Add Cooling Fan to A/V Cabinet - Page 17

I assume that was a typo


I don't think so... volt-amp means Watts. Just because a device is rated at a certain wattage doesn't mean that it will put out that much power. On the other hand, running a device from a supply with not enough amperage WILL burn out the motor. At least, that's what I remember from my college days.

Haven't read through all 481 previous posts, but here's how I did mine to keep the fans down on the PS3 and XBOX 360.

Quiet 120mm PC fan (rated for 12v DC, but runs at as low as 5v with very low current draw - somewhere around 10mA). Made by Silenx. Cost: $15 each. Any fan with similar specs would do though. This one comes with extra adapter which makes wiring easier.

Old DC power wart rated at 5V DC (used the one that came with an old Nokia cell phone). Rated 5V DC, 700mA

Cut connector off cell phone charger.

Connect black power lead to black leads on fan adapters (I've hooked up two to the same power).

Red adapter wires to white lead in phone charger (might be white, red, or black with white stripe - all depends on what they used to code the wires). If it doesn't power up, just switch them - no harm done as long as the two wires don't touch.

Install them as an exhaust at the back of the unit to draw hot air out (cabinet already designed to use convection for cooling so cool air is drawn in from underneath).

Cut 120mm hole in back panel on each shelf (no more than 3 inches clearance from wall but that's ok). Installed one of each for each shelf where the XB0x 360 and PS3 are.

Wall wart hooked up to IR triggered power strip (and added to my URC macro).

Result:
Fans run silent and just fast enough to suck the hot air out. as a test, I've left both systems on overnight with the amp powered up on the bottom shelf. PS3 was folding and Xbox was running a game demo (can't remember which). The cabinet didn't get hotter than 28 deg Celsius and the system fans were still on low.

Without the fans, the game systems will ramp up their fans in under 10 minutes, and that's only with one of them running at a time.

Hey guys,

I ordered a fan & thermal fan control kit from coolerguys but have a couple questions. I'll be using the fan on my Onkyo receiver which gets really hot even though its in a open shelf. Would you guys suggest I put the fan facing in toward the the receiver, or on the unit facing out pushing hot air out?

Also for this thermal controller I saw a video from coolerguys saying to tape it to the area which gets most hot, do I tape it to my receiver with normal electrical tape? Or is there some other special tape I need to use?

keep in mind i'm no expert, but from what i gather, it's better to pull hot air away...so you might want to point the fan so that it sucks hot air out from the receiver.

as for the tape, electrical should work, but with the elevated temperatures, it may soften the adhesive, causing a bit of a mess if you pull the tape off. you could try HVAC aluminum duct tape. it's specifically made for high temps, so the adhesive may hold better. hell, you may not even have to tape it on if you can just place it there without it falling off.

good luck.

ok so i just got my setup finished and while they do a great job of getting the hot air out (closed cabinet only around high 70s) my wife thinks they are too loud.

this may not be the right place, so tell me if i'm out of line, but is anybody interested in some 80mm scythe fans? they're the kama series, 2500 rpm. they push around 30 cfm @ ~30 dB. i just ordered the s-flex i think that are only 12 dB, but only push around 20 cfm.

let me know!

Figured i'd help with a little insight, i've built a ton of computers and the general consensus is to have the same amount of airflow in as you do out of a case/enclosed area. The idea is to create a steady flow of positive pressure, if you have all of your fans doing the same thing (pushing air in or pulling it out) you will just create negative pressure and the hot air will stay put in the area... tomshardware wrote a pretty good article awhile back on case cooling etc.. that would also apply to AVR cooling. Sorry for not having a direct link though..
I'm cooling a onkyo avr on an open rack with a couple of 80mm artic cooling case fans mounted to a simple bracket, spliced through a thermal sensor and plugged to a 8v supply.. Pretty easy setup and total cost of maybe 15 bux.. its pretty easy to get a thermal sensor, most CPU cooling solutions have one and you can also get one separately... I dont see paying 50 bux for a solution that you can easily make/customize for under 20.

you're not saying that you need to force air in while forcing it out, are you? what i mean is that you would have at least 2 fans per cavity, one blowing in and the other blowing out.

i would think that as long as you had a hole(s) similar in size to the fan port to allow air transfer, you would still get a circulation. for example, i have one fan per 3 cavities, all of which have similar sized wire pass through holes, which i feel gives adequate air flow.

what do you think? sound good?

You are correct i was just saying that it is best to create a positive airflow. The best way this is usually performed is by blowing air in one side/endand sucking it out on the other side/end. Depending on the size of the cavity having a fan sucking air out might not make a difference, however it probably will since the fan blowing air in might not be strong enough to create pressure that would force air out of the other hole in the cavity, instead it could possibly be fighting itself since the pressure inside would not allow it to move air into the cavity (like trying to add more water to a glass that is already full). Not saying that is happening but it is very much a possibility.

