Automatic fan

[Lee Schierer]

Has anyone made an entertainment center with a built in fan? I'm in the process of making one and feel I may need a fan to pull the heat from the cabinet, but don't want the fan to run 24/7. Is there an inexpensive reliable way to automatically turn the fan on when the components are turned on and have it go off when the components get turned off? None of my components have a switched outlet built in.

[Jamie Buxton]

Many entertainment components have switched outlets on the back. They're usually used so that turning on, say, an amplifier, can turn on something else like a CD player. Do any of your components have that?

Or you could use a tool-triggered outlet like the ones intended to turn on a shop vac when a sander is turned on. Woodcraft, Sears, and others sell those.

[Chad Pater]

I am thinking a thermostat would be best. You don't have to worry about turning it on a off, and the fan comes on even if you aren't the one running the equipment.

[Lee Schierer]

Or you could use a tool-triggered outlet like the ones intended to turn on a shop vac when a sander is turned on. Woodcraft, Sears, and others sell those.

That's sort of what I had in mind, but could not locate one. I've searched woodcraft, but apparently haven't figured out what they called it. Any idea how much current one of these needs to trigger? An amplifier doesn't draw a lot of juice unless you crank up the volume.

[Tom Veatch]

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00924031000P

Lee, I have one of these laying around somewhere that I've never used. If you're interested and will pay the postage, PM me, and if I can find it, it's yours. Don't know what the trigger amperage is, but it probably uses a triac to switch the outlets and I imagine the trigger is in the milliamp range. Don't try to take that to the bank, because I really don't know for sure.

[Jamie Buxton]

That's sort of what I had in mind, but could not locate one. I've searched woodcraft, but apparently haven't figured out what they called it. Any idea how much current one of these needs to trigger? An amplifier doesn't draw a lot of juice unless you crank up the volume.

http://www.woodcraft.com/product.asp...&FamilyID=5855

[Frank Hagan]

There are themostatic fans for media centers. They typically turn on at 85F and off at 80F.

Amazon has a vendor selling through them that sells a kit; I haven't used it personally, but at $69 it looks like it would do the job. I put the SawmillCreek tag in the following link at Amazon so the Creek should get credit for the sale if you buy it:

Coolerguys Cabcool1202 w/thermal control for Cabinet or Home Theaters