Cooling Fans for Amp

[Hook Me Up 10+ year member]

Now I dont know where to post this, but its more like i just want to know what your general though on them.

I was ganna build a box for my old amp and stick cooling fans in there cuz it overheated, and I decided not to. So for the new amp and the new amp for the speakers i was thinking about possibly building one.

IS it worth it is my general question and does it work as well as i hope it will?

Also how much are they

Click to read more...

 

[Decado 10+ year member]

If you're sealing it in something get em. And i think you can use 12 cm computer fan's for that, they only cost a few bucks, but i could be wrong about the type of fan...

 

[bri487 5,000+ posts]

yea, you can pick them up at radio shack. just a cartridge style fan. make a box for the amps to sit it, so they sit in a closed box. then have a fan on one side pulling air into the box with a fan on the other side pulling air out of the box. that way there is a constant flow of fresh air across the amp.

 

[Decado 10+ year member]

yea, you can pick them up at radio shack. just a cartridge style fan. make a box for the amps to sit it, so they sit in a closed box. then have a fan on one side pulling air into the box with a fan on the other side pulling air out of the box. that way there is a constant flow of fresh air across the amp.

So, is this actually better than having it mounted in free air with no fans?

 

[Dosh142 10+ year member]

You also need to know how to wire it. Some people just hook it up to their head unit but that can damage the HU. Go to bcae1.com and look under the cooling fans, relays, and controlling a relay sections. That should answer almost all your questions. Also if you want the fans to turn on at a certain temperature, get a thermistor. There are two types of thermistors; the ones that increase resistance as the temperature goes up and the ones that decrease resistance as the temperature goes up. Obviously you would want the latter. This would mean as it got hotter, your fans would spin faster.

 

[creater 10+ year member]

the fans send breeze directly to the amp rather than in free air i believe...and all of those computer fans are 12v IMO.....so just get a few of them....they are really cheap

 

[bri487 5,000+ posts]

So, is this actually better than having it mounted in free air with no fans?

it depends on what you are doing with that amp. if it is mounted under a seat or something and you have overheating issues, then yes. if it is open in the free air and it doesnt overheat, then why do it? i wouldnt do it unless i was having a problem with it.

 

[Decado 10+ year member]

it depends on what you are doing with that amp. if it is mounted under a seat or something and you have overheating issues, then yes. if it is open in the free air and it doesnt overheat, then why do it? i wouldnt do it unless i was having a problem with it.

I was just thinking i could save space with an amp rack, and if i made an amp rack with one on top and one on bottom, i would have to cool the bottom one

 

[bri487 5,000+ posts]

I was just thinking i could save space with an amp rack, and if i made an amp rack with one on top and one on bottom, i would have to cool the bottom one

ok, if it is going to be in a sealed off amp rack, then yes, that is a reasonable application. why not hide both of them and cool the whole thing.

 

[Decado 10+ year member]

ok, if it is going to be in a sealed off amp rack, then yes, that is a reasonable application. why not hide both of them and cool the whole thing.

Well that was basically what i was wondering, if it would get hotter sealed off in an amprack then free air.

 

[bri487 5,000+ posts]

Well that was basically what i was wondering, if it would get hotter sealed off in an amprack then free air.

yes, no fresh air or air circullation. it is like running on a treadmill in an air-tight room. you will die.

 

[Decado 10+ year member]

yes, no fresh air or air circullation. it is like running on a treadmill in an air-tight room. you will die.

Not what i meant, i meant would it be cooler sealed with fans then in free air if i were to build an amprack, just...nm, lol i got the point now, haha.

 

[BassAddictJ 5,000+ posts]

so sealed off with 2 fans vs free air with a single computer power supply size fan? i'd figure the first option would work better right? (forget the mm of the computer fan)

 

[Hook Me Up 10+ year member]

Thanks fellas, i may have to buy a few