amplifier overheating: do you use rack cooling fans??

Mr. BassmanPT · #1 08-12-2010, 07:22 PM

does anyone uses these fans to keep their amps cooled out? or is this another merchandise propaganda?

http://www.rackfans.com/modules.php?name=Pro_Fans

been pretty active in the mesa titan v12 topic and some concerns toward that particular model are related to heat generation.. then i searched for a solution and google came out with those rack mount cooling fans.

are they worth it? are they noisy? do they help to keep the amps cool? what is your experience with those?

JimmyM · #2 08-12-2010, 10:28 PM

a rack fan certainly doesn't hurt. you have to judge whether or not you need one on a case by case basis, and most heads really don't need them because they were designed well and already have some sort of fan. but there are a handful of heads that can use it.

PhiDeck · #3 08-12-2010, 10:50 PM

If you believe their specs, they are not noisy. However, the specs at that web site are completely bogus. Whether their real noise contribution would be noticeable depends on the level and spectrum of other noise sources and on the material your band performs (eg. "unplugged" segment?).
Sometimes the variation in noise caused by thermal control of the speed of fans can be more distracting that running them at constant speed.

As JimmyM implied, there are too many variables to allow providing a one size fits all answer to the question "are they worth it?". If you post particulars - amp model, rack photos - one could be more specific.

toobalicious · #4 08-12-2010, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmaranhao

does anyone uses these fans to keep their amps cooled out? or is this another merchandise propaganda?

http://www.rackfans.com/modules.php?name=Pro_Fans

been pretty active in the mesa titan v12 topic and some concerns toward that particular model are related to heat generation.. then i searched for a solution and google came out with those rack mount cooling fans.

are they worth it? are they noisy? do they help to keep the amps cool? what is your experience with those?

wow! they are proud of that stuff, huh?
dude, make your own--- the materials are way cheap:

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=262-370

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=259-122

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=120-052

a little shrink tube and some wire ties and you are in business.

Buster Brown · #5 08-13-2010, 01:04 AM

Actually, for my SVT4Pro, I use one of those 11.98 clip on fans for the back of the rack....works like a charm!

Cheers

Mr. BassmanPT · #6 08-13-2010, 10:51 PM

if the amp is inside a rack, where is the most efficient place to put the fans? on top of it, sending the air from the front face to the back face of the amplifier?

Mr. BassmanPT · #7 08-14-2010, 07:22 AM

Jerrold Tiers · #8 08-14-2010, 07:28 AM

It almost does not matter, so long as the fan is blowing "new", cooler air into the rack. It is probably best if the fan blows air from below up towards wherever the air intakes are for the amp.

The best solution is to have the amplifiers pull air in the back and out the front, but with all the knobs on most bass amps, that isn't practical. We ALWAYS did that for power amps, but rarely could do it for a bass amp. When possible, it guarantees that the air in the rack is "changed out" with cooler air continuously.

waleross · #9 08-14-2010, 07:34 AM

My SVT4PRO is not in a rack right now but it would need a fan as mentioned being a side vent. I am using a front vented fender TB1200 which works better in a rack environment. Thanks for the fan links......

toobalicious · #10 08-14-2010, 07:34 AM

my preference is for them to suck the other way, but i feel where you are coming from. the air outside of the rack is usually going to be cooler than inside of it. also, if you happen to be unlucky enough to be stationed in front of a rack of amps, it would be nice to not have fans puking hot air all over you, lol. of course, a big drawback is that dust and crap is deposited in the rack instead of being blown out. i just hit mine with air every so often to keep the bunnies down.

kdogg · #11 08-14-2010, 08:03 AM

I used a two fan model for my old SWR SM500, and it worked wonderfully. No more thermal shutdowns, and the amp was noticeably cooler during operation. I used it for awhile on my 4 pro, but found I didn't really need it for that amplifier as the added headroom kept me from having to push it so hard.

I didn't notice the added noise much at all, as most of the situations I needed the added cooling were live shows, which are pretty noisy affairs to begin with.

Vic Winters · #12 08-14-2010, 08:54 AM

It doesn't look as cool, but it's way cheaper.

Tusec · #13 08-14-2010, 09:08 AM

The tradeoff with fans is that they circulate dust through your amp as well as air, and over time it can accumulate and cause maintenance issues. Unless there is truly a problem with overheating, I'd probably avoid fans.

Mr. BassmanPT · #14 08-14-2010, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerrold Tiers

It almost does not matter, so long as the fan is blowing "new", cooler air into the rack. It is probably best if the fan blows air from below up towards wherever the air intakes are for the amp.

