Cooling my receiver

[nasachusetts]

Hello,
I recently purchased a Harmon Kardon AVR 240 receiver. It gets very hot to the touch. I have it in sort of a tight fitting cabinet with about four inches of space for air to circulate on the top and the back is completely open. However the sides are completely blocked. I was wondering about purchasing usb cooling fans for my computer that I could place on top of the unit http://www.thermaltake.com/accessories/mobilefan/mobilefan2plus.htm. Would this work efficiently on cooling it down do you think? I am just a bit nervous that my receiver is going to overheat. Does anybody else have this problem with theirs or any advice on what to do would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[mtrycrafts]

Hello,
I recently purchased a Harmon Kardon AVR 240 receiver. It gets very hot to the touch. I have it in sort of a tight fitting cabinet with about four inches of space for air to circulate on the top and the back is completely open. However the sides are completely blocked. I was wondering about purchasing usb cooling fans for my computer that I could place on top of the unit http://www.thermaltake.com/accessories/mobilefan/mobilefan2plus.htm. Would this work efficiently on cooling it down do you think? I am just a bit nervous that my receiver is going to overheat. Does anybody else have this problem with theirs or any advice on what to do would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.


That should work, depending on its air volume capacity. Does the receiver have slots on the side of it? The air in the unit needs to go through it, not just over the top.
Will you be able to power it from a usb port?

[tomahawktim]

The vents are on the sides of the 240. nasachusetts, get that thing out of that cramped location asap! Heat is the enemy. Good ventilation is essential. Read your manual. There is a probably a warning there about proper location.

[nasachusetts]

The vents are on the sides of the 240. nasachusetts, get that thing out of that cramped location asap! Heat is the enemy. Good ventilation is essential. Read your manual. There is a probably a warning there about proper location.

Yes I hate having it in there but it is really the only spot for it. What about if I cut out some of the cabinet on the side of the receiver and then put a USB fan blowing air in and a fan at the top blowing out?
Look at these for example
http://img280.imageshack.us/img280/992/imgp00376ym.jpg
http://img414.imageshack.us/img414/192/imgp0038copy3in.jpg

[majorloser]

:eek: Is that an Atari system?

They make 120V rack fans that would be perfect for that. You could plug one into a switched outlet of the receiver (if it has one) so it would come on when the receiver is on.

Example: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102825&cp=&origkw=120vac+fan&kw=120vac+fan&parentPage=search

[nasachusetts]

:eek: Is that an Atari system?

Why yes it is.

They make 120V rack fans that would be perfect for that. You could plug one into a switched outlet of the receiver (if it has one) so it would come on when the receiver is on.

Example: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102825&cp=&origkw=120vac+fan&kw=120vac+fan&parentPage=search

Thanks I didn't know they had this stuff and I have 2 switched outlets on it so it would work out great.

[Miamienesex]

Might be a better idea for a new entertainment center.


Armando

[nasachusetts]

Might be a better idea for a new entertainment center.


Armando

That would require money, but feel free to donate money to me with paypal.

[Miamienesex]

That would require money, but feel free to donate money to me with paypal.


Yes it would but it would be less expensive than having to replace you AVR.


Armando

[majorloser]

You can pick those fans up for just a few bucks. No need to shop Radio Shack and pay too much. I bought a rack mounted unit with 3 - 5" 120VAC fans that I mounted under my amplifier. Use it with a fan dimmer switch to help keep the air moving through it in my closet. Picked it up through a surplus junk shop for about $20.

EDIT: BTW- my B&K 7270 amp can get so hot you could cook meat on it and it's not in a tight enclosure. Amps are supposed to get hot.

[rtcp]

Antec makes some good 12V PC case fans that are very quiet. In fact, the tri-cool fans have a small switch built in so you can reduce the speed/noise level to whatever suits.

Then just wire them in parallel to most any 12V wall adapter.
http://www.antec.com/Detail.bok?no=325

[nasachusetts]

Antec makes some good 12V PC case fans that are very quiet. In fact, the tri-cool fans have a small switch built in so you can reduce the speed/noise level to whatever suits.

