Newtown Square Fire Co. Warns About Throwing Away Old TVs

The Newtown Square Fire Company is urging residents to think before they throw away old tube-style televisions and computer monitors.

In addition to the environmental impact of putting such items out on the curb as trash, there’s an immediate safety issue, the fire company said in a recent blog post.

At issue is the glass tube inside the devices, the fire company said. “When these glass bottles are subjected to one of several impacts, this vacuum bottle implode,” Fire Chief Doug Everlof said.

“With an implosion, where air rushes in to fill this vacuum, there is an instant, explosion-type reaction. This violent force can project palm-sized chunks of glass as far as 50 feet. In addition to the dangers of flying glass, the implosion-explosion process produces an impressive amount of noise,” the fire company said.

The fire company asks that if you put these older electronics out on the curb, you place them screen side down, to mitigate any risk.

“A few seconds invested in the placement of these discarded items help prevent serious dangers,” Everlof said.