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Cabinet ventilation


JakeJones

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My components are stacked on individual shelves in an enclosed bookcase-type cabinet. I've cut some ventilation holes in the back and thru the shelves to get a little air movement, but I'm concerned about heat build-up from my receiver when the cabinet's glass door is closed. My kids have a bad habit of leaving the receiver on when they go to bed.

How much heat does it take to become a problem for component performance? Is gravity ventilation sufficient, and if so, what kind of openings (size, location, etc.) work best? Does anyone have any experience with powered fans? Is noise a problem?

So many questions...

Jake

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You should check the specs on your equipment. I'd think that 110 degrees F would not be a problem in any event.

You might get dial type thermometer. I see them at hardware stores. You could place it in there on the top shelf to test the temp with the doors closed.

It is difficult to give an answer on vent size. A two or three inch hole saw from Home Depot on a drill would certainly be a good tool. Vents at the top and bottom might set up a chimney effect.

Gil

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The fan idea is a strong possibility, but I'm concerned about the noise. The quietest fan I've seen is about 35dBA. I don't know if this is so loud that it might be a problem at low listening levels. Right now, I'm leaning toward cutting a few more holes in strategic locations and using the chimney effect.

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You might want to check out Raxxess or BGW for a few models of fans.

Good luck,

------------------

Tom

KLF-20 Mahogany (Cornell Hotwired)

McIntosh C33 Preamp

McIntosh MVP-841 CD/DVD

Rotel RB-1080 Amp

Yamaha PF-800 Turntable/ Sure V15 Type V Cartridge

Ortofon VMS-30 mkII Cartridge

Stanton 999SS Cartridge

Yamaha K-1020 Cassette

dbx 1231 EQ

H.H. Scott 830z Analyzer

Monster Interlink 400mk II

Monster Interlink 300mk II

Monster Video 2 (DVD to TV)

Monster Power HTS-5000

MIT Terminator 2 Bi-Wire Speaker cables (and I do mean CABLES)

Studio Tech U-48RW Cabinet

Vibrapods

Enough empty boxes for a fire hazard!

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Another thing to consider when hooking up electric fans is that they tend to generate line noise back into your AC lines. This can result in some 'hum' or 'buzz' in your amp if the AC line is unfiltered. This may be insignificant for the small fan size you are talking about, though.

Mace

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I bought some fans from www.allelectronics.com that have a thermistor built-in so these fans spin slower when the air temp isn't too hot. I'm having a custom entertainment center made so I haven't yet installed them but they should do the trick without producing too much noise. I also thought about the noise they might induce in the AC lines, but I have a 1800W Tripplite Line Conditioner and will have the fans on a separate isolated circuit.

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