Hopefully we are all aware that electronic components should not operate in hot environments. Why? Because it impacts their reliability and can cause anything from intermittent issues (why does the sound go out – sometimes?) to premature equipment failure (usually during a critical event!).

How hot is too hot? Here is the rule that is used throughout the AV industry: For digital equipment, the room itself should be no hotter than 75ºF. This gives a 10ºF temperature difference between the room and the recommended 85ºF internal enclosure temperature for optimum equipment life.

The best time to ensure you have a robust thermal management system is during the planning stage. That’s right, ‘thermal management system’. It’s tempting to think that a system can be kept cool enough just by adding fans. The reality is that it is more complex than this – but is absolutely within reach of every system designer by paying attention to the following concepts:

• Airflows
• Component level – how air enters and exits the component
• Enclosure – how the heat enters the enclosure, ensuring that it is in a manner that will feed the components properly – and then how it is exhausted
• Room – You can’t make an enclosure colder than a room with fans alone; therefore it is important to ensure the space the enclosure will be in has sufficient airflow and cooling
• Convection – hot air rises. Plan component and fan placement wisely!

After the system is installed it is important to ensure that everything is working as designed. Installing a remote monitoring system with temperature monitoring and tracking is the best way to determine this – it isn’t enough to just check the system once it has been turned on. In addition, monitoring it over time can help identify issues as the environment changes (did additional heat generating products get added to the equipment room? Is a vent clogged?).

To learn how to better plan your next installation, please read the ‘Thermal Management: Using a System Approach’ whitepaper from Middle Atlantic products, a LegrandAV brand.