Cabinet Fan for Receiver... (1 Viewer)

[Johnal]

Hey Everyone,
I recently purchased a new tv stand that could hold my hk7200 (damn thing is so big) and I am still thinking it's running a tad warm. I gave it 6.5 inches between the shelf directly above it and about an inch on each side while I didn't even put the backing on the stand when I put it together. The sides are still cool to the touch, but the top gets pretty warm by the end of a movie. I was wondering if anyone could suggest a way to install a little silent fan in there. Maybe like the ones in my PC...although...those little buggers can be noisy. I guess the problem would be finding a power source...anyway...you get the point. Thanks in advance for any suggestions/comments.

-Johnal

 

[Wayne Ernst]

The power source should not be too hard to find - any 12V DC adapter should be OK at providing the power for the cooling fan.

Finally, one of the quietest fans on the market is the Panaflo 80" x 25" mm cooling fan. Designed as a cooling fan for computers, it is a favorite of PC builders who desire quiet computers.

Here's a link to the Panaflo fans at a great price from a vendor who doesn't charge too much for shipping either:

BG Micro

 

[Johnal]

Can you post a link to what the adapter should be like? I went to a local store to pick up one of the more quiet fan and the guy told me there was no such adapter made so I could plug it in...he said it's strictly for PC hook up. Grr...


-Johnal

 

[Mark Shannon]

Johnal, I had that problem too, but luckily, found a way around it.

I bought two silent 80mm PC fans, and removed all but the require power wires (red and black, usually). I then bought a universal varible voltage power adapter (AC-->DC, I beleive) with voltages from 1.5v to 12v(what most PC fans run on). I then stripped the power cables coming out of the voltage adapter, and wired them correspondingly to the two fans (in series) using their own power cables.

If I had webspace, I would upload my pictures, but nonetheless, it's really not THAT difficult to pull off...

 

[Ernest Yee]

If it's warm to the touch, it should be fine. Why install fans when it's not necessary?

"Silent" fans still make noise.

 

[Johnal]

Well...how will I be able to tell when its being "Warm" has gotten "too warm"?

 

[Johnal]

I finally got a few pictures of my set up...so... I'll try and post one first to see if I'm doing it right.

-Johnal

 

[Wayne Ernst]

Johnal,

I know from owning the AVR-7200 that things can get a little warm in a cabinet. If you follow the suggested clearance guidelines from Harman Kardon, the ventilation around the receiver should be fine. However, I can understand your desire to keep things a bit cooler.

In regards to a voltage adapter, go to Radio Shack and pick up an adapter than can provide a 12V DC supply of power. Connect the positive (+) side of the wire to your positive connector on the cooling fan. Do the same thing for the negative connector. You will need to cut the wires on both the cooling fan and the adapter in order to connect them. You might want to solder the connections to keep them solid and then apply some heat shrink tube over the connections to keep things from shorting out. The adapter that I'm thinking of usually only runs $10 - $12. Wal-Mart should have them too in the electronics section.

 

[Johnal]

Here is another picture. This is of the inside. There is plenty of space on top, but the sides have about an inch to each side. The sides are still cool though. Thanks so far for the suggestions... I will try getting a fan tommorrow with the adapter.

 

[Nathan W.]

Remember that something just 10 degrees above our body temp will feel really warm, but since electronics don't perceive temp changes the way we do they don't get worried about it.

Most receivers don't have fans because they're not needed and you can bet there are countless installations that are far less ideal than yours with very little room for heat dissipation. It's not like your unit is going to go into meltdown without forced ventilation. It would be a very poor product if it required additional end user ventilation.

Unless you're driving multiple sets of speakers off of the same terminals, you'll be fine.

 

[Johnal]

You're probably right Nathan... I guess I'm just a little paranoid after spending what to me is a lot of money. You can't tell from the pictures, but I didn't even put the back panel on the TV stand when I put it together. I'm sure if I left the front doors open while using the receiver for extended periods of time I should be fine. Thanks!

-Johnal

 

[Mort Corey]

If you decide to go with a fan, I'd suggest a 120mm fan to move enough air to make a difference. The 80mm Panaflo fans only move 24cfm and are pretty noisey at 21db. SilenX makes 12 volt fans that move about twice the air at half the noise. I ended up using one of there models and replacing a 110 volt NMB fan that was rated at 24db that sounded like a washing machine in the cabinet, though seemed really quiet outside.....go figure.

