custom shelf thoughts

[johnsonad]

Just a random idea.  I'm going to have a shelf build for my office system and was tossing around ideas to help with air circulation. It has been over 100 degrees in the central valley for the last couple of weeks.  We keep the temp in the house around 80F and with the system running, it's a nice added room heater........

For the shelves, what do you all thing about adding some holes under the units to help with air flow?  Another thought would be to drill out a larger hole and put a voltage starved computer fan to help move air (lower RPM)  Pros or cons?  Other ideas?

Thanks!

 

[Thermioniclife]

Just spit balling here but I would tend to think that the hot air convection from an amp would pass through to the underside of the shelf above it and so on. Although I have never studied thermodynamics. Perhaps a solid shelf my be better.

 

[johnsonad]

That was my thought too Lee but I figured a little help wouldn’t hurt. I could drill many say 1” holes on each shelf and rely solely on convection.

 

[Thermioniclife]

Aaron, perhaps I was unclear, I think you may be better off by having solid shelves opposed to ventilated shelves as heat from a lower component may pass to the next shelf above it and bring warmer air to the underside of that component, rinse and repeat.
I was a home audio/video installer for about 20 years and have seen terrible things happen to equipment with ventilated shelves in an enclosed cabinet but in an open air environment solid bottomed shelves faired much better. ymmv.

 

[johnsonad]

Thanks Lee, that's sound advice .  Maybe I should factor in elevating each piece of gear higher than they already are to the shelf spacing. This should help with natural circulation I'm assuming?

 

[Thermioniclife]

I think I should have said that if the shelves abut a wall you will suffer from stagnation, if you can leave a generous space between the wall and the backs of the vertical shelves natural convection will be enhanced. I'm hoping PJ or PB chimes in to confirm or deny

 

[johnsonad]

PB told me to turn up the AC.... Not an option unfortunately. Central California summers get warm.

I appreciate your experience Lee. That makes sense.

 

[Thermioniclife]

Yeah, I understand about hot weather, it may not be as hot as cali but we are already into the 80's out here on eastern Long Island New York. We are surrounded by water on all sides and it's humid as hell, no breeze in the summer but a Hella North East wind in the winter.
I'm sure people from the central north and Canada will play a small violin for me.

 

[Deluk]

How many items of kit are we talking about? Do they need to be one above the other? Can they be side by side? How much do aesthetics come into play here? Solid shelves that have the back edge an inch or so gap to the wall should route the heat away fine and you will likely need the gap for cables anyway.

 

[johnsonad]

All units, on one vertical. Kaiju bottom, C2A with power box second shelf, Beepre third, CD player fourth, Eros and TT on top. 13.5" ish deep with open on all sides, 24" wide. 

I'm wondering how much space I should factor in above the Kaiju, BeePre and C2A given the hot weather. I'm planning on 1-1.5" elevation of all units above the bottom of their respective shelves.

 

[Paul Birkeland]

https://www.rackmountsolutions.net/42u-7k-btu-air-conditioned-server-rack-cabinet/

 

[johnsonad]

Holy smokes Paul, it's not that hot, lol.  How much clearance above each of the heat producing units would you recommend?

 

[Paul Birkeland]

I would focus on moving a lot of air and possibly using a well enclosed cabinet with directed fans to grab air at the bottom and exhaust it through the top. That will grab the coolest air in the room and use it to keep your gear chilly.

 

[Tubegopher]

That sounds a lot cheaper than your last suggestion! 

 

[johnsonad]

Sounds like a chimney effect. More to think about. Thanks everybody.