Enclosed cabinet and cooling options

[Swerd]

I've thought about this some, and I think it should be possible to cool an audio gear cabinet, such as you plan, while keeping the front door closed.

The back of the cabinets should be closed and two or three fans (120 to 200 mm diameter) should be mounted in a row across the top of the rear panel. These fans should be mounted so they remove air from the inside of the cabinet and blow it outside.

If the lower edge of the front doors are about 10-12 cm above the floor, fresh air can enter through vents built beneath these doors. They can be both in the front and in the rear. These vents should be as wide as possible.

Build the cabinet shelves with many wide slots cut through them to allow easy passage of air from the vents near the floor, up through the shelves, and out the back of the cabinet through the fans.

I liked the various choices of fans and mounting hardware available here:
Need to cool off your new receiver? What about your new game console or DVR that is stuck in your A/V cabinet? We have a number of solutions to help cool things off * *** Please checkout out our FAQ information page, it talks and has additional video

The most important specification of a fan is how much air it moves. One cubic foot per minute (cfm) = 28.3 Liters per minute. Fans with variable speed will be quieter at slower speed, and move less air. Large fans, 200 mm, will move much more air at slower fan speeds and less noise than smaller 100-120 mm fans.

Of course, details matter here. The actual dimensions of your cabinets, and the volume of air inside them will dictate what size and how many fans to use. As a guess, I would plan to have fans capable of moving at least the entire volume of air inside the cabinet once every 5 to 10 minutes. More is better, within reason. Once you know what the size of your cabinet is, it will be easier to decide how many fans of what size fit across the width.

Good luck with your plans. Please let us know what happens.

 

[Goliath]

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.

Would you be able to show me a pic of the vents on your cabinet?

 

[Goliath]

I've thought about this some, and I think it should be possible to cool an audio gear cabinet, such as you plan, while keeping the front door closed.

The back of the cabinets should be closed and two or three fans (120 to 200 mm diameter) should be mounted in a row across the top of the rear panel. These fans should be mounted so they remove air from the inside of the cabinet and blow it outside.

I would have thought that an open back would be more beneficial over a closed one for heat.

If the lower edge of the front doors are about 10-12 cm above the floor, fresh air can enter through vents built beneath these doors. They can be both in the front and in the rear. These vents should be as wide as possible.

I'm terrible at visualising this stuff. You mean when you open the front doors, the panel at the bottom, where the equipment is standing? So I should make those as wide as possible and then the rear of the cabinet, make the holes as wide as possible, or possibly keep it open.

Build the cabinet shelves with many wide slots cut through them to allow easy passage of air from the vents near the floor, up through the shelves, and out the back of the cabinet through the fans.

It's going to be a large cabinet and I'll keep all three components spaced far enough away from each other that they don't impact one another as far as added heat goes. I won't necessarily have the shelves in place.

Thanks for the link for cooling! I'll take a look. Thanks for your advice.

 

[Ponzio]

Would you be able to show me a pic of the vents on your cabinet?

These are stock photos from Standout Designs web site of my unit, the Haven 82.

Haven 82 front left_door open (note the passive vent on the bottom shelf with the fans at the top rear of the panel and the holes in the middle of the glass shelves to aid in guiding/cooling the air to the fans)


Haven 82 rear_no panels


Haven 82 rear_with panels


I would also recommend that you put your amps/AVR/etc. on the top shelf(s), since they generate the most heat. Hope this helps.

 

[Ponzio]

Here's a pic of my setup. I also leave the doors slightly open at all times, as an extra precaution, to aid in ventilation.

 

[Goliath]

I see where the fans are. The fans would be exhausting the hot air out I assume. But since my doors are closed and solid oak, the only passive intake for cooling would be to put in slat-type holes in the bottom panel, similar to the holes in the pic but perhaps adding 1-2 more per side. The back panel will be off, and the cabinet positioned several cm away from the wall.

Unless I leave the middle section at the back of the cabinet open (cut out) and leave either side intact. Then I mount fans as shown in the pic .. I guess I'm just trying to visualise how the air would be circulating with this option. There isn't going to be a lot of space between the bottom panel and the ground, probably 3-4 cm in elevation at most.

If I install a 120mm fan on either side of the cabinet, the fans would be blowing air in the cabinet, escaping through the vents in the bottom panel and in the section cut out at the back of the cabinet? I don't know if I"m circulating hot air all over here, or ...?

Just to give you an idea, I'm not going to be watching movies at reference level on my system, so the amp at least won't get overly hot due to unreasonable volumes.

 

[Ponzio]

I see where the fans are. The fans would be exhausting the hot air out I assume. But since my doors are closed and solid oak, the only passive intake for cooling would be to put in slat-type holes in the bottom panel, similar to the holes in the pic but perhaps adding 1-2 more per side.

That's correct

The back panel will be off, and the cabinet positioned several cm away from the wall.

Personally I think your doing more harm than good, not much mind you, but I think by leaving the rear panel off your not husbanding the air flow up and away from your components, plus you'll need a rear panel to mount the fans at the top. Also make sure the shelves have a good sized hole in the middle to help with the air flow.

Unless I leave the middle section at the back of the cabinet open (cut out) and leave either side intact. Then I mount fans as shown in the pic .. I guess I'm just trying to visualise how the air would be circulating with this option. There isn't going to be a lot of space between the bottom panel and the ground, probably 3-4 cm in elevation at most.

