Add Cooling Fan to A/V Cabinet - Page 3

BlueOtto,

I like your solution. I was wondering how you connected two fans to the one power source. Did you need a splitter (I didn't see it in the list above).

I would like to add 4 fans to the one power source. Would this be possible? OTherwise, I am fine to pick up two of these power supplies (2 fans per source).

Sorry I am a novice but would really like to know how these all hooked up. I'll be getting the usb to ide device soon.

Thanks in advance

The fans that I bought came with a 4-pin to 3-pin adapter, which looks like this one: http://www.cpu.com/product.php?ID=789&src=frgl

On the 4-pin to 3-pin adapter, it still gives you another 4-pin... so I just kind of daisy chain them together. You aren't limited to two.

I only had to make the small molex-pin switch mod to the very first one in the series.

Question regarding fans: Blow or suck air??
I have an HTPC, Power conditioner and Tivo unit in one closed cabinet. I put in two holes in the back, and connected one 92mm fan to suck air out of the back of the cabinet, and another on the other side of the back to blow into the cabinet. Since the HTPC is on all the time, I think I will run these 24/7, but would it be better to:
1. put in the fans in "blow-in" mode
2. Keep the fans as is.
3. Cut out the whole back of the cabinet (18" wide x 12" high hole) and just mount the fans to the shelf in back of the equipment?

I, personally, have this set this up thusly. One fan is on the bottom of my cabinet pulling in from the front and out toward the back. Another is near the top mounted on the back wall of the cabinet venting out. The only real problem I get is the dust on the front of all my equipment from the pull in around the cabinet doors. All the equipment stays reasonably cool. The fans are connected to a simple heat-activated circuit with a couple of sensors placed on the hottest spots of the hottest equipment.

dscimager,
What type of heat-activated circuit are u using, and how do you set them up with sensors?

Check out this thread



My original setup is still going strong and works fine for a DIY...

Parasound makes a half rack sized cooling fan called the Zbreeze for 200.00. It's really only good for placing on top of a hot component to help reduce the heat,not for cooling the whole rack. Set on high speed the CFM is 70. As you stated "I'm not to savy with electricity", so maybe this will help you.

A company called Cool Components makes something very similar to the Parasound Zbreeze with their CP-CC-101, but it's priced at about 1/2 the price of the Zbreeze. Plus they also have other coolers, and they also offer thermal control options for them. And most of their cooler products are also available through partsexpress.com for good prices as well.


http://www.cool-components.com/m6_view_item.html

http://www.cool-components.com/34.html?sm=17377

Looks pretty good, but at quick glance I didn't see any specs. By the way, I would not place any of my components in an enclosed cabinet that would cause poor air circulation. For example,my 5 channel amp is placed on a bottom shelf of a wood cabinet with two wood doors, but when the system is on I open the doors and there is about 10 inches of air space above it.

http://www.cool-components.com/uploa...-CC-101%29.pdf

And as per partsexpress.com

"The CC101 set-top, dual fan unit aggressively circulates and moves air away from equipment protecting it from heat and thermal shutdown. Designed for amplifiers and receivers it is constructed from heavy gauge steel for a great look, but the steel also acts as a large heat sink increasing the efficiency of the unit. Two high-quality levitation blowers (brushless with a special bearing system) are mounted on floating gaskets to eliminate noise. It operates on DC voltage and by adjusting the voltage the unit can be run silent or more aggressively depending on the application. Available in two models: a "Standard" version for normal heat issues and a "High Velocity" model for extreme heat applications. Use the CA-TR-100 power supply # 305-305.

Specifications: *Enclosure: Heavy gauge steel *Fan: 2 brushless levitation blowers with a special bearing system *Air flow: 8 CFM max *Noise: ~28 dB max *Power connection: 2.1mm jack (center pin positive) *Voltage: 7 to 12 VDC *Current: 80 mA max *Power consumption: 1W max *Dimensions: 6-1/4" W x 1" H x 4" D.

