Enclosed cabinet and cooling options

[Goliath]

I've decided I want a custom designed cabinet which is enclosed, to give that minimalistic clean look. No handles, just clean lines.

Now the first thing which worries me is the heat. Basically the back of the cabinet will be left option, but I doubt that will offer much in the way of ventilation.

I'm going to be putting in a Marantz SR-6008 receiver with a Blu-ray player and satellite decoder. It's a big cabinet 1.5 meter long and about 540mm high. So there is ample room for everything, plus for adding new components in the future.

I'm going to be discussing final design touches with my carpenter on Monday. If any of you guys have enclosed cabinets and can impart some advice for me I would really appreciate it, as this is new territory for me.

I believe I could install fans, but then I would need to know how that works. I wasn't planning on making holes on the top of the cabinet as I want that clean look, so what are my options? Any advice or tips would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Goliath]

While not exactly the same, the cabinet design is similar to this :

Image on the far right with the 4 doors. The cabinet will be made of solid oak.

 

[Swerd]

There are two approaches to this, passive ventilation or fans. Both can work.

The most important thing to remember is that hot air naturally rises. The cabinet must not trap hot air, nor should it block fresh air from entering.

If I understand what you are planning, your new cabinet will be closed on the top and sides, with doors in front. Keep the back as open as possible and place the back of the cabinet at least 2 inches (5 cm) away from the wall behind them. If you keep the door open, you will have an open path for hot air to escape and fresh air to enter.

Another important thing is to know how hot your electronic gear gets while in use. How do you store your gear now? Do they get noticeably hot as you now have them or do they become only lukewarm? Some gear generates more heat than others, so that may be the deciding factor on whether you must add fans.

In summary, design your cabinets to allow the most possible passive ventilation, and design them to allow the addition of one or two large diameter fans, as large as 150 (?) mm. Larger fans such as these can move more air at slower quieter speeds than the smaller fans typically seen in computer chassis. You can mount them near the top of the cabinet's back.

My own setup works well with passive ventilation. There are others here who know more details than I do about which fans to use. I hope they can also help.

 

[Goliath]

If I understand what you are planning, your new cabinet will be closed on the top and sides, with doors in front. Keep the back as open as possible and place the back of the cabinet at least 2 inches (5 cm) away from the wall behind them. If you keep the door open, you will have an open path for hot air to escape and fresh air to enter.

Yes, the idea was to have closed sides and front. The rear end would be open. I could place the cabinet a few cm away from the wall, which I would probably have to do for cabling anyway, so that can be done. But I imagine I would still need fans installed, or just leaving it as is would suffice?

I could ask my carpenter to make slat-type holes in the bottom of the cabinet, where the equipment will be, but I doubt that would do any good.

Edit : perhaps I could make slat-type holes in the top of the cabinet towards the back. Then I just have to place the receiver towards the back of the cabinet, so the heat rises. I'll have a center speaker on the cabinet (Paradigm CC690 which is massive), but that will be towards the front edge of the cabinet, so the holes won't be visible.

Just a thought, might work.

Another important thing is to know how hot your electronic gear gets while in use. How do you store your gear now? Do they get noticeably hot as you now have them or do they become only lukewarm?

I have no idea. My equipment is still in their boxes. I'm moving next month into my new place. However what I can tell you is that I won't be blasting music or watching movies at very loud SPL, at least not on a consistent basis. Most of the time the levels on average will be 65-70 dB.

 

[Swerd]

Yes, the idea was to have closed sides and front. The rear end would be open. I could place the cabinet a few cm away from the wall, which I would probably have to do for cabling anyway, so that can be done. But I imagine I would still need fans installed, or just leaving it as is would suffice?

I have no idea. My equipment is still in their boxes. I'm moving next month into my new place. However what I can tell you is that I won't be blasting music or watching movies at very loud SPL, at least not on a consistent basis. Most of the time the levels on average will be 65-70 dB.

My own experience with three different receivers and also a separate 2-channel amplifier is that passive ventilation is sufficient.

