Cooling amps with computer fans

correct me if I'm wrong, but don't computer fans run on 5V, and not 12V? if so, you'll fry the shit out of those fans in a hurry. . .

They run on 12V:

http://aspireusa.net/product.php?pid=109

I wanted to use a red fan mounted under the amplifier which would be slightly elevated off the floor of the cargo compartment, so then there would be a red glow underneath the amp.

yup, they do run on 12V, my bad

I did some further research and it looks like the fans have to be wired to a relay, but I have no idea how to wire the relay. Can anyone provide some insight on this? Thanks again.

There is a post about this in the audio threads of vwvortex, if I can find it i'll post it. I think the relays ran from a stinger cap or something to that effect. I'll see if I can find it.

upon a quick google search I found these sites:

The idea:
http://sound.westhost.com/project42.htm

Amp cooling fan:
http://www.made-in-china.com/showro...ZYJHBQUp/China-Amplifier-Fan-Cooling-Fan.html

Home audio application, but same idea:
http://forums.soundandvisionmag.com/audiovideo/board/message?board.id=57&message.id=10542

here is some great info

http://www.bcae1.com/coolfans.htm

http://www.bcae1.com/amprack.htm

[quote author=Anthonys3 link=topic=71994.msg1272979#msg1272979 date=1174145080]
ya...you can do it, and if your pushing alot of wattage in the summer heat, this is a cheap and good looking way to cool your amps that are inclosed for protection or display purposes. heres my setup:



a good way to turn on your fans is to wire them all up in parralel and then run a relay from your remote wire to turn on. So your relay is taking power from your 12V+ constant and is wired to your fans. when the ignition is turned on your relay switches contacts and you now have power flowing to your fans.

Good luck!
[/quote]

wow thats a bada$$ setup... i miss my type r's

Thank you for all the replies...they've been a big help. Anthonys3...what kind of fans did you use for your setup? Also, do you have them wired like the link from Automaticman (are they fused, all running off the same relay)?

http://www.bcae1.com/coolfans.htm

Thanks again.

Yes I connected my fans to a single relay. The relay draws power from the main audio system distribution block, through a fuse, and then through the relay and out to the two fans. The relay is triggered on and off by the system remote wire from the headunit, which does not supply enough power to drive the fas by itself and still turn the amps on.

I used stinger crossflow (squirrel cage) fans bacause they fit the best in my setup and still blow quite a lot of air. They are noisy though, esp since in didn't have enough room to make any noise baffles like it shows on the bcae1 link.

so let me get this straight...i am planning to use a fused distribution block for supplying my 2 amps (1G to 2 4G)...can i just have a 30A inline fuse coming out of one of the outputs from the disi block for the relay? also, in the link is plug 87A connected to 30 or is that just showing the switch? sorry for being so dense here.

[quote author=Timmer412 link=topic=71994.msg1281852#msg1281852 date=1174504532]
can i just have a 30A inline fuse coming out of one of the outputs from the disi block for the relay?
[/quote]

yes that is just what I did, but 30 amps is way too large, jsut get a small blade fuse holder and use a 5 amp fuse.

that diagram is just showing the switch. At rest, contacts 30 and 87a are always connected until the relay is energized.

So I've been thinking about it a bit...I'm not sure how much good a computer fan blowing on the underside of the amp will do, especially since none of the components are mounted to the bottom of the amp. Do you think I would be better off with one of those squirrel cage fans blowing on the side where the heatsinks are? I am worried about the noise, but this will be mounting under the floor of the hatch in the cargo area.

a fan is only worthwhile if it is blowing across the heatsink. Across the bottom just won't do anything.