[kkelley]

All,


I am getting ready to do a little house keeping with my main system. I am planning on cleaning up my calbles and doing a fresh calibaration of all my components.


One thing that I have always known to be a potential issue (especially with the closed doors) is heat management.


Can you please take a look at my system (pics attached) and suggest some cost effective solutions to manage heat?


I am thinking that I could cut some holes inside and maybe vent through the bottom kick plates?


Ideas?




Thanks!

 

[DrewK]

You're smart to consider heat management because your equipment will get HOT if you don't ventilate those cabinets.


In my family room, my components are in an enclosed cabinet. At first I didn't do anything to vent them, and they would get pretty hot. Next I tried cutting vent holes in the top of the cabinet, since heat rises. That helped slightly but not that much. I installed a cooling fan next, and that did the trick. The temperature was about the same as having the components out in the open.


I bought my stuff from coolerguys.com. They have all kinds of solutions, including temperature activated fans.


So based on my experience, I would go with active ventilation (i.e., a fan) as opposed to just cutting additional holes in your cabinet. I would install the fan at the top of each cabinet and have it blow upwards. It will draw cool air from the gaps between your cabinet doors and cabinet. No need to make a hole in your kick plate.