Cooling Fan for Amplifier

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Hi all,

As summers are coming, I want to install (not inside) a small fan (I have a small external one) for amplifier. My Yamaha A-S500 amplifier is placed in AV Rack which covered from all 3 sides (not from front obviously), have a small space in the front only and I can use that for a small external fan.

So, the question is what is generally better, having a fan blowing air into the rack cabinet or out from the cabinet? Would it be better to let cooler air enter the case or exiting the hot air from inside?

Also suggest any good fan, I will go for it if required. Size 3.5" X 3.5"

Thanks
 
Study the airflow pattern of the amp first: for eg. my Onkyo blows air out of the top grille, so I'd need an exhaust on the top surface of my cabinet.

I think exhaust (pulling air out) is better than blowing air into the cabinet.

What's best though is not having a cabinet at all if you can do it that way. Something like placing the amp on an open shelf is the best.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
 
Yamaha has airflow pattern on the top only. After running few hours (more equipments are there too) Tried to put that small fan in the front space and felt that the hot air coming out with the airflow. But I was not sure what would be better, blowing cool air inside or pulling hot air outside.

Study the airflow pattern of the amp first: for eg. my Onkyo blows air out of the top grille, so I'd need an exhaust on the top surface of my cabinet.

I think exhaust (pulling air out) is better than blowing air into the cabinet.

What's best though is not having a cabinet at all if you can do it that way. Something like placing the amp on an open shelf is the best.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
 
Yes, I have seen that, even there is dual fan available on ebay which we can put on the top of amplifier, but unfortunately I don't have option to put the fan on the top, I can place that in the front side of the cabinet.

I have a Lap top cooling fan with a 20 cm fan sitting on top of my Class A amplifire. Looks effective !!
 
Yamaha has airflow pattern on the top only. After running few hours (more equipments are there too) Tried to put that small fan in the front space and felt that the hot air coming out with the airflow. But I was not sure what would be better, blowing cool air inside or pulling hot air outside.

You would be better off with the fun put on sucking hot air from inside the cabinet / rack.
 
I have the same situation of the AVR placed in a rack closed on 5 sides. This is what I use . Placed on top of AVR, it sucks out the hot air. Since it is inclined towards front, it makes it easy for front exhaust. Though its big, its quite silent. I just plug it to the front USB port of Yamaha AVR. Since you dont have USB, you can buy something like this. With the fan on top of it, my AVR runs cool even after extended use at moderate to high volumes, even in summer.
 
I have two external fans, each individually switchable on/off, installed on my cabinet on the rear side specifically for this purpose. But the fans, while doing a great job in cooling, make a lot of noise. Can't watch movies with this noise. So I switch them on, after the usage for some 20 mins, to cool down the equipment. After hindsight, I have come to know that enclosed cabinet is not the best way to nest the equipment.
 
Yes, this is what I was saying. But my question was to put cooler air inside or exhausting the hot air. I will make the arrangements to pulling hot air out.

I have the same situation of the AVR placed in a rack closed on 5 sides. This is what I use . Placed on top of AVR, it sucks out the hot air. Since it is inclined towards front, it makes it easy for front exhaust. Though its big, its quite silent. I just plug it to the front USB port of Yamaha AVR. Since you dont have USB, you can buy something like this. With the fan on top of it, my AVR runs cool even after extended use at moderate to high volumes, even in summer.
 
Blowing air inside is not ideal for many reasons

- parts which do not usually get hot may become hotter since the heat is spread by the fan- these components may be sensitive to heat
- we can't say for sure that the hot air gets out of the rack completely; it may be still circulating inside. ie air flow path may not be proper.
- the hot air it blows out of the ventilation holes could be be sucked back by the fan- the unit can become hotter actually
- blowing air can results in more dust accumulation inside the equipment
 
Hi all,

As summers are coming, I want to install (not inside) a small fan (I have a small external one) for amplifier. My Yamaha A-S500 amplifier is placed in AV Rack which covered from all 3 sides (not from front obviously), have a small space in the front only and I can use that for a small external fan.