If I install a 120mm fan on either side of the cabinet, the fans would be blowing air in the cabinet, escaping through the vents in the bottom panel and in the section cut out at the back of the cabinet? I don't know if I"m circulating hot air all over here, or ...?

You don't want to be blowing air back "in" to the cabinet but "out". Recirculating hot air back into the cabinet just defeats the whole purpose of what your trying to do.

 

[Swerd]

Ponzio - thanks for the pictures. They show essentially the same air flow pattern that I tried to describe in too many words.

Goliath - Because hot air naturally rises above cool air, take advantage of that in the cabinet design. Place the fresh air intake vents near the bottom, and put the fans near the top. If they blow air out of the cabinet, fresh air will enter near the bottom and flow up through the shelves.

If the backs of the cabinets are open, the fans will pull air in directly from the closest source of fresh air, and the receiver will not cool as well. If the backs are closed, as in Ponzio's photos, the fresh air must enter through the vent on the bottom.

 

[Goliath]

If the backs of the cabinets are open, the fans will pull air in directly from the closest source of fresh air, and the receiver will not cool as well. If the backs are closed, as in Ponzio's photos, the fresh air must enter through the vent on the bottom.

How about I leave the middle of the cabinet rear out, so there will be a space there, and the remaining cabinet volume from either side I can place fans there, if need be? Or you suggest I just leave the back and make some large holes or slat-type holes across the back, like 4 or so?

I spoke to a technician friend of mine, just to bounce more ideas around, and he says that I'm probably worrying over nothing. The receiver won't be on all day, and I won't be playing music hard all day. He tells me as long as there is some intake, and the slat-type holes in the bottom will be a big help, together with holes in the back of the cabinet, should be enough.

He says I could install fans, but he thinks it probably won't be necessary. What do you guys think? Do you think my ideas I've got, are good enough for what I need from my equipment and the intended usage?

 

[Swerd]

How about I leave the middle of the cabinet rear out, so there will be a space there, and the remaining cabinet volume from either side I can place fans there, if need be? Or you suggest I just leave the back and make some large holes or slat-type holes across the back, like 4 or so?

If you want fans, keep the back of the cabinet closed except for the openings for the fans themselves.

If you don't want fans, keep the back of the cabinet open.

I spoke to a technician friend of mine, just to bounce more ideas around, and he says that I'm probably worrying over nothing. The receiver won't be on all day, and I won't be playing music hard all day. He tells me as long as there is some intake, and the slat-type holes in the bottom will be a big help, together with holes in the back of the cabinet, should be enough.

He says I could install fans, but he thinks it probably won't be necessary. What do you guys think? Do you think my ideas I've got, are good enough for what I need from my equipment and the intended usage?

He is probably right. Most audio receivers that I have known don't become very hot. However I don't know how hot your equipment gets, so build in a margin of safety. It is also a good idea to build your cabinets so they can also work with gear you may have in the future.

 

[Ponzio]

Guys, I have a little mini-family emergency I have to take care of. I'll check back in this afternoon. Sorry.

 

[Goliath]

I hope everything is alright Ponzio!

 

[Ponzio]

I hope everything is alright Ponzio!

Everything is copacetic.

I hope we were able to give you some good ideas to get your project completed. Swerd, as usual is a fountain of knowledge in this field and I think provided you with some good information and hopefully I was able to fill in whatever gaps you had on completing the unit.

Keep us in the loop ... we love pictures ... and enjoy.

 

[Goliath]

Okay, so just to confirm, and please correct me if you think I'm wrong :

Ventilation holes throughout the bottom floor of the cabinet, with the back open. No fans. I'll keep the receiver on the top shelf, ensure the shelves have a cut out for air to pass through.

Based on my general usage, which is not going to be 24 hours or concert level SPL, do you reckon this will be enough?

 

[Ponzio]

Yes, I think you'll be OK. You've opted not to install fans?

 

[Goliath]

Well, if I keep the back panel off entirely, then I'm not sure where I would install the fans? On the side walls of the cabinet?

 

[Goliath]

BTW, thank you very much for chiming in. That goes to Swerd as well! Thanks so much for your input and advice.

 

[Ponzio]

Well, if I keep the back panel off entirely, then I'm not sure where I would install the fans? On the side walls of the cabinet?

Thanks. Right now, just go without and monitor the temp; you'll be fine.

 

[Rickster71]

Well, if I keep the back panel off entirely, then I'm not sure where I would install the fans? On the side walls of the cabinet?

If I may add a bit.
I have a shelf unit similar to the one pictured earlier. it has slots cut out in the bottom and on each shelf, with sliding rear panels.
If you keep the back panel off. (as I also do)
Put the fan directly on top of your receiver, pulling air up.

 

[Goliath]

If I may add a bit.
I have a shelf unit similar to the one pictured earlier. it has slots cut out in the bottom and on each shelf, with sliding rear panels.
If you keep the back panel off. (as I also do)
Put the fan directly on top of your receiver, pulling air up.

So you do mean I should install a fan directly above the receiver? On the top panel facing down?

I don't know if this is normal, but I just opened the box of my Marantz 6008 and I don't notice any fans on the receiver. There are vents on both sides and top. Do AVR's not normally have fans?