Think of it like this, in a room with a drop ceiling the supply vent and return vent are placed on opposite sides for a reason, usually to pull the air being blown out of the supply across the room into the return vent, creating positive air flow and not letting any air "sit" in the room.

hope that makes sense?
Either way any air movement is usually good air movement

I don't think aluminum tape is a good idea on electrical wires. A bit risky. Gooey electrical tape is a huge pain though. 3M electrical tape holds up well.

It's been said that air blowing over the case isn't enough. I'm adding a fan that will sit on top of the hotter cases and blow directly into them.

You probably won't have to tape down your sensor, you're over thinking it.

Fans always work better blowing into free air ie: no restriction.
If there is a restriction close to the blades (blowing against a case) the blades will cavitate, make more noise and flow less air if any. There are certain fans that are made for blowing against restriction (blowers!) or thick high speed (noisy) axials. Even the 120 x 25mm fan I use on top of the AVR (blowing up-exhaust) works better and makes less noise by slightly raising it with rubber pads.
Forget the thermal switches. If the equipment is on, it needs cooling. Turn it on and leave it on!
Look at server rack cabinets. They have Exhaust fans at the top and no Intake fans.

exactly.
only thing is that the idea behind fans on top of the server racks is to pull air across, not just blow exhaust.

i was under the impression that there were no exposed wires...but i know what you're saying about tape that is conductive haha

i understand what you're saying. makes sense.

Reading material

Mostly for AV cabinets (not furniture)

http://repnet.middleatlantic.com/COM...ent%203-04.pdf

nice

You don't "think" so, as that's all you "remember"?

You're mistaken.

so i got my new scythe s-flex, and they're still audible even in a closed cabinet! they're rated at only 12.2 dB, so i thought i'd be good. is it possible that it's not the fan bearings, but the vibrations against the wood? has anybody experimented with a rubber or foam seal between the wood and the fan?

any input is appreciated.

Care to back up your claims with evidence? Not very helpful otherwise.

Uh, OK.


That's what you wrote. In your world the power rating means nothing. Why?
Can you back this up with anything relevant?

First off, you still failed to provide any info about why you were refuting my claims. Seriously, we are here to learn, not to flame.

I can back that up by real world experience. I have a 450 watt PSU in my computer and if I give any of my components that much juice, they will fry; therefore, I conclude that my 450W PSU is not putting out anywhere near 450W. Power supplies are rated at their maximum current draw, not the RMS or average draw. If you have a 5v device, any 5v power supply will power it as long as it has a minimum rating equal to or greater than the device's required current draw.

I prefer to go by amperage must have something to do with those cheap flea market speakers, amps offering 1,000 watts of power. LOL.

I'm using 2 AC fans pulling out the back of open front cabinet shelf. With an attic fan thermostat. Comes on in a few minutes but I like that it keeps running for 10-20 minutes after I shut down.

OK i really need some help.

I have been using a 110v AC to 12v molex adapter to power some pc fans in my cabinet. THey have worked okay for over a year now (issues here and there) but now all of a sudden i am getting no fan spinning and a really high pitched noise from the fans. I know the power is working becasue i tried plugging the molex connector to onther fan i had lying around and its LEDs lit up but the noise was there and it didnt spin.

Please help! this is really bad because now none of my components are being cooled!!

The one i have appears to be this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-011-_-Product

and i am powering a bunch of these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-007-_-Product

I guess you don't understand that the load draws the power it requires from the supply...you don't "give" it 450Watts, it draws that if it needs it.


You stated this:


and I called you on it, you haven't responded to it, just gone off on an unrelated tangent.


The product of voltage and current is power.

Necessary??? Wasn't this a month ago...

Was that necessary?

Ha, yeah for real, a bit late.


That's exactly my point.... anyway, I don't really remember what you "called me out on" but like I said, if you'd like to provide us with some factual, educational info go right ahead.

The only point you've made is that you're extremely confused with basic electronics.

You're right, it's not like I'm an electrical engineer or...... oh wait. Yes, I am an electrical engineer. My bad!

Again,

hi all,
is it better to go with AC or DC?

i have an AC adaptor with variable voltage switch (3v-12v). i could buy a couple of AC fans, but they seem to be rated fairly loud (~40db) and more expensive than DC fans.
or i could get a DC pc psu for which would enable me to get a couple of pc case fans (~25db).

the obvious benefit of the ac route is i already have the adaptor and its overall cheaper, but possibly noisier.
the benefit of the dc route is i should be able to wire in some cathode tube lights i have at home. the minus is i'm just adding more heat and another fan to the set up.

what do you think?