[jacket_fan]

I bought an Adcom 5800 amp off Audiogon a while back. It has two fans. One of the fans has never worked since I have owned it. The second is going. Lots of vibration and noise.


The amp sits on an amp stand. Is well ventilated. No problems so far. I used to use it to power the mains, but since the purchase of another amp, it now powers the rears.


I am considering running the amp without fans. Any Adcom owners used their old amps with deactivated fans? I have read about the Pro amps and their owners either changing out fans or reducing the fan speed.


So is running this amp without fans a bad idea? Or should I try to replace them?

 

[jacket_fan]

A littile more info to questions I sent to Adcom:


Here is the response to an email...


_____________________________________________________


Hi Mark,


That would depend on the speakers you are driving and the levels at which you are driving them. If the amp goes into thermal protection; you would need the fans.


Regards,


Joanne Bender


Adcom LLC.


8541 East Anderson Drive, Ste. 101


Scottsdale, Arizona 85255




Phn: 480-607-2277


Fax: 480-348-9876




email: [email protected]

www.adcom.com






-----Original Message-----

From: Holmes, Mark J

Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2005 4:41 AM

To: Joanne Bender

Subject: Fans on 5800




I have a 5800 with one fan out and the other fan that is quite noisy. Lots of vibration.




A few questions. If I have the amp sitting on an amp stand with nothing around it, can I operate with no fans running?




If I need fans no matter how good the ventilation, do you have fans for a 5800 in stock?




Or what is a suitable replacement?



____________________________________________________


So I am assuming what she is telling me is that if it doesn't shut down I am OK. Somehow I don't feel comfortable knowing I am not operating the amp properly. If the designer did not think the amp needed some thermal protection, why add the fans. Am I being too cautious?

 

[Johnla]

No I do not think running with no fans is a good idea for that amp. You have one that is still running now but making noise, and when that one goes out the amp will only run even hotter than it does right not. Ask them if they will sell you a pair, they can't be that hard to change. My guess is that they will, but that it will also be around $100 or so for them. Or just look at them, measure their size and see if they have a voltage rating on them, it should not be too hard to find a substitute set of fans of some sort that could replace them.


I think you can use standard PC type 120mm x 120mm x 25m fans, but I am not sure if the Adcom uses 6, 9, or 12vdc fans. Even if they use the lower voltages, 12vdc fans should still work, but at a lower speed. But they would also be quieter, and even 2 at a lower speed would probably work and cool better, than your 1 noisy fan is working right now.

 

[Johnla]

No I do not think running with no fans is a good idea for that amp. You have one that is still running now but making noise, and when that one goes out the amp will only run even hotter than it does right not. Ask them if they will sell you a pair, they can't be that hard to change. My guess is that they will, but that it will also be around $100 or so for them. Or just look at them, measure their size and see if they have a voltage rating on them, it should not be too hard to find a substitute set of fans of some sort that could replace them.


I think you can use standard PC type 120mm x 120mm x 25m fans, but I am not sure if the Adcom uses 6, 9, or 12vdc fans. Even if they use the lower voltages, 12vdc fans should still work, but at a lower speed. But they would also be quieter, and even 2 at a lower speed would probably work and cool better, than your 1 noisy fan is working right now.

 

[weirton57]

Jacket-fan, I Don't think adcom has fans on there amps. The guy you bought your amp from added those fans to it. My adcom 5503 x200w has no fans, my 545II no fans, and my very old 555 no fans.


How are the fans hooked up? Are they inside or on the outside?

 

[Johnla]

Actually the 5800 does indeed appear to have 2 cooling fans, and he is not the only one who has had a question about them. And Adcom even told this person what is needed to replace them, which is a fan chassis for around $100.

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29601

 

[weirton57]

Boy was I wrong


I never heard of adcom putting fans in there amps before.


Learn something new everyday.


Happy Holidays Everyone


Bob

 

[jacket_fan]

Thanks for the link John,


There are two fans, and yes they look like two PC box fans. The deal is that one is dead and the other one still turns but is on its way out.


This is one brute of an amp and I do want to keep it. I think what I will do is remove them and shop around over the Christmas holidays and find out if I can find a suitable replacement. At least one with the same hole pattern. Not too sure how much help Adcom will be. Just another PIA thing you end up doing with this hobby that you have to make fun.

 

[jacket_fan]

The latest.


I took the fans out. Turned on the amp while the family and I watched "The Snata Clause 2". About half way through, we noticed some poping from the surround speakers. I ckecked out the amp, and the red thermal protection lights are on and the amp is hotter than a 2 dollar pistol. I push the on/off switch. The lights stay on. I pull the plug. The lights stay on. About two minutes later the lights finally go off.


I added pictures. I cut the wires to the fans since they were hard wired. Put electrical tape on the ends to prevent shorting.


Could the amps have gotten that hot just because the fan/fans were not running?


Remember these are running the surrounds.

 

[Johnla]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jacket_fan The latest. I took the fans out. Turned on the amp while the family and I watched "The Snata Clause 2". About half way through, we noticed some poping from the surround speakers. I ckecked out the amp, and the red thermal protection lights are on and the amp is hotter than a 2 dollar pistol. I push the on/off switch. The lights stay on. I pull the plug. The lights stay on. About two minutes later the lights finally go off.

Like I said, even though that one fan that was still running was noisy, it was also still cooling the amp. And you just proved that with no fans at all, running that amp is NOT a good thing to do.


Quote:

Originally Posted by jacket_fan Could the amps have gotten that hot just because the fan/fans were not running?

Yep!

 

[Johnla]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jacket_fan The latest. I took the fans out. Turned on the amp while the family and I watched "The Snata Clause 2". About half way through, we noticed some poping from the surround speakers. I ckecked out the amp, and the red thermal protection lights are on and the amp is hotter than a 2 dollar pistol. I push the on/off switch. The lights stay on. I pull the plug. The lights stay on. About two minutes later the lights finally go off. Could the amps have gotten that hot just because the fan/fans were not running?

Yep!


Like I said, even though that one fan that was still running was noisy, it was also still cooling the amp. And you just proved that with no fans at all, running that amp is NOT a good thing to do.