The best solution is to have the amplifiers pull air in the back and out the front, but with all the knobs on most bass amps, that isn't practical. We ALWAYS did that for power amps, but rarely could do it for a bass amp. When possible, it guarantees that the air in the rack is "changed out" with cooler air continuously.

the titan (the amp that made me search these fans) has the air intake in the front face and expels it in the back so the placing of the fans you pointed out unfortunately does not work here. i guess the best result is to put the fans on top of the amp... maybe someone can give another opinion?

Quote:

Originally Posted by waleross

My SVT4PRO is not in a rack right now but it would need a fan as mentioned being a side vent. I am using a front vented fender TB1200 which works better in a rack environment. Thanks for the fan links......

yes, i will take a look in the links too, it will probably save me some cash if i indeed want to get the cooling system.. but i am still learning about this stuff, too soon to make my decision.

Quote:

Originally Posted by toobalicious

my preference is for them to suck the other way, but i feel where you are coming from. the air outside of the rack is usually going to be cooler than inside of it. also, if you happen to be unlucky enough to be stationed in front of a rack of amps, it would be nice to not have fans puking hot air all over you, lol. of course, a big drawback is that dust and crap is deposited in the rack instead of being blown out. i just hit mine with air every so often to keep the bunnies down.

good point, lots of dust being sent inside the rack.. but this dust will not get inside the amp as the amp fan is blowing out!!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by kdogg

I used a two fan model for my old SWR SM500, and it worked wonderfully. No more thermal shutdowns, and the amp was noticeably cooler during operation. I used it for awhile on my 4 pro, but found I didn't really need it for that amplifier as the added headroom kept me from having to push it so hard.

I didn't notice the added noise much at all, as most of the situations I needed the added cooling were live shows, which are pretty noisy affairs to begin with.

thanks for this information , very useful on both fan noise and better functionality of the amp. thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vic Winters

It doesn't look as cool, but it's way cheaper.

it would get the job done but damn for all the laughs...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tusec

The tradeoff with fans is that they circulate dust through your amp as well as air, and over time it can accumulate and cause maintenance issues. Unless there is truly a problem with overheating, I'd probably avoid fans.

yes, it is a valid point.. but the added fans here will not get dust inside your amp. inside the rack absolutely.

Jerrold Tiers · #15 08-14-2010, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmaranhao

the titan (the amp that made me search these fans) has the air intake in the front face and expels it in the back so the placing of the fans you pointed out unfortunately does not work here. i guess the best result is to put the fans on top of the amp... maybe someone can give another opinion?

Don't be so sure...... blowing cooler air into the rack will blow the hot air OUT, and not cook the other stuff as badly. The "mixed" air will be cooler too, so it's good whether it blows hot air out, or just "dilutes" it.

if the air leaving the back is blown "straight out", then leave the back of the rack open and there won't be so much problem cooking the rack. You can still blow some cooler air around stuff in the rack to keep the hot amp from cooking it.

Obviously if the amp sucks cooler air in the front, cool air won't be a problem for IT, it has all there is.

Mr. BassmanPT · #16 08-15-2010, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerrold Tiers

Don't be so sure...... blowing cooler air into the rack will blow the hot air OUT, and not cook the other stuff as badly. The "mixed" air will be cooler too, so it's good whether it blows hot air out, or just "dilutes" it.

if the air leaving the back is blown "straight out", then leave the back of the rack open and there won't be so much problem cooking the rack. You can still blow some cooler air around stuff in the rack to keep the hot amp from cooking it.

Obviously if the amp sucks cooler air in the front, cool air won't be a problem for IT, it has all there is.

yes, i completely agree with you there!!!

countrybassist · #17 08-15-2010, 08:34 AM

When I was down on Ampeg, I tried SWR. The damn thing kept overheating and shutting down. I went to Walmart and picked up a fan for under $20. I clipped it on my rack and aimed it towards the head. The overheating problem went away.

Mr. BassmanPT · #18 08-15-2010, 03:22 PM

keep reading about overheating problems in the silver faced mesa titan model.. lets hope i can find a black one over here and avoid these fans, otherwise will buy a 2 unit panel with 4 fans in it.

Jefenator · #19 08-15-2010, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vic Winters

It doesn't look as cool, but it's way cheaper.

I used to use one of these on the back of my rack. Made a huge difference.

Mind you, this was with a power amp that just had external cooling fins. That's where an external fan makes a ton of sense and IME that clip-on deal will do the job just fine.

If the amp has a built-in fan, seems to me like it would be redundant at best. More important methinks to keep the internal cooling fins relatively free of dust.

will33 · #20 08-15-2010, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vic Winters

It doesn't look as cool, but it's way cheaper.

I used to use one of these on an old SWR4004 I had that had a problem with the heatsink getting way hot. $6, problem solved. If you think it looks goofy, spray paint it flat black, just like every other piece of gear out there. It'll likely be hidden in the back somewhere anyway.