Overheating Receiver Solution (1 Viewer)

[Yong Chan]

Just got my new Pioneer Elite VSX-72TXV Receiver. I placed it a cabinet that only has about 4 inches of clearance above the receiver. It is running a bit hot. My installers mentioned a heat fan that disperses the heat. Does anyone have an economical alternative? He quote about $400. I don't even know where to start on this.

Thanks

yc

 

[Chu Gai]

There's a few approaches you can take on this. One of course, is to buy a ready-made solution. There are some companies that make these kinds of products for car audio applications like this. However, I don't know if the noise would interfere with your listening. Another, pretty inexpensive solution would be for you to buy one or more computer fans like these.



They can be chained together and the power source would be nothing more than an inexpensive walwart. You can buy these fans in a number of colors, sizes, and noise levels. Since this is going to look a little hideous, you could make a frame for them to go into and then place the frame over the slotted vents in the receiver to draw out the air.

 

[BrianWoerndle]

The key to cooling is airflow. All you need is a place for air to come in on the front of the cabinet, and the fan pulling air out of the back of the cabinet. If you just place fans on top of the receiver inside the cabinet the heat will have nowhere to go.

 

[LanceJ]

When you say a "bit hot", for me that doesn't raise any mental warning flags. As long as you do what the receiver's manual says to do I wouldn't worry about it.* If heat worries you, remember that electronic components *can* be made to withstand a lot of heat if needed: the radio/CD player in your car is a great example. My Panasonic CD player lasted six years before it finally crapped out & Houston gets EXTREMELY hot.

If the receiver's fan outputs its load of hot air through the back of the receiver, I would make sure that hot air can exit through the back of the cabinet. And, 4" of top clearance sounds good to me.

I agree with Brian: if you don't put an external fan in just the right place, there is a good chance you could actually cause the receiver to get HOTTER. Air flow paths can be tricky to predict and I wouldn't second guess the receiver's designers.

* my Technics SA-DA8 receiver, like pretty much every Technics reciever made since the early 90s, runs very hot even when it is just idling. It uses a sort of hybrid Class A/Class A-B amp design so it naturally runs hot until its fan turns on about ten o'clock on the volume knob & then only when lots of bass is occurring. I can place my hand on top for only about 2-3 seconds before it gets extremely uncomfortable. But it gets used 4-8 hours/day, 7 days a week and it still works fine after four years of use this way.