Would this allow enough cooling?

[sharptailhunter]

I'm going to build a console similar to this one:

My fear is that the components, mainly my receiver, would get hot with the doors closed. I know some may think, "Just leave the doors open." That's not really an option because we have small children who love to play with things. Thus I want locking doors. Rather than using traditional doors, like on the pictured model, I was thinking about using doors that slide back and hide away while using the theater components. That, of course, would add some more complexity to the build. So, if it's not needed, i.e. things won't get too hot using them with the doors closed, I would just go the traditional door route. What do you guys think about installing small computer fans behind each component bay?

 

[tcarcio]

I would go with the fans mounted in the back. I would do an intake and an exhaust to help the air move and that should work pretty well.

 

[m_vanmeter]

you need to visualize the flow of air through the interior of the console. My suggestion is to have air intake holes in the bottom of the piece, so the cooler floor air is the intake. Make sure there are plenty of holes on the shelf dividers between the equipment (for wiring as well as air flow) and then probably two fans for each stack of equipment (total 4) up near the top of the upper compartment. That way, as hot air rises naturally, the fans will "help it along" and out of the console at the highest part of the electronics bays.

By using at least 4 fans, you can use slower (much quieter) fans and still move a lot of air.

If you are going to build the console, consider mounting equipment shelves on ball bearing drawer glides. Nothing is quite as annoying as getting all your equipment in a piece of furniture (with every important interconnect wire in the back) and having to slide the heavy electronics back out the front to get to the back of the equipment. Allowing enough cable length to let the equipment slide out to the front will greatly simplify your life in the future.

good luck

 

[sharptailhunter]

Good points. Yeah, I knew if I was going to do fans, I would have to allow for inlet air. I was going to put holes in the bottom of the console in front of the components and in the upper shelves so those components get air flow too. Making the shelves as sliders is a great idea. I'm going to make the sides like these:

I know this thread may fit in a different forum, but I'm really just looking out for my new components(toys).

 

[Rickster71]

Maybe instead of glass in the doors, you could use a black metal screen or mesh to allow for intake air.