Cool Components for Your Electronics

Most people know that the single biggest enemy of electronic components is excess heat. Yet many of us stack our expensive amplifiers, receivers, disc players and other valuable electronic paraphernalia into cabinets or closets with little to no ventilation. Think about it, have you ever put your hand on the top of one of your amplifiers and felt how warm it gets?

My components are in a cabinet and used to get quite warm. I searched for a solution and found some basic computer-type fans at RadioShack. I bought four of them and they did an effective job of cooling the equipment down. The only problem was that they were loud. Essentially I was trading the health of my equipment for these fans which were at best a short term remedy.

At the recent CEDIA (home theater) convention in Denver, I met David Lee, one of the principles in a new company (amazingly enough) named Cool Components. This company has an entire line of equipment cooling solutions that are made to not only provide quality and quiet cooling solutions, but also at very reasonable prices--especially considering the quality of construction and appearance. One thing to be aware of is that not all fans are created equal and Cool Components did their homework and had fans specially manufactured to balance the fan speed (the source of the noise) with the effectiveness of the fans.

I was very impressed with the build quality of the products that Cool Components offers. Their lineup solves a serious problem with today’s more advanced home theater components, which includes surround sound receivers, amplifiers, game boxes, and even cable and satellite receivers. All of these components generate heat, while at the same time a growing trend is to install them in cabinets or closets where airflow is either non-existent or very minimal.

The good news is that it is not difficult to provide adequate ventilation just by following some basic principles while installing components. The first step is to properly space components on shelving and not stack components that generate heat on top of one another. Also provide ventilation in shelving so air can move freely between shelving and around components. The next step is to add cooling products to help circulate the air and protect the systems.

From Cool Components’ numerous solutions, three particularly caught my eye. They each provide a basic, inexpensive level of cooling which will solve most problems you may encounter with today’s systems.

Single Fan Cooling Unit. The Single Fan Cooling Unit directly cools components ranging from home theater receivers to HD cable and satellite receivers. This little unit circulates air away from components, thus protecting the equipment from heat accumulations and failures. The unit is easily installed by simply placing it on top of a component and is ideal when airflow is limited by installing components in a cabinet.

The heavy gauge steel construction not only provides an attractive appearance but it is extremely durable. This unit features a top-quality levitation blower that is mounted using a ‘floating’ gasket which eliminates noise caused by typical fan vibrations.

Cabinet Vent. The Cabinet Vent does a great job of protecting entire systems that are installed in entertainment centers or other cabinetry. The unit is easily installed to the side or back of a cabinet and vents hot air out of the cabinet and away from components. Multiple units can be used in more demanding situations and the unit comes in Black, White, or Tan. The housing is made from high gloss PVC and you can also reverse the direction of the airflow if you prefer to vent cool air into the cabinet.

Component Cooling Unit.The Component Cooling Unit is one of the most aggressive cooling products on the market. It is intended to be placed above, below, or between components and is customizable in regard to having air blowing upward, downward, and even out the front of the unit. The unit is the same width as standard audio video components but at less than 2” in height, it will fit in the tightest spots while maximizing airflow around your components.

After putting up with too much fan noise over the past few years, I was pleased to discover these products. Cool Components was started by custom audio video experts who, while working on both small and large systems almost daily, saw the need for a full line of quality cooling and venting products for their installations.

For more information about this great "insurance" for your expensive electronic gear check out: www.coolcomponents.com

John Lentz