So, the question is what is generally better, having a fan blowing air into the rack cabinet or out from the cabinet? Would it be better to let cooler air enter the case or exiting the hot air from inside?

Also suggest any good fan, I will go for it if required. Size 3.5" X 3.5"

Thanks

The better option among the two is to let the air enter the cabinet. A positive pressure inside the cabinet will dissipate the heat better than creating a negative pressure by sucking the air out.

(Once you have installed the fans as you intend to, use a burning incense stick and see the movement of smoke through your cabinet.)

Make sure that the intake is dust free and there is a good flow of air which covers your equipment and moves out.
 
Yes, thinking to place these equipments outside from the cabinet in summers. I think it would be better.

Yup, that's true. Enclosed cabinet will only reduce life of your equipment in this kind of weather.

In general, pumping the hot air out of the cabinet is better way.
 
- parts which do not usually get hot may become hotter since the heat is spread by the fan- these components may be sensitive to heat

I have checked was not spreading the air, it was just blowing the hot air outside.

- we can't say for sure that the hot air gets out of the rack completely; it may be still circulating inside. ie air flow path may not be proper.
As the rack is completely open from front and it is wider than the width of amplifier, my plan is to put the fan beside the amplifier.

- the hot air it blows out of the ventilation holes could be be sucked back by the fan- the unit can become hotter actually
Actually the fan is blowing the hot air in the room, as the fan will be placed on the edge of front side of rack.

- blowing air can results in more dust accumulation inside the equipment
The room is well cleaned and I guess it should be fine.
 
The better option among the two is to let the air enter the cabinet. A positive pressure inside the cabinet will dissipate the heat better than creating a negative pressure by sucking the air out. .

Shivam, what you suggested is ideal for PC cabinets which has other paths for air to leave the cabinet (pressure outside the cabinet is negative so air escapes). As far as a shelves that are closed on 5 sides is concerned, it may not work efficiently. The air entering the cabinet needs to come out smoothly as well, with least resistance. Thus IMO, intake fan is better only when it is complimented by an exhaust fan or has a different path for escape than intake path. The intake fan can be slightly more powerful than the other one. I have 4 fans mounted on my PC on same principle.
 
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Shivam, what you suggested is ideal for PC cabinets which has other paths for air to leave the cabinet (pressure outside the cabinet is negative so air escapes). As far as a shelves that are closed on 5 sides is concerned, it may not work efficiently. The air entering the cabinet needs to come out smoothly as well, with least resistance. Thus IMO, intake fan is better only when it is complimented by an exhaust fan or has a different path for escape than intake path. The intake fan can be slightly more powerful than the other one. I have 4 fans mounted on my PC on same principle.


True. There has to be an exit available for the hot air to move out. I thought that there were some holes on the back side of the cabinet but if that is not the case then another fan will be needed to suck the air out.
 
True. There has to be an exit available for the hot air to move out. I thought that there were some holes on the back side of the cabinet but if that is not the case then another fan will be needed to suck the air out.

There is a big hole (wire manager) on the back of cabinet, may be it can work as a ventilation.
 
But my question was to put cooler air inside or exhausting the hot air.

You have to achieve both!

Generally, fans are better at extracting than they are at blowing. Extract warm air from the top, and make sure there is ventilation allowing [relatively] cool air to enter from the bottom. Try to make sure that that cooler air takes a path all round your equipment.

Hint read recently on the site of an old[-fashioned] electronics repair guy: Letting equipment run hot is one of the ways that manufacturers make sure you come back to replace it with a new one. A simple way to increase airflow around a hifi unit case is to put something under the feet, increasing the air gap. This is a guy with decades of experience of hifi repair telling us how to make our kit last longer.

Similarly, an experience PC repair guy who doctored my computer a year or so ago, pointed out that, sometimes, I should turn on the AC for the machine's comfort, before it is needed for mine! :cool:
 
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