Because you are having new cabinets built, it will be a good idea to have the cabinet maker build in a partial panel near the top of the rear side of the cabinet. The panel need only be strong enough to allow you to mount one or two fans at a later time, if you need them. Often thin plywood or masonite board (also called press board) is good enough for this.

Edit: Have the cabinet maker build a thin rear panel that covers the entire rear of the cabinet, but is held in only by screws so that it's removable . Have him cut two holes for fans near the top of this panel. This way, you can try passive ventilation with an entirely open rear, or mount fans at a later time. Be sure to install fans so they pull hot air out of the cabinet interior.

Others here (I'm thinking of fuzz092888) has done this and has identified inexpensive variable speed large diameter fans that you can easily mount at a later time. I can't remember which thread on AH has that info. It is likely in the Amps & AVR section.

 

[Swerd]

I could ask my carpenter to make slat-type holes in the bottom of the cabinet, where the equipment will be, but I doubt that would do any good.

Edit : perhaps I could make slat-type holes in the top of the cabinet towards the back. Then I just have to place the receiver towards the back of the cabinet, so the heat rises. I'll have a center speaker on the cabinet (Paradigm CC690 which is massive), but that will be towards the front edge of the cabinet, so the holes won't be visible.

That might work, but slats could also spoil the smooth surface of the cabinet top. I think there might also be a tendency to make those slats small to keep them less visible, and then hot air could be trapped.

There is also the possibility that some one might inadvertently cover up the slats. I'd avoid slats on top.

If the door is open in front, and the back is open and not directly up against the rear wall, there should be enough air moving through the cabinet to let the hot air out, with or without fan assistance.

 

[Goliath]

If the door is open in front, and the back is open and not directly up against the rear wall, there should be enough air moving through the cabinet to let the hot air out, with or without fan assistance.

The door won't be open in front. It will be closed. I'll have two doors. Both can open, but the idea is to have the cabinet closed. So the front doors will be closed, as well as the sides. The only part of the cabinet that will remain open is the rear.

 

[Swerd]

The door won't be open in front. It will be closed. I'll have two doors. Both can open, but the idea is to have the cabinet closed. So the front doors will be closed, as well as the sides. The only part of the cabinet that will remain open is the rear.

All my prior thinking was with a front door that remains open during operation.

My first reaction is that keeping the front door closed is not a good idea. I doubt if one or two 5 or 6 inch fans will be enough to prevent that cabinet from becoming a heat trap. Two large openings on opposite sides are required to allow hot air to escape and cool fresh air to enter the cabinet. A large opening on only one side of the cabinet will probably not work.

Have you thought about how a remote control can work through a wooden door?

I would not recommend keeping the door closed, no matter how many fans are used.

 

[fuzz092888]

There are a ton of options out there for fans, but generally speaking the bigger the fan the slower it has to spin to move the same amount of air as a smaller fan moving at a faster speed which equates to a quieter fan as well.

Here is a pretty big fan which has a built in switch to control the speed. Even on high I don't find it all that loud but YMMV.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000V6FKGM/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

Pair a few of those with some temperature controllers and power supplies from these guys and you've got a nearly set it and forget it system.

http://www.coolerguys.com

 

[Adam]

Goliath, how would you feel about having the front doors not seal against the main cabinet? They'd still be closed (and look closed), but you'd have gaps around the perimeters of the doors to let air in.

 

[fuzz092888]

Goliath, how would you feel about having the front doors not seal against the main cabinet? They'd still be closed (and look closed), but you'd have gaps around the perimeters of the doors to let air in.

If you go the fan route, it would actually help to have the front doors sealed.

 

[Steve81]

I believe I could install fans, but then I would need to know how that works. I wasn't planning on making holes on the top of the cabinet as I want that clean look, so what are my options? Any advice or tips would be appreciated. Thanks!

Hi Goliath,

I had a custom cabinet built a while back, though a bit different design. My doors use a perforated metal screen which allow considerable airflow as well as remote control operation. On the downside, component noise is more apparent (amp buzz & disc players). I also have a metal screen on the rear panel towards the top, again for cooling purposes. There's also a good chunk of space between the shelves. All put together, passive cooling would work just fine for my setup, though I still have a fan or two for good measure.

