How to Move Your Electronics

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Pexels

If you’re like most Americans, your home bristles with electronics.  A typical family of 4 owns 5 flat screen TVs, 3 computers, 5 smartphones, 2 tablets, not to mention assorted audio components and web-enabled appliances galore.  Unlike other major appliances, these devices tend to be both fragile and temperature-sensitive.  This means you need to take care when prepping all your gizmos for shipping come moving day.  With that in mind, I have come up with a short list of the do’s and don’ts that will help you properly pack electronics.

Don’t Be Camera Shy

When it comes to home entertainment systems, there are a dozen connections that have to be hooked up in order for them to work properly.  If you don’t believe me, just take a look behind the TV in your living room.  Where in the past, television sets were pretty much stand-alone devices that only needed to be plugged into the wall and connected to a cable or antenna, today’s systems can rival Mission Control at NASA.  Not only do you have a cable or dish connection to contend with, you may also have a Wi-Fi router, external speakers, and other peripherals attached.  Once this rat’s nest of cables and connections has been unplugged, you might have a devil of a time rewiring the set when you move into your new home.  The best way to defuse this tech bomb, is to take use your smartphone to take a picture of the wiring behind your flat screen before you unplug all the components.  (This works well for personal computers as well.) 

Caution: Bumpy Road Ahead

Image courtesy of Wikimedia

Another thing you need to understand is that flat screens are fragile.  Should they be insufficiently padded, you run the risk of having the screen wind up dead on arrival.  While packing flat screens in their original padded boxes is always a good idea, many folks discard them or misplace them when it comes time to move.  Bubble wrap is a great way to protect monitors, as long as you use at least 2-layers wrapped completely around them. Just make sure you also secure such padding with tape or twine.  This way if the moving truck hits a bump in the road, you won’t be forced to file a claim for a cracked plasma TV.

That Does Not Compute

When it comes to computers, not only do they need to be well-protected, they also need to be backed up and packed up at room temperature.  Turning off the switch and wrapping a PC while it’s still warm invites condensation.  As you know, moisture and electronics do not mix.  Therefore, your best bet is to let your machine cool down to room temperature before you wrap it up.  The same goes when you unwrap it after the move is complete. 

If you have a computer, you most likely have a printer.  Whether we’re talking about an inkjet or a laser printer, one thing they all have in common are cartridges.  Before you pack that printer, remove the cartridges.  This way you won’t have to contend with a huge mess when you set it back up at its new location.

Working for Peanuts

While packing peanuts work well for padding fragile lamps, bric-a-brac and heirlooms, they don’t work well for electronics.  That’s because peanuts tend to rub together during transit, which can produce static electricity.  Just as you want to avoid moisture and condensation from coming into contact with delicate electronics, the other thing you want to avoid at all cost is static electricity.  Better to rely on bubble wrap which is static-free.

Labels are Your Friend

Image courtesy of ebay

When it comes to electronics, every one of them has one or more cables, connectors and/or chargers that come with them.  The reason I tell you this is due to the fact that some people tend to simply unplug their devices, only to shove them along with their cords and cables into one big box.  Since most electronic devices have connectors that relate specifically to them and that do not fit into other devices, this could spell disaster.  Even worse is the possibility that a transformer made for a specific device can all-too easily wind up getting plugged into another.  Unless the device has the same power requirements, this can cause the device to short out, or overheat and even catch fire.  Better to pack devices and their cables in individual boxes, then pack these small boxes into a larger box which is then labelled, “Living Room TV”, than to wind up screwing up by getting your plugs mixed up.  Also, make sure you invest in a large economy-sized roll of stickers that read “FRAGILE.”  You want to festoon any box that contains electronics with these, so your movers won’t accidentally load them on the bottom of the pile.

Take Stock of Your Stuff

The worst thing that can happen to your electronics, other than having them damaged or destroyed, is to have one go missing.  The quickest way to keep this from happening is to create an inventory of all your electronic gear as the components are being packed.  Even better is to also number the boxes used to transport electronics so you can quickly make sure that everything you packed has arrived safely.

Do You Hear Me?

External speakers, amplifiers and woofers need to be protected from both shock and exposure to heat or cold.  The best way to accomplish both these objectives is to wrap each component in bubble wrap and then pack them together in one box.  Pad the top and bottom of the box as well.  This will keep these components from bouncing around during transport. Label each box to identify the device to which it was attached. (example: Lori’s TV) Last but not least, affix a FRAGILE label to the top and sides of each box.

With over 4,000 moves, Scott's Discount Movers has handled moves of all sizes, including local and cross country. If you are looking to move your home or office, you can depend on Scott's Discount Movers to provide a stress-free relocation.