Keeping receivers cool

[pewternhrata]

My Integra dtr 7.8 has 2 fans, I've never noticed them on. I know equipment can get hot but, how hot, is too hot before concern kicks in? I don't abuse my stuff. More a curiosity that there are 2 fans present (that never turn on) and it does get quite hot to the touch. My concern with it, is there a way to test the fans to ensure that they would kick on if needed?

 

[yepimonfire]

My Integra dtr 7.8 has 2 fans, I've never noticed them on. I know equipment can get hot but, how hot, is too hot before concern kicks in? I don't abuse my stuff. More a curiosity that there are 2 fans present (that never turn on) and it does get quite hot to the touch. My concern with it, is there a way to test the fans to ensure that they would kick on if needed?

Any heat is bad. The lifespan of electronic parts is cut in half for each 10° C increase in temperature. The other issue is the hotter a device runs, the more energy is wasted as heat due to an increase in electrical resistance, which is why power compression happens.

If you really want to extend the lifespan of your electronics, the best thing to do would be to place a small desk fan blowing air into the receiver, or you could get one of those laptop cooling fans (the big ones for 17" notebooks) and place it on top of the receiver over the air vents. Either way, any heat is bad. Obviously the problem gets increasingly worse but the cooler the better.

Sent from my 5065N using Tapatalk

 

[pewternhrata]

Anyway to utilize the fans already inside the unit?

 

[Bucknekked]

My Integra dtr 7.8 has 2 fans, I've never noticed them on. I know equipment can get hot but, how hot, is too hot before concern kicks in? I don't abuse my stuff. More a curiosity that there are 2 fans present (that never turn on) and it does get quite hot to the touch. My concern with it, is there a way to test the fans to ensure that they would kick on if needed?

I live in the Arizona desert so I have opinions about heat and what's hot and what's not. Putting heat producing electronics in cabinets will allow heat to build and will ultimately shorten the life of your equipment if steps and precautions aren't taken.

My manufacturer specifies 6 inches of free headspace as a requirement so that's a pretty safe guesstimate. Adding external fans is another excellent idea. I added in an AC Infinity Aircom S9 automated fan unit to my system to exhaust heat and it works great.

How hot is too hot? Whatever your manufacturer says in its owners manual is what you should use as a guide. What the Aircom S9 operations manual says is that it will kick on at 88 degrees airtemp coming off the unit and cool the unit back down to 84 degrees. To extrapolate a bit, that would mean 84 degrees is a safe operating temp and anything over 88 may be grounds for concern. Don't take that as gospel, but that's the operating parameters of my Aircom.

I know you can run electronics in higher heat than that without issue. Many people do because of restrictions on where they can place equipment. But, if you have a choice, cooler is better every time.

 

[pewternhrata]

I don't keep mine in a cabinet, I get to keep it out in the open. I couldn't imagine it in a cabinet with how hot it could get, maybe then the fans would kick on. I'll take a look at the aircom, thanks.

 

[Bucknekked]

I don't keep mine in a cabinet, I get to keep it out in the open. I couldn't imagine it in a cabinet with how hot it could get, maybe then the fans would kick on. I'll take a look at the aircom, thanks.

its curious that your fans don't kick on even with moderate use.
With just moderate use, my AVR kicks off the 88 degree temperature trigger on a regular basis. And 88 degrees is pretty easy. If your fans don't kick on and you feel the unit it getting overly warm, there may be a problem with the fans or their trigger mechanism.

The Aircom folks make a lot of pretty cool solutions for exhausting heat. You can get "just fans" and put them on top or beside a unit. Or, go with an automated and snazzily designed unit that disappears on top.
My Aircom is invisible on top of my AVR. it is exactly the same width and length and finish. It makes no noise that I can hear.

I wish you the best of luck in solving your heat/fan issue. It shows you care !

 

[Pogre]

its curious that your fans don't kick on even with moderate use.
With just moderate use, my AVR kicks off the 88 degree temperature trigger on a regular basis. And 88 degrees is pretty easy. If your fans don't kick on and you feel the unit it getting overly warm, there may be a problem with the fans or their trigger mechanism.

The Aircom folks make a lot of pretty cool solutions for exhausting heat. You can get "just fans" and put them on top or beside a unit. Or, go with an automated and snazzily designed unit that disappears on top.
My Aircom is invisible on top of my AVR. it is exactly the same width and length and finish. It makes no noise that I can hear.

I wish you the best of luck in solving your heat/fan issue. It shows you care !

I think I have the same fan you do, Buck. Mine kicks on periodically too. Even when my receiver is idling while listening in stereo and the amp is doing all the work.

Hey, we got a little break in the weather this week. It only hit 106 yesterday!

 

[Bucknekked]

I think I have the same fan you do, Buck. Mine kicks on periodically too. Even when my receiver is idling while listening in stereo and the amp is doing all the work.

Hey, we got a little break in the weather this week. It only hit 106 yesterday!

If we have the same Aircom unit, its just another sign of the good taste in equipment that we both share.
You can get a look when you're over listening to the Salks. I guarantee you won't hear when the Aircom comes on. The only way I know its on is if I shine a flashlight on the top of the unit up close and look at the fan blades. I turned off the big circular indicator light on the front panel because I found it truly distracting.

