Any good ways to cool an amplifier?

You may need to purchase an amp which is rated for more watts than you intend to use. Most items have a different rating depending on the duty cycle. For instance, a blow up mattress pump can only run for a few minutes before you need to let it cool for half an hour. You need an amp rated for your frat parties at 100% duty cycle.

Have you tried buying some heat sinks? Just even placing them under it could help cool it down.

@malevolentbutticklish The amp is rated at 3000 Watts and I was running like 2800 Watts Peak/ 1400 Watts RMS of speakers with it. Not a good enough ratio?

@judochop How would I attach them? Do you have a recommended source to buy them from?

Liquid of course:

http://bazooka.com/products/mobile/Amplifiers-C5/EL-Series-S52

Heat sinks are good in drawing heat away from the electronic components but if you have stagnant air within the chassis, heat will still build-up at a certain point. Best way to keep system cool is to keep air flowing. Use a fan to help quickly disperse the heat away from the system. Try to get a 12 volt DC brushless fan so there’s less likely chance of introducing noise into your electrical system.

They just sit under the Amp. You can find them at HomeDepot or any electrical store.

This is a home amp, 120 V 60 Hz is a preferred source.

And I don’t think just setting the amp on a heat sink will provide a very good thermal connection.

The amp already has a fan, should I get more?

@PacificRimjob I didn’t see any liquid cooling on that site :/

@pikipupiba yes, obviously your fan is not sufficient to cool down the system. Make sure the vents are gunk-free. Try to operate the unit where heat is less likely to build-up (avoid under covered table or in a cabinet)

Check this out for 12VDC fans that you can plug into 120VAC

@njnyjobs oooo, I like the look of that fan. I am thinking about tying some elongated heat sinks on the sides and under belly of the amp with steel wire (using thermal paste) and then aiming a couple desk fans at it. Good idea?

@pikipupiba if you can take out the cover and replace it with a custom expanded or perforated metal cover, then place the fans on top, you should be rockin away all night til the cows come home.

Maybe just open the case and aim one of these at it?

Get water, pour it on top.

yeah sure, why not . . . and if something happens to drop-in, then it’ll just go straight into the electronics thereby breaking it apart and giving you an excuse to get a brand spanking new amplifier that will really crank up the place…. great plan! and while you’re at it, instead of heat sinks, sit the amp on a block of ice….that’ll cool ‘em down, fersherrr!

Heat sinks are designed to pull the heat from electronics. They are cheap and easy to use. If you have the cash then install a new fan. I’ve already assumed you’re not setting this thing in a cab or under a covered table. Either or, $25 for heat sinks or $80 for a good fan. Which most likely will void your warrenty. Do some research. Call the factory. Go talk to the people who you bought it from. This is not a complicated problem and should be cheap to fix without changing parts which again, will most likely void your warrenty.