Then just wire them in parallel to most any 12V wall adapter.
http://www.antec.com/Detail.bok?no=325

That would be the direction I would want to go in without spending a ton of money for fans. Is there an faq of how to wire that somewhere?

BTW- my B&K 7270 amp can get so hot you could cook meat on it and it's not in a tight enclosure. Amps are supposed to get hot.

So if I cut out a portion of the sides of the entertainment center would I even really need fans?

[rtcp]

The three pin connectors are red, black, and yellow. Red and black are +12 and ground, respectively. The yellow wire is for monitoring fan speed, if the fan was to be installed in a computer.
http://www.heatsink-guide.com/molexplug.gif
The four pin connector has yellow, black, black, and red. The firt two(yellow and black) are the +12 and ground.
http://www.heatsink-guide.com/psplug.gif

[majorloser]

That would be the direction I would want to go in without spending a ton of money for fans. Is there an faq of how to wire that somewhere? So if I cut out a portion of the sides of the entertainment center would I even really need fans?

The 12V fans are cheaper. But when you add the transformer/power supply the price can be about the same. The nice part about computer case fans is that ready made grills are easy to find and cheap. The other nice part is you're dealing with low voltage. Wires can be stapled in place with no problem.

Yes, it's not a bad idea to add a cooling fan. It's a cheap way to help remove heat build up. The heat may not effect the amp, but it can damage the surrounding.

[nasachusetts]

OK thanks everybody for all the advice! I guess what I'll just do for now is cut into or drill holes in the cabinet to at least have air going to the vents, and then look into getting some fans sometime soon.

[majorloser]

OK thanks everybody for all the advice! I guess what I'll just do for now is cut into or drill holes in the cabinet to at least have air going to the vents, and then look into getting some fans sometime soon.

A hole saw will make the cleanest hole. They even make hole grommets if you want a really clean look.

Just be sure to drill half way through one side then reverse and finish the hole through the other side. Particle board has a tendency to bust out if you don't.

Dave

[tomahawktim]

nasachusetts,
How about this? Go to your local hardware store, buy some glides (you know, like the ones for drawers), attach to the bottom of a slab of wood (you know, that piece laying around somewhere), and place avr 240 on slab.

If you've got an extra 12" of slack on your cables and power cord you can just slide that baby out and slide 'er back in. COST: a few bucks

Whaddaya' think? Better than creating sawdust in your entertainment unit?

[nasachusetts]

nasachusetts,
How about this? Go to your local hardware store, buy some glides (you know, like the ones for drawers), attach to the bottom of a slab of wood (you know, that piece laying around somewhere), and place avr 240 on slab.

If you've got an extra 12" of slack on your cables and power cord you can just slide that baby out and slide 'er back in. COST: a few bucks

Whaddaya' think? Better than creating sawdust in your entertainment unit?

Thats a good idea except I would have to order more wire and I have kids that would just end up tripping over it and breaking it. This entertainment center is old and will probably be replaced soon anyway so I don't mind cutting into it. I think it would be good just to get air in those side vents for now. I do plan on getting some fan circulation real soon though. Thanks once again.

[nasachusetts]

I think I found a suitable fan solution. I could get one of these http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16812195004, get an extension cable and run it through the back of my CPU, then just browse for some cheapie computer fans. Since my computer is always on and close to my receiver I think this could be my best bet.

[majorloser]

As long as the power supply in your computer is large enough to handle the extra 12V load.

A 12V "wall wart" may be a better choice if you choose to go the 12V route.

Heck, an old PC power supply would work. At least then the fans would run all the time with the computer. You really wouldn't want fans running all the time unless you want to clean the dust buildup out of the receiver every year.

[hemiram]

I used to have a fan set up like this when I had my stuff in a Sauder rack that was too close on the top and sides to let the receiver and external amp vent very well. I got a friend to cut slots in all the shelves about a foot long each every 1.5", running from front to back and under the top shelf, I used a 115v fan to "push" the hot air out. The amount of warm air that came out surprised me, I didn't think it would be nearly as much as it was.