You can buy 12volt adapters but I founds a few in my spare junk box from ?????? stuff long since gone. With the nifty ones from the Shack, you could vary the voltage and run the fan faster of slower....more and less air movement....more and less noise. I cannot hear the fan in my cabinet unless it's dead quiet and I stick my head right near its location....just the way I like it

Mort (who's a frim believer that heat is not your friend if you're electronic in nature)

 

[Johnal]

Hey Mort,
Those fans look pretty good from what I can see. Is there anyway you could post a pic of your set up and how you installed yours?


-Johnal

 

[Mort Corey]

Hi Johnal,

No pictures, but it was pretty simple. I cut a hole in the back panel of my cabinet the OD of the fan itself. That leaves enough room to screw the fan flanges to the panel. The fan can be mounted inside or outside the panel depending on how much room is inside and how much room you want to have between the cabinet and the rear wall. Even at 11db, I could still hear the fan so I remounted it with rubber grommets between the fan housing and panel (I think the grommets were some kind of sink valve washers) and everything became dead quiet (well, close enough)

The SilenX fans come with molex connectors (computer type plugs) and by splicing one end to the transformer wires and the other to the supplied connecters, I can plug and unplug the fan from the transformer allowing easier access and routing configurations (I can either plug the transformer into the wall, my surge protetor or the back of the receiver)

In your setup (if it were me anyway) I'd mount it behind the receiver with the fan drawing air from the front and venting out the rear. It'd be out of sight and draw cooler outside air over (and to the sides) the unit.

Mort

 

[JoanPablo_T]

try these guys, they are rather good.

www.activethermal.com

jp

 

[John Tami]

Johnal....

After my old JVC 2ch receiver burnt up drivers twice...I finally added a fan to my cabinet and have not had a problem since doing it 5yrs ago.

I used a 80mm PC 12v fan....mounted to the back of the cabinet to exit the air out back. I got a 3-12v (something like that) Adjustable transformer from Target or Frys, forget which...a mini brick type unit, and plugged it into the switched 120AC on the receiver. (so it only comes on when the receiver does) Then I adjusted the voltage to the fan until I could no longer hear it....about 6v I think. Works great. Cost me $15 and maybe an hour to do.

Seeing where you live I know you know where both Target and Frys are!

 

[Johnal]

There is a good chance that I will probably go for a fan in the near future, however I don't have the back panel on my TV stand because I knew I would be worried about ventilation . I need to come up with a creative way to prop up a fan near the back of the unit. I'm not sure how propping it up would differ in the amount of noise the fan would make though.

This may be a really dumb question, but which way works best? Having the warm air pulled out of the TV stand and blowing it out...or having cool air pulled in and blowing it into the enclosure?

-Johnal

 

[Mort Corey]

Sucking hot air out would work best (IMO) but if you don't have a back on your cabinet I'd not worry at all....it looks like you've got plenty of space around the receiver for air flow.

 

[Drew_W]

Yeah, there's definately enough space. My Elite 53TX has less room than that, and it does get warm after a 2 hour movie, but it's then shut off, and the basement is rather cool usually anyways.

I do close the glass on my TV stand as well when I watch movies, then open it up again just to let things cool down. It's a function of how hard you drive your receiver (i.e. the harder it's driven, the hotter it gets), how long it stays on, and the ambient temperature in the room. I don't think there's any need for a fan unless you have a lot of hot (not warm) building up.

 

[NickScott]

Hey, I have roughly the same stand as you, but my gear is packed WAY tighter than yours. I have (top to bottom) HK AVR-630, 6mm glass shelf, Denon DVD-5900, Monster Power HTS-3500 MK2. I have 1 1/8" above my receiver and 3/8" above my dvd player. I know that I should have WAY more space between my gear but I have NO room to place my gear anywheres else.
Anyways, I just mounted 2 fans in my stand this past weekend and heres my deal. Both fans are running at 7.5V(from a multi adaptor), blowing air into the stand and are placed on both sides of my stand. I have mounted 2 screws above each fan and then the fans are hung by elastics. Everything else I have used to mount the fans have created plenty of noise.
Now my receiver runs warm/cool and my dvd player is also running cooler. It seems that the exhaust air is being blowen out of the front top of the stand.

I bought my fans from the computer store and on the boxes they claimed the db noise. So I bought the quietest fans, and I dont hear a thing.
Good Luck,

Scott.