Fans?
 

How many of you use fans with your tube amps? Mine is in an open rack, but it still generates a lot of heat. Would the fan extend tube life?

John.......Fans don't extend tube life but fans do extend the life of the hard parts in an amplifier like transformers and capacitors. In most cases tube amplifiers are designed to dissipate heat into the air above the circuit boards, point to point wiring, and hard parts in a chassis. This heat dissipation changes when a tube amplifier is installed in a cabinet or restricted enclosure. In those cases a fan will make a big difference in keeping the overall amplifier at an acceptable and safe operating temperature.

I have my McIntosh MA230 integrated amplifier installed in a McIntosh L52 walnut veneer case. Even though the case allows air flow through the open back and up through the perforated vent in the top of the case, the amp gets warm and the perforated vent on top gets quite hot. I solved this problem with two small 12 volt fans that come on with one of the switched outlets on the back of the MA230. The fans are silent because I power them with a 6 volt DC wall wart to make them run slower. Even at a reduced RPM with the lower supply voltage they exhaust enough air to keep the inside of the cabinet cool. Even the perforated vent on the top of the cabinet remains cool.


https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2928/...eb24c6ff_c.jpg


Fans aren't just for tube gear. The same issues with temperature rise will happen with solid state amplifiers when they are installed in cabinets or spaces with restricted ventilation. I use fans on the back of the two shelf spaces on my Salamander Synergy rack to ensure the MC601's remain cool. I originally installed the fans and speed controls to slow the fans to make them inaudible when I had MC501's, but they remain in service with the MC601's installed in the same spaces.


http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/q...hotos/Fan3.jpg

I must admit ....... that looks 'FANtastic'

Followed Dan's advice when my audio components were tighter spaced together. Spaced out things a little more but kept the fans.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/n...sqaiv2nsc.jpeg

Decided on LED 120mm fans to visually know when they are on. Blue of course to compliment McIntosh Blues eyes.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/n...s3bc6xcuf.jpeg

OK, thanks. As long as it isn't too noisy, I'll try out a fan.

John.......On the fans behind my amplifiers in the Salamander rack I use speed controls to reduce the RPM of the fans to make them inaudible. Take a look at the website coolerguys.com to find everything you'll need to cool your gear. I also use dual temperature sensors, one each installed in the amplifier shelf cavities, to monitor the temperature and show it on a digital dual temp display.


http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/q...hotos/Fan2.jpg




http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/q...oolerFans2.jpg




http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/q...oolerFans1.jpg

It's also important that fan direction should pull heat away from the unit, never blowing into the unit. Especially for tube equipment.

Eric.......Correct. Exhaust the heat.

Whoa, I was about to hook it up with the fan blowing on the tubes! Thanks!!

Fans, I was just preparing to purchase them with the Cooler guys controller great info.