* Dual fans
* Quiet and efficient operation
* Low profile allows placement in tight spaces
* Quick and easy installation
* Necessary for any equipment rack
* Affordable cooling system
* Uses a variable voltage power supply to adjust fan speed"


And some info on their new CP-CC-102

http://www.cool-components.com/uploa...-CC-102%29.pdf

And some application charts with CFM ratings

http://www.cool-components.com/uploa...ng%20Scale.pdf

I am still having cooling problems with a A-TechFabrication HTPC in a cabinet (along with DTR and power protection). It already has a 92mm DC PC fan in the back left side blowing air in , and one on the right side sucking out. There is not that much air movement though. I want to add another 92mm DC fan right above or on top of the PC (It has a top that is comprised of ALL ventilating holes). Should I put the fan in an orientation to blow air into the PC or suck warm air out? The PC uses heat tubes instead of fans for the video card and CPU.

It depends on what you want to cool, the cabinet or the PC. As you are aware, heat pipes need airflow over them or else they are useless.
Having a fan feed the PC with fresh air will lower the PCs temps (video/CPU) but that air vents into the cabinet.
Having the fan suck out will lower the ambient temp inside the cabinet for the other components.

You really have nothing to lose by experimenting both ways; just record the temps and choose.

I ran across this site, called Cooler Guys. It is really a PC cooling site, but it has a section for home theater cooling...and it has virtually everything that folks mention above in this thread and it looks like they've figured out all the adapters, etc., needed. http://www.coolerguys.com/ho.html#top.

The sound specs on those AC fans ar appallingly loud AND they are not easily speed adjustable. Stick with a variable output voltage A/C->DC adapter and a silent PC fan. I personally would want well under 22 dB with any size fan I chose.

The fan I was looking at on the page is 8.7db...
http://www.coolerguys.com/sff21.html

I built my own cabinet with tinted glasses and installed fans at the bottom of the side cabinets believing that (1) the coldest air comes from the lowest point, (2) I can more quickly pull in cooler air from the bottom vs installing it as an exhaust since the exhaust method requires time for the air to circulate and (3) many av equipment already have fans serving as an exhaust.

I bought 3" 12VDC fans from Radio Shack and they are loud, I believe 29db. Though I have yet to see dust intake, I might have to by a screen to minimize it. The fan is plugged into the wall and controlled by a light switch. I might have to upgrade to the quieter fans mentioned here.

However, I have an OT question: Where can I buy sturdy screens for the back of the cabinet; similar to the circular mesh screens on the Salamanders? I'd prefer a diamond shape rather than circular, but I'd take anything at this point. I thought about buying window screens, but they are flimsy and look cheap.

Wish I would have found this earlier! I used two 110v radio shack 3" fans in the back of my cabinet with a lamp dimmer to control the speed. At full blast, they are really noticeable, at half speed, not too bad. 12 volt would definitely be the way to go....

Try McNichols, they should have something that'll work for you...

You can find some similar things in what's commonly called 'expanded metal' in most home building centers like Home Depot, Lowes or Menards. If you look in the areas where they usually also sell small 3'-4' lengths of steel such as flat steel and angle iron and bar stock. Where they also usually have a selection of sheet steel and aluminum, and where many times they also have a small selection of both perforated and expanded versions of sheet metals also. Also take a look in the heating and cooling supply area. Because there are many decorative heating and cooling vents and grids, that would probably work as well. In where you could just cut out the center for the piece you need.

Perfect - thanks.

Anyone tried the cabinet and home theater coolers from this site?

http://www.buyextras.com/cacoso.html...FQkaHgodi1Tykg

Just wondering what people thought. I'm looking to add some cooling to my closed A/V cabinet. It includes Comcast cable box, receiver, DVD, 2 ReplayTVs, and a Media MVP. I'm planning on finally upgrading the hard drive in one of the ReplayTVs and I'm concerned about overheating.

I don't want to break the bank in a solution, but I also want to settle on a solution that will work. The Triktags.com solution is intriguing for the price at around $70 bucks.

Of course, noise is the biggest concern, I want something quiet!

Thanks!

I have 2 Thermaltake USB adjustible speed fans that I bought on Amazon.com and they do a good job of cooling my components and PS3.

Or...http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l3/g36/...ans-Page1.html

I know there are plenty DIY projects I could get myself into to play around and get everything working at an affordable rate. However, I'm not very patient nor skilled in these areas (please don't make fun of me!).