 

[Swerd]

I had a custom cabinet built a while back, though a bit different design. My doors use a perforated metal screen which allow considerable airflow as well as remote control operation. On the downside, component noise is more apparent (amp buzz & disc players). I also have a metal screen on the rear panel towards the top, again for cooling purposes. There's also a good chunk of space between the shelves. All put together, passive cooling would work just fine for my setup, though I still have a fan or two for good measure.

This could work if reproduced proportionally.

How wide and deep are your shelves, and what are the dimensions of the metal screens?

 

[Steve81]

This could work if reproduced proportionally.

How wide and deep are your shelves, and what are the dimensions of the metal screens?

The shelves are 38"W x 22"D; the screens on the front doors are each 21.5"H x 12.5"W, with the screen on the rear being 36"W x 4"H. Also, the whole cabinet is 32"H, with 2 adjustable height shelves.

 

[Goliath]

All my prior thinking was with a front door that remains open during operation.

My first reaction is that keeping the front door closed is not a good idea. I doubt if one or two 5 or 6 inch fans will be enough to prevent that cabinet from becoming a heat trap. Two large openings on opposite sides are required to allow hot air to escape and cool fresh air to enter the cabinet. A large opening on only one side of the cabinet will probably not work.p

So you think making some holes on the bottom panel of the cabinet where the equipment is, won't help? And keeping the back panel off and keeping it 4-5cm away from the back wall?

Have you thought about how a remote control can work through a wooden door?

I was going to use an infrared repeater.

I would not recommend keeping the door closed, no matter how many fans are used.

This is disappointing. I really want that clean look where you don't see the equipment.

 

[Ponzio]

Goliath ... not to get personal but are you based in the USA?

From the photo you put up, it looks very similar to my Standout Designs unit.
82 TV Stand | Haven 82-inch Wide Solid Wood Media Console - Standout

They're based in Harrisburg, PA and you might consider purchasing one of their models. Everything that everyone here is recommending you do is built in (fans, strategically placed vents throughout, passive glass (smoked glass is optional & would hide your components) or metal mesh doors, etc.) and tons of other options. Now here is the part you're not going to like ... it's very expensive, $2.8K and up and let's not forget shipping. I was very fortunate to get mine for $1K used but that's extremely rare.

Like everyone here says, sooner or later; what's your budget?

 

[Goliath]

I'm not based in the USA. I basically saw the design on the internet and wanted something similar. I like the clean lines of the cabinet. My carpenter said he can build it, but as for passive cooling advice, that's where I was hoping you could offer some advice.

The unit shown in your link is with open doors and with a compartment for the center. The look I'm going for is closed doors so it looks like a piece of wooden furniture showing no electronics. I want it to be hidden from sight. That's what I want.

My problem is passive cooling. Based on what has been said and what I'm able to do, I don't know if that would be sufficient or not. I have the budget to have the cabinet made, my problem isn't budget, it's knowledge on passive cooling.

 

[Ponzio]

But how are you going to resolve the remote RF issue with solid wood doors? Ventilation can be aided by a combination of passive vents strategically placed in the rear & the shelves and 2 fans per section of the unit, at the top of the rear panel.

I'm stepping out for a sec ...

 

[Goliath]

Infrared repeater will be used to control the equipment. The rear of the cabinet will be completely open. I'll have +- 5-7 cm of space away from the wall. The cabinet will be on casters, so around 3-4 cm high. I was thinking of possibly adding vents in the bottom panel, but I'm not sure how helpful that would be.

 

[Ponzio]

I was thinking of possibly adding vents in the bottom panel, but I'm not sure how helpful that would be.

It's definitely helpful; it gives any air/breeze from the front/bottom a path to vent out the heat to the top rear panel vents of the unit. The unit I have has 2 of them at the bottom rear, about 4"x12", on the right and left of the end sections. I'm wondering whether the open back is going to be all that helpful since there is no directional stream to force the warm air up. My vents at the bottom & the top rear of the panels have 45° angle slats to guide the air out, with help from the fans.