HDMI cables are used for a lot of things in our life and it can be annoying if it breaks. If the cable is installed in the wall, it can be harder to reach it. Luckily, there are some techniques that allow us to fix this. Let’s do this!
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HDMI Cable in the wall not working anymore
Before you start, make sure that you are completely sure that the cable is broken. Try it on other devices and see if this works. Sometimes the software of a TV or computer has a bug and this can lead to a disconnected cable. If the cable works on other devices, you can try to reboot the TV or computer that it doesn’t work with. Often this can already fix the problem.
There are some HDMI cable testers out there that you can use as well.
How to replace a HDMI cable in the wall
If the cable is really the problem, we will have to fix it.
The easiest way to fix a cable is to replace it. To do this, we are going to pull the old one out of the wall and install the new cable. We can attach the end of the old cable with the beginning of the new cable with some duct tape.
This is also how electricians replace electric cables in the wall. There are more professional ways to do this but duct tape generally works pretty well. Then we pull on the old cable until we see the head of the new one come out.
It is important that you connect them well so that you don’t lose the new cable in the wall. It is possible that the cable gets stuck and then you will have to push and pull a few times.
If the wall is really tight, this can be harder to do as the head (or connector) of the HDMI cable is quite wide and this can get stuck somewhere. Don’t bend the cable too much as this can damage it. Be careful when other cables such as electricity are running nearby.
This is easier to do if one person is pulling on the old cable and another person is guiding the new cable. Take your time and don’t force things. Small parts of dirt or dust can slow things down. Don’t pull too hard as this can break the cable or connection.
Make sure to test the new cable before you install it. It should be long enough for your installation. Furthermore, there are different types of HDMI cables so check this before you install the new one. You don’t want to have to replace it immediately.
Installing the cable in a new wall
If you have to go through a new wall, you can use special metal guiding cables. This cable is connected to your HDMI cable. This metal cable is sturdy and is easier to push into a wall than an HDMI cable on its own. These are pushed into the wall and then you have to try and find it at the hole where the cable has to come out.
This can require a lot of trial and error as it can be quite hard to find the metal cable. It can take a long time to get this right and is often quite frustrating. If you have a magnet, you can try to use this to guide the metal cable in the wall.
If this doesn’t work, you might have to use a multitool to cut a small hole in your wall to get the new cable installed. This is something that you want to avoid by using the previous steps but can be the last resort. Use a stud finder to make sure that you don’t cut other cables when you open up the wall! You can also run the cables on the baseboard or ceiling so that you don’t have to open up a wall.
At this point, you might as well replace the cable management system that you have to properly hide your cables. It is nicer if you don’t see the cables next to the TV. There are several kits that make this easier to do.
If only the end of the HDMI cable is Broken
If it is just the connector (or head) of the cable that is broken, you can try to replace it. You will have to cut the cable and use a wire stripper to get access to the wires. Then you will have to remove the head from a working cable (or get a separate head) and connect this with the cable that is already in your wall. This is generally done by soldering together but there are connector kits as well that make this easier.
You will need quite a few tools for this repair: scissors, wire stripper, Phillips screwdriver, flathead screwdriver, spare HDMI cable, HDMI coupler, and multimeter. How you can find the right wires is discussed in the video above. This requires some basic knowledge of electricity but most people should be able to do this. If you don’t want to do it, you can ask an electrician to help you out with it.
In this way, you don’t have to run a new cable through the wall. You can give it a try but there is no guarantee that it will work and you might have to install a new cable anyway.
To conclude we can state that HDMI cables are important in our day-to-day life. From watching TV to projecting slides, these cables come in handy. It can be annoying when one of these cables breaks. In this post, we have outlined how you can deal with this situation so that you are up and running again in no time. You can also ask your electrician to fix it for you if you don’t want to deal with this problem. HDMI cables can last several years so it is important that you pick the right one when you have to install a new one.
Running cables in a house can really improve the internet speed and video quality. We have discussed how you can install an ethernet Internet cable here as well.
HDMI cables can be necessary if you want to install a new TV. If you don’t have one of these cables, you might have to install them. This can take quite a lot of work. With the previous steps, you should be able to do this yourself.
Resources
https://www.makeuseof.com/hdmi-cable-types-everything-you-need-to-know/
