DTV Receiver over heating

[kketterling]

My Direct TV receiver tends to get very hot in the cabinet by the front TV and a number of times it has shut down due to high temp. Even if I leave the cabinet door open it still get very hot. If the coach AC is running there is a vent that's plumbed into the cabinet but I'm not always needing the AC. Cabinet is above the front windshield.

Looking for ideas or ways to cool the receiver cabinet. Relocating receiver not really an option.

Thanks

[Clifftall]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kketterling My Direct TV receiver tends to get very hot in the cabinet by the front TV and a number of times it has shut down due to high temp. Even if I leave the cabinet door open it still get very hot. If the coach AC is running there is a vent that's plumbed into the cabinet but I'm not always needing the AC. Cabinet is above the front windshield. Looking for ideas or ways to cool the receiver cabinet. Relocating receiver not really an option. Thanks

Sounds to me like your dtv box has a problem.

I just returned from 6 weeks in some of the hottest temps in the country ( 109 heat index every day ) in the Rio Grande Valley of Tx.and my box is in an unvented cabinet above pilot seat and gets warm but not hot.

Cliff

[MonacoMama]

Many people have wired in a computer fan with a switch that they can turn on and off.

I will find some threads tonight with posts if you need them.

[wa8yxm]

While I can not speak for your rig the solution to overheating is air flow

On my coach I made several changes

I took a 4" hole saw and drilled a hole in the side, put a computer fan over the hole and a 90 degree Thermostatic switch (like the ones used on Frige fans) on the fan. That helps

I also drilled some 4" holes in the back of the cabinet to let in more air

I replaced the Plexiglas insert in the door with a custom made black anadozied window screen (Nylon would have worked too)

Nice and cool in there now.

The radio compartment will get a matching "Window" soon.

[kketterling]

"Many people have wired in a computer fan with a switch that they can turn on and off. I will find some threads tonight with posts if you need them."


The use of a computer fan tied to a thermostat might be the way to go. Would be interested in knowing more about how that was done. One of the problems is the cabinet is not very big and don't believe there is any insulation between the cabinet and exterior wall.

[62Morgan]

You could add some insulating value above the cabinet enclosure [in the front cap] to cut down on the heat migrating into the overhead. I've tried bubble wrap; but replaced it with fiberglass insulation with better results. I recall seeing a previous post with picture of fiberglass applied.

This is assuming you can get access to the back region, behind the cabinet enclosure. I had to snake-in 6x8x22 lengths in order to avoid removal of the TV set. Your a/c vent needs to be free and clear of obstruction.

Spray foam would be ideal insulator material. But how to control the output to a confined area [and not be such a mess]? I have an idea on how to accomplish this; but went with the fiberglass as I had it handy and can remove it at a later date if I so choose.

BTW: Do a "search" and you will see small fan installations that can either be switched or t-stat controlled. This would require an open circulation route for the air to enter and then exit the area.

[Diplomat Don]

kketterling....When I replaced my front TV, I found that Monaco insulates the roof nicely, but where the front cap meets the roof line has no insulation. The entire front cap was just bare fiberglass. Just before I finished my install, I stuffed the entire front cap, as far as I could reach with fiberglass insulation. Almost two full rolls. This helped alot.

On the back side of my driver's overhead cabinet, is a small louvered vent that was installed by Monaco. When I moved everything (DTV Receiver, Sat control and Home Theater) to that cabinet, I added a small 2" computer fan to the inside back of the cabinet, directly over the louvered vent. Whenever the DTV receiver is on, I turn on the fan and leave the front cabinet door open.

[itdave]

In many of our RV that front entertainment cabinet has too many components that generate heat. The DTV receivers tend to very hot. I and others have added a separate shelf below the cabinet to hold the receiver. This keeps all the components cooler.

[ImagineIF]

Ken,

If you have the Sony DVD/Home Theater receiver that Beaver was installing, your heat problem is worse. Not only is that Sony system warm, if you're using it, it also adds to the heat because Beaver had to cut the back out of that compartment to get the Sony system in there. Consequently, there's a big hole right next to the limited insulation installed in the front upper curve of the roof line. If you must leave your SatTV receiver there, a fan MAY fit on the far right side of the compartment. The other option used and commented on here is to leave the compartment door open when you aren't running the A/C.

You must not have a HD receiver. If you do, you should really move the SatTV receiver to compartment above or below the large screen TV. Otherwise, you're not taking advantage of the HD quality. That's something I have on my to do list as I hate where Beaver put both the DVD/Home Theater system and SatTV cable location. I have already moved my SatTV controller to the compartment above the entry door. I'll be running coax from the HD SatTV receiver to the small front TV and HDMI to the large TV.

[a k]

Call DTV they recalled the silver colored receiver for fire hazard.

[moisheh]

If yours is the Silver HD unit they can start fires!! But there is a problem replacing the unit with a newer one. Monaco wired the Roof TV antenna to the DTV receiver. The newer HD receivers do not have an input for the antenna. Very hard to rewire.

[kketterling]

Unit is black and it is an HDDVR and I do have the Sony DVD/Home Theater receiver that Beaver was installing. Unfortunately the only cabinet I have to put the receiver, sony unit and the Moto Sat receiver in is the one in front of the passenger seat. A small fan is looking more like the option I'm going to have explore. Might also look if I can install some insulation as well.

[Route 66]

I added these 2 fans and they cured the DirecTV over heat problem.

The fans exhaust air from the electronics cabinet to the space behind the TV.

They are very quiet.

[Sixpack98]

DirecTV receivers run very hot (both on and off) and will shut down if overheated. Adding fans to move the air will solve the problem. I installed 2 variable speed temp sensing fans, one exhausting and one pulling in fresh air and no more heat problems. Be careful about selecting fans. Some are very loud if run of full 12v. A quick dirty solution is to fun 2 fans in series with each other. They will be much quieter and still exchange the air pretty quickly.