Around Christmas last year, we had to buy a new entertainment center that was able to handle the new TV we bought. The new entertainment center has more of a credenza look to it. There are two glass paneled doors which the various gear for the Home theater and gaming systems sit behind. Those areas have a “slot” in the back that allows for the cables to leave the area.
The problem I am having is with heat. The one cabinet area houses an A/V receiver, a Direct TV DVR (Heat intollerant), a DVD Player, and a X-box 360 (with reported heat intollerance). If I leave the door shut on the area with this equipment the gear get too hot and has issues with working. Everything seems happy if I leave the door open (greather air flow) – but that kind of negates the whole esthetic reason for having the glass doors.
My idea that I am trying to figure out how to design and execute is to install some small (pc sized) fans onto the rear of the cabinet area that this equipment is in. The concern with this is 1) being able to have it AC powered and 2) not have a annoying fan hum.
Any ideas? Anyone seen any off the shelf products?
Look here
My 30 second Google search found this: http://www.coolerguys.com/ho.html
My $.02 Weed
Hmm.
Where I am stuck is I can find fans, althought there were a couple that had really low Db rating in that link. I am stuck on how to install them “nicely”. I am not sure If i need to cut a hole in the wood backing of the entertainment center or intstall it in the opening in the back. hmmm..
I would go DIY
I would go DIY on this puppy! I think a modified form of this gadget might be ideal. Lightweight, easy to regulate, multi-use, and worth a fair amount of geek points. It might be a little bit louder than you want, though:
http://www.asciimation.co.nz/beer/
OK, with the obligatory smart-aleck comment out of the way, I would start this way:
The purpose of the rheostat is to be able to adjust your fan speed to an acceptable compromise between noise and cooling ability. You don’t want to turn on a pair of loud turbines right in the middle of the love scene!
But, if for some reason the 5.5v connection doesn’t provide enough fan speed to keep the credenza cool, you can use the 12v side instead. Remember the airflow rule, “twice as much out as in”. Use a 2:1 ratio of fans blowing out vs. fans blowing in; this will give you the most airflow for the least power. You may not even need an inlet fan if your outlet fan(s) is near the top so it naturally exhausts the hot air. You may just need an inlet grille or hole.
We can brainstorm on the phone if you like, but that’s how I would do it 🙂 I’d start with a fan on the outlet hole and no fan on the inlet hole, and build my way up as necessary.
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Matthew P. Barnson