That said, I was thinking of the following items. I'm getting a Salamander Synergy series triple stand and it will house an Onkyo receiver, an HD DVD player, a PS3 and a traditional DVD player. The HD cable box, will be in the middle, somewhat "out in the open", so I"m not too concerned with it. The front doors of the cabinet are grated, and the top-center will have open sides for air to escape as well. One of the back panels is the "extended" panel which, if the picture online is accurate, has some venting in it as well.

PS3 cooling:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1168044005667

Onkyo receiver cooling:
http://www.cool-components.com/m6_vi...item=CP-CP-101

Fans blowing out (one on each side of the unit - one side will have the Onkyo and HD DVD player, the other side will have the PS3 and the normal DVD player):
http://www.cool-components.com/m6_vi...m=CP-VP-101BLK

2 questions (for now):
1) does this seem to be a good setup to keep the inside of the cabinet cool (or "cool enough")?
2) is it a "problem" to have the air blowing straight out from the back of the entertainment center and essentially blowing against the wall? Is there a better alternative?

THANKS!

I bought a second hand AV server cabinet for $200. About 4 feet tall, black lexan door that uses standard 19" rackmount shelves and accessories. It was fitted with 2 120mm x 38mm 110v fans at the top. I bought a vented shelf to put the amplifier on at the top and replaced the 110v fans with quieter 12v 120mm fans and run them off a small computer PS that is plugged into the amps switched outlet so the fans only run when the amplifier is on. The floor of the cabinet is open and near the AC vent so works pretty good for now.

I mounted a 120mm DC fan in the back of mine and it only turns on when you turn the amp on. 80mm is going to annoyingly loud if you wish to move any air.

I'm thinking about a DIY cooling project for my entertainment center. Looked at all these posts and got some great ideas, but as I am not well versed in electrical endeavors, I need some expertise.

This is what I know (or think I know):

• I want to install one inflow and one exhaust fan (so, 2 fans total) in the back of my entertainment center.

• I want to use 2 of the "Scythe S-FLEX (SFF21D) (SFF21E) (SFF21F) 120mm Dynamic Fluid Bearing Fan Nearly Inaudible" fans, http://www.coolerguys.com/sff21.html.
  I want to use Mechatronics fan mounts (http://www.coolerguys.com/840556081456.html) for each fan.

• I **THINK** I need this AC adapter: http://www.coolerguys.com/840556029977.html

So, my questions are:

• How do I wire the two fans to the single AC adapter? Is there a splitter or something that connects the two fans together AND to the AC adapter?

• IMPORTANT - I want the fans to use a thermostat, one that either turns them on when the temperature reaches 80-85 degrees, or one that gradually increases fan speed as the temperature increases. Is there a simple thermostat I can install? Alternatively, can I use a cheap digital thermostat from Home Depot and wire it into the wire between the AC adapter and the fans?

Appreciate your advice. Please be specific, as again I am not an expert.

Thank you,

Paul M.

The fans attach in parallel; use ANY off the shelf molex splitter ("Y Cable") such as this one:
http://www.coolerguys.com/840556000662.html

Honestly, I don't know why you don't just let the fans run all the time. Especially if they truly are that quiet. At 8dba you shouldn't hear them at all.

I use one exhaust fan undervolted (via variable ac->dc adapter); you would be surprised what just a little bit of airflow will accomplish.

Most components (Ie. DVR, Receiver) have a controllable outlet on the back of them; if you plug the power brick into them you can have the fans turn on and off automatically with them if you really want to.

I used a 120mm computer fan and put a 1/4" rubber foot on each corner of the fan and then set it on top of the amp blowing up and connected it with a wall wart to the switched output on the amp so it comes on with the amp. Never gets hot or even warm really.

i'm looking to setup something in my armoire since the Moto STB i have runs fairly hot. (the boxes internal fan kicks in and is annoyingly loud)

what's the rule of thumb concerning fan size and air movement?

small fan, high speed, = air movement, but loud?

larger fan, lower speed = same air movement as smaller fan, but quieter?

would a 92mm be a compromise between having quiet giants and small noise makers?

the artic cooling fans from newegg look appealing due to price and performance.

additionally, the reason my STB is getting so hot is that i have about 1.5 inches of air space about it and it's on the top rack. i can gain about .25" of air space if i swap it with the dvd player below it. would it be worth it?