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Cooling Cooling/Airflow issues

Discussion in 'Tech Support' started by DeafGamer2015, 22 Sep 2014.

  1. DeafGamer2015

    DeafGamer2015 Minimodder

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    As the title stated,

    a customer of mine is having some cooling issues with one of his computers for his business here in town.. all 4 of his computers are currently installed in cabinets and now there's no cooling/airflow going inside the cabinets.. Is there a way to install some sort of fans to help remove the heat or at least create some airflow?

    I am aware that I may have to purchase some fans and some adapters in order to run off the PSU in all the computers in order to ensure that the other 3 doesn't suffer the overheating issues like this one.

    What size do you guys recommend for removing heat and/or create airflow and where can I find them fast?

    And what tool do I need to get to cut holes in the cabinets for the fans?

    Note: I did not setup the computers in this type of manners but someone else did this before I was contacted.
     
  2. DeafGamer2015

    DeafGamer2015 Minimodder

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    Bump. No one knows what should I do?
     
  3. Nealieboyee

    Nealieboyee Packaging Master!

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    You can use a few 120mm fans to get some air moving. I think you need a 114mm hole saw to make the holes. 4mm drill bit for the screws. Drilling machine obviously. Masking tape so you don't damage the paintwork on the cabinets.

    How big are the cabinets? I would put at least two fans on the front and one on the back for each PC, similar to what you would do inside a PC.
     
  4. Nealieboyee

    Nealieboyee Packaging Master!

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    Scan.co.UK or amazon will have fans. Buyer, ccl etc.
     
  5. Corky42

    Corky42 Where's walle?

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    When you say cabinet i assume you mean a rack mount cabinet ? Or is it a cupboard repurposed as a cabinet.

    If it's the former you can get rack mount fan units.

    If it's the latter would it be possible to open up a hole at the bottom and top of the cabinet to create a chimney effect, if that wasn't possible then i would go with what Nealieboyee has suggested.
     
  6. DeafGamer2015

    DeafGamer2015 Minimodder

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    Cupboard re-purposed as a cabinet.. and I doubt that the bottom will be enough.. I was thinking of doing a Push-Pull but on the sides of the cabinets... Will that work?

    So I need at least 3 - 4 fans for each of the cabinet and figure out how to power them.. there's 4 total computers for his business.. so need at least 12 to 16 fans for all 4.
     
  7. TheMadDutchDude

    TheMadDutchDude The Flying Dutchman

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    All you need to do is create a hole at the back of the cabinet, or even remove that part completely to give it enough air to breathe. No need for fans and all this. Just remove the panel where the PC is and it'll be fine.
     
  8. DeafGamer2015

    DeafGamer2015 Minimodder

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    Here's the thing.. 2 of the computers are stationed at front of the store and 2 in the back against the wall.. so I doubt that they would want holes in their cabinets that can be seen.
     
  9. TheMadDutchDude

    TheMadDutchDude The Flying Dutchman

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    So adding a hole and a fan is something they'd want? Do the cabinets open, even if it is ever so slightly?
     
  10. DeafGamer2015

    DeafGamer2015 Minimodder

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    The cabinets does open but the customer don't want to bump into the doors all the time.
     
  11. TheMadDutchDude

    TheMadDutchDude The Flying Dutchman

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    It literally needs to open by a centimetre, just enough to let air flow around the cabinet.

    It'll save cutting holes. You'd need fairly high CFM fans too which means a lot of added noise.
     
  12. DeafGamer2015

    DeafGamer2015 Minimodder

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    Well the computer that was having cooling/overheating issue is no longer working properly.. I even checked everything I could think of.. It's possibly just a bad PC in whole.. it ran fine for nearly half a decade then it stopped working properly.. the other 3 PCs are functioning properly.

    But I'll figure something out to create some airflow.. maybe make a couple screens that will allow it to create airflow like those windows ones that you normally see on house windows but smaller in order to create some airflow?
     
  13. MarkVarley

    MarkVarley Minimodder

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    Without knowing the size of the setup I'll just suggest the basic principle of bringing air in from low down and exhaust from higher up preferably from the opposite sides.
    Make sure the computers within are also moving air efficiently from front/base to rest/roof and feed&exhaust that with simple 120mm fans, the number depends on the size of the space, maybe 4 or 6 total. You can get hole saws around 100mm which would give a big enough hole, bigger would be better. You can secure the fans with wood screws for wooden cabinet or machine screws for metal. If one machine is always on you could run a Molex extension to run them at 5, 7 or 12 volts.
    You could also quite them up to a mains power supply, check the current requirement of the type and number fans you choose.
     
  14. DeafGamer2015

    DeafGamer2015 Minimodder

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    Here's the thing, I doubt that my friend would like holes in his counters since he just bought the new counters like a few months back and those are really nice and sleek. BUT I was thinking of taking the doors off the cabinets and use screen doors of sorts to remove the heat if that makes sense??
     
  15. Daedelus

    Daedelus What's a Dremel?

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    Can't you just cut some holes near the top of the doors and/or the sides of the cupboard and fit something like this?

    [​IMG]
     
  16. DeafGamer2015

    DeafGamer2015 Minimodder

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    That's it. I was looking for that one! Thanks.. Been trying to figure out the right name for those..
     
  17. blackerthanblack

    blackerthanblack Minimodder

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    They are louvre panels.
     
  18. DeafGamer2015

    DeafGamer2015 Minimodder

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    I couldn't find the top ones that in that picture you linked. I found the ones of the bottom, though.

    Sent from my GT-P5210 using Tapatalk
     

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