You are correct: it doesn't take much to get the temp up and kick off the fans. I like it. I'm getting my monies worth.

 

[Verdinut]

If we have the same Aircom unit, its just another sign of the good taste in equipment that we both share.
You can get a look when you're over listening to the Salks. I guarantee you won't hear when the Aircom comes on. The only way I know its on is if I shine a flashlight on the top of the unit up close and look at the fan blades. I turned off the big circular indicator light on the front panel because I found it truly distracting.

You are correct: it doesn't take much to get the temp up and kick off the fans. I like it. I'm getting my monies worth.

@Buck,

I am curious! I did peruse the owner's manual for your S9 fan set. I didn't see any info as to how you could turn off the annoying circular indicator light. As per the info in the manual, if the light is off, then your fans would not operate at all.
Would you like to explain?
Cheers,

André

 

[Pogre]

@Buck,

I am curious! I did peruse the owner's manual for your S9 fan set. I didn't see any info as to how you could turn off the annoying circular indicator light. As per the info in the manual, if the light is off, then your fans would not operate at all.
Would you like to explain?
Cheers,

André

The button on the right.

My fan is running in that pic. It's been a couple weeks since I set it up, but I think you press the button and cycle through the fan speeds until the light goes off.

 

[Bucknekked]

@Buck,

I am curious! I did peruse the owner's manual for your S9 fan set. I didn't see any info as to how you could turn off the annoying circular indicator light. As per the info in the manual, if the light is off, then your fans would not operate at all.
Would you like to explain?
Cheers,

André

Google is a wonderful thing. I just googled turning off the circular display . It says to press and hold one of the buttons on the front. The circular segmented light will turn off, but the fans will still operate normally. I checked it when I did it and the segmented light stopped coming on and the fans continue to operate normally.

Some folks may like the segmented indicator showing what percentage the fans are operating and when. I just found it annoying so I found a way to turn it off and keep the fans running. The device stays on in standby mode like in Pogre's photo the rest of the time.

 

[Verdinut]

AC Infinity have an excellent product. However, they could improve on their owner's manual so you wouldn't have to google to find your answers.

You saved me the effort of googling!

• 

Thanks for your information.

 

[MR.MAGOO]

My 20 year old Technics SA-AX720 5.1 receiver had a fan, small grill on top and large grill on bottom for airflow. 100 watts per channel, 2 channels driven. Unit weighs about 20 lbs.

My 4 year old Yamaha RX-A1020 7.2 no fan, grills everywhere, 110 watts per channel, 2 channels driven, weighs about 33 lbs.

The Technics was a much smaller case, less features (no HDMI, Toslink, etc). I don't recall the fan ever coming on.

Which device was more advanced in cooling design I can't say.

 

[Verdinut]

My 20 year old Technics SA-AX720 5.1 receiver had a fan, small grill on top and large grill on bottom for airflow. 100 watts per channel, 2 channels driven. Unit weighs about 20 lbs.

My 4 year old Yamaha RX-A1020 7.2 no fan, grills everywhere, 110 watts per channel, 2 channels driven, weighs about 33 lbs.

The Technics was a much smaller case, less features (no HDMI, Toslink, etc). I don't recall the fan ever coming on.

Which device was more advanced in cooling design I can't say.

I can't tell which unit has the more advanced design, but I think your 20 year old Technics has a more recent design, as IMO fans were not used in the 1950's on audiophile equipment, and heat sinks started to be installed with the release of the older SS amplifiers in the 1960's. I believe fans started to be used at a later date to manufacture lighter products without heat sinks .

 

[M Code]

I can't tell which unit has the more advanced design, but I think your 20 year old Technics has a more recent design, as IMO fans were not used in the 1950's on audiophile equipment, and heat sinks started to be installed with the release of the older SS amplifiers in the 1960's. I believe fans started to be used at a later date to manufacture lighter products without heat sinks .

Fans have been used in pro-audio amplifiers for > 20 years. Regarding fans in an AVR, this became commonplace about 10 years ago when the mass market started to demand higher mulitchannel, peak output power and lower unit pricing. A fan cost <$1 while increasing the unit's size/weight and heatsinking would cost significantly more. Fans are a cheap solution..

Just my $0.02...

 

[PENG]

I don't keep mine in a cabinet, I get to keep it out in the open. I couldn't imagine it in a cabinet with how hot it could get, maybe then the fans would kick on. I'll take a look at the aircom, thanks.

If it is in the open and you don't listen loud, then it is possible that your unit is outputting just 1 to 3 watts average power so overall your unit probably consumes less than 100 Watts. Most of that 100 W or so would be converted to heat. The heat sinks and natural air circulation can take care of that without forced air cooling by the fans. That would explain why the build in fans never turn on.

You should use an infra red gun type thermometer to measure the internal temperature, example, point it through the vent at the fans, heat sink etc., until you hit the hottest spot. If it is less than 40 deg C everywhere then all is well. Extra cooling is always good though whether the unit needs it or not.