Amp Fans, I'm too lazy to read other threads.

[RID22]

Can someone please tell me how to install amp fans in my RZ4. My dealer has never done them and I'm not cruising around the lake this year with my hatches open. I have 3 really big kicker amps, 1500.1, and two 850's. I've read a little bit about how to set up the fans, but I don't know which brands I can trust.

Here's what I think I know.

I need one fan that blows across the amps and one fan as an exhaust pulling air out of the compartment.
I've heard of people cutting a whole in the glass on the walkway for the exhaust fan. Is that correct? I'm guessing it should be close to the top of the compartment.
However, I don't want to manually turn the fans on. Has anyone ever hooked their fans up to a thermostat, so they automatically run if the ambient air reaches a certain temp?

It would be great if someone knew exactly what parts I should buy, where to get them, and how to install everything. I can just forward this thread to my dealer, and they can do it.

Thanks,
MD

[Coach]

I have hooked up a Blower Fan directly to one of the 12 V sources of the Amp so that when the amp is on so is the fan. This would push air across the amps keeping it cooler.

I have the same amps and the only time I have problems is when I leave the hatches closed up while beached pumping the music up. This has only been happening during the last couple of trips where the air temp has been about 110+. I am sure you can hook up a brush fan or some other 12 V fan to the amp power supply that would work as well

[dogbert]

I ended up buying Kenwood amps because they already have a fan integrated with the amp. Like coach said, then you just have to make sure you have some sort of ventilation to circulate air through the compartment you install them in. I would think just a vent that's exposed when you're driving would be sufficient and then just remembering to open whatever hatch when you're beached.

My amps are located fairly high up above the driver kick panel, so circulation is not a problem. You can't really see them and they are fairly well protected from the elements in most conditions. I've never had it overheat in any situation here in Texas.

[Timmy!]

too bad you can't tap into that fresh air vent tube that runs right through there to blow across them. A nice 30mph wind blowing across them sure would be nice!

[rushin]

too bad you can't tap into that fresh air vent tube that runs right through there to blow across them. A nice 30mph wind blowing across them sure would be nice!

This is exactly what I did. The fresh air hose runs right next to the amps mounted on the forward side of the compartment. I cut a small section of the hose out and it blows on the amps.

[Domsz06]

i did the fresh air, as well as have two fans in each compartment one blowing in, one blowing out. one compartment on one switch the other on another, and will have a temp gauge on all 6 amps so I can see which one's are running hot and when to turn them on. (this is still getting installed ) I just picked up some brushless PC fans. 130 CFM should be plenty to circulate the air. Also all the amps have fans on them now. My Zapco didn't have one, but they make a small little 2 inch by 2 inch that they sell and I put or should say my dealer put that on, wired it to the remote and ground on the amp, when the amp is on , the fan is on. My big fans only pull .13 amps, so I can only imagine what this small one pulls.

Dom