2. amps-preamps
  3. 159662-4358

Cooling fan for tube amp?

I added the Iso-Acoustic footers under my tube amp and see that I have about 2" of clearance and wonder if I someone could suggest a small fan that I could mount on my open wood audio rack to dissipate the heat from the KT88 and 6SN7 tubes in the amp?   If this has been covered before, please point me to the proper links.  Thanks.  
whitestix

Showing 3 responses by cleeds

cleeds
6,070 posts
 
whitestix
... I need a fan to be mounted on the back of the rack ...
@whitestix why does the fan need to be mounted at the back of the rack? Your 2 inches of vertical clearance will accommodate an AC Infinity unit, which can then exhaust to the back or front of the rack.
cleeds
6,070 posts
 
millercarbon
... the amp itself needs no cooling fan. Plenty of air flow even with a shelf above it.
I don't think 2 inches of vertical clearance is sufficient for any vacuum tube amplifier, even if the rack it's on is open on the back and sides. I have more than that and didn't think it was sufficient for my tube phono preamp, so I put an AC Infinity fan on it. Works great and can't be heard from my listening position. For $50, it pays for itself by extending tube life. After all, heat is the enemy of electronics. 
cleeds
6,070 posts
 
Or one of these. Works great.
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