This worked great, but every six months or so, I had to use a vaccuum cleaner inside the receiver to get all the cat hair out. I couldn't believe how much got inside it! The temp on the amp's heat sinks went down over 50 degrees by doing it. The whole deal cost me like 20 bucks.

[rtcp]

Oh, it's not a good idea to clean out electronics with a vacuum. It's best to use canned air so there's no risk of a static discharge.

[nasachusetts]

Could you blow the dust out without opening the receiver and voiding the warranty?

[majorloser]

Could you blow the dust out without opening the receiver and voiding the warranty?

I wouldn't recommend it. Compressed air can be damaging to delecate electronics. Besides, you want to remove the dust and dirt from the case, not drive it in deeper. Usually there's only a couple of screws to remove and there is no way the manufacturer will know unless there is some sort of tamper-proof tape or label. You can use those "cans of air" that contain no moisture, but a small vacuum and a soft paint brush work best.

Just be safe and unplug the unit first ;)

[rtcp]

Compressed air can be damaging to delecate electronics.
So can static discharge from the end of a vacuum cleaner. Besides, circuit boards aren't really all that delicate. Not when they're being bombarded with air, anyway. Having a few thousand volts run through them is a different story.

You'd have to take the cover off your receiver to clean it with canned air, though, but it's really not a good idea to bring the end of a vacuum cleaner near electronics.

[nasachusetts]

OK just finished cutting and drilling the cabinet, here is the pics.
http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/7264/imgp00470fy.jpg
http://img93.imageshack.us/img93/3729/imgp00548je.jpg

I think just having air getting through is helping out tremendously, though it still gets a little hot, it is not as bad as before. Still working on a fan solution.

[hemiram]

Oh, it's not a good idea to clean out electronics with a vacuum. It's best to use canned air so there's no risk of a static discharge.


I've been doing this for over 30 years without any problems. I don't go actually open up the case unless I have to for some other reason, and then I use a small attachment I made out of an aluminum tube to fit on the vacuum cleaner hose that actually has a ground wire on it, with a plug that is only connected to ground so it can be plugged in the wall to drain any charge off.

I found a hunk of alum tubing in a dumpster at work, and it just fits inside the vacuum hose and I spun it in a lathe and filed two grooves and glued an o-ring to each one, and it's a perfect seal. I partially crushed the end in a vise, and cut it off at 45 degrees to make a "nozzle".

It works, because the cat and dog hair just falls off the hose, instead of being stuck to it electrostatically. This may be overkill, as I went without this and just used the vac until about 2 years or so ago with no problems.

[hemiram]

OK just finished cutting and drilling the cabinet, here is the pics.
http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/7264/imgp00470fy.jpg
http://img93.imageshack.us/img93/3729/imgp00548je.jpg

I think just having air getting through is helping out tremendously, though it still gets a little hot, it is not as bad as before. Still working on a fan solution.


What you might want to do is drill some more holes above the receiver on both sides to let the heat out better.

Or, you might want to go to the hardware store and buy a hole saw that goes on your drill, and make a couple of holes above the receiver on each side, these would be the size of an average fan, like 3", and then put two fans on each side of the receiver, pulling air up through the side vents, and out the top. If you want to get cheap, just use one per side, it would be enough.

[rtcp]

I've been doing this for over 30 years without any problems. I don't go actually open up the case unless I have to for some other reason, and then I use a small attachment I made out of an aluminum tube to fit on the vacuum cleaner hose that actually has a ground wire on it, with a plug that is only connected to ground so it can be plugged in the wall to drain any charge off.

I found a hunk of alum tubing in a dumpster at work, and it just fits inside the vacuum hose and I spun it in a lathe and filed two grooves and glued an o-ring to each one, and it's a perfect seal. I partially crushed the end in a vise, and cut it off at 45 degrees to make a "nozzle".

It works, because the cat and dog hair just falls off the hose, instead of being stuck to it electrostatically. This may be overkill, as I went without this and just used the vac until about 2 years or so ago with no problems.

Well obviously that's quite safe. But most people won't take those precautions.