to recycle the TV. However, that was not the only option available.

The first thing to do is to check your TV warranty or go to a local repair shop to fix it for you. Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to get your broken TV working fine again. However, you don’t have to throw it away.

There are plenty of things you can do with it, from selling your TV parts to upcycling it into a piece of art or using it as a planter.

SuggestionWhat to Do
1. Fixing Your Broken TVCheck the warranty and contact the manufacturer, or take it to a local repair shop for an assessment.
2. Selling Your Broken TVResearch the value of your broken TV and sell it on Craigslist, eBay, or Facebook Marketplace, or to a local electronics store for parts.
3. Recycling Your Broken TVLook for municipal recycling programs or bring your TV to an electronics store, like Best Buy, that offers a recycling program.
4. Upcycling Your Broken TVGet creative and repurpose your TV into a piece of art, a planter, a chalkboard or dry-erase board, or a shelf for books and knick-knacks.

Suggestion 1: Fixing Your Broken TV

If your TV is still under warranty, the first thing you should do is check to see if it’s covered. Most manufacturers have a one-year warranty, but some might have a longer or shorter warranty period.

If your TV is covered by the warranty, you can get it repaired or replaced for free. Still, there might be a deductible that you have to pay or a limited number of repairs that are covered.

It’s crucial to read the fine print of your warranty to see what’s included and what’s not. Remember that even if your TV is under warranty, the repair might not be free.

Another option is to take your TV to a local repair shop and see if they can fix it, but that could end up costing you a lot of money.

Suggestion 2: Selling Your Broken TV

Now, you might be thinking, “Who would want to buy a broken TV?” But you’d be surprised. There’s a large market for broken TVs.

The first step is to find out how much your broken TV is worth. You can do this by searching for similar models on sites like eBay and Craigslist. Once you have an idea of how much your TV is worth, you can start looking for buyers.

You can post an ad on Craigslist or eBay, or you can contact a local electronics store and see if they’re interested in buying it. In addition, you can use Facebook Marketplace to find potential buyers for your broken TV.

Moreover, if your TV is still in decent shape, you might be able to sell it for parts. Some local repair shops buy old TVs so that they can refurbish them and sell them to someone else. 

They might also need replacement parts, and if you’re lucky, you can sell your working TV parts like the power supply, the board, or the capacitor for a good price.

You might not get top dollar for your broken TV, but selling it is a great way to get rid of it and make a little bit of money in the process.

Suggestion 3: Recycling Your Broken TV

Depending on your location, it might be illegal to throw electronics in the regular trash. That’s why you should go for recycling if you can’t repair or sell your broken TV.

The first thing you need to do is find out if your municipality has a program for recycling electronics. If not, don’t worry—there are plenty of private companies that will do it for you.

Most electronic stores, like Best Buy, have a recycling program for old electronics. You can either bring it into the store or ship it to them. They’ll recycle the parts and the TV screen.

Suggestion 4: Upcycling Your Broken TV

If you’re feeling creative, try upcycling your TV into a piece of art. 

For instance, you can use the frame to create a chalkboard or dry-erase board. This is a great way to repurpose the TV and make it into something practical that you can use every day. 

Moreover, you can turn it into a planter to add some greenery to your home and repurpose the TV at the same time. Simply remove the back panel of the TV and insert a pot with your favorite plant.

Finally, if you don’t want to get rid of the TV entirely, you can use it as a shelf for books, knick-knacks, or anything else you want to display.

To Wrap Up

What to do with a broken TV? 

There are a few options available: you can check the warranty to see if it’s still valid, sell TV parts online, or recycle the TV. 

On top of that, there are other creative ideas to use your broken TV, including turning it into a planter or using the screen as canvas and the TV’s frame as a picture frame.