Thermal-type switch?

Spocker · 12-07-2005 9:19am #1

Just wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction here but I'm looking for some kind of thermal type plug adaptor, similar to a timer plug adaptor, but that works on temperature instead of a timer.

What I want to do is put some computing gear in the attic but these days it gets DAMN hot up there - I want to rig up some fans/some kind of cooler system up there as well but obviously not on a timer - I want the cooling to come on when the temp reaches a certain level and then off again when the temp drops.

I don't even know what this kind of device (if it exists) would be called so googling didn't help. I also had a browse around Maplins & Peats but didn't see anything.

Anyone got any ideas...?

GreeBo · 12-07-2005 9:36am

Dr. Spock wrote:

Just wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction here but I'm looking for some kind of thermal type plug adaptor, similar to a timer plug adaptor, but that works on temperature instead of a timer.

What I want to do is put some computing gear in the attic but these days it gets DAMN hot up there - I want to rig up some fans/some kind of cooler system up there as well but obviously not on a timer - I want the cooling to come on when the temp reaches a certain level and then off again when the temp drops.

I don't even know what this kind of device (if it exists) would be called so googling didn't help. I also had a browse around Maplins & Peats but didn't see anything.

Anyone got any ideas...?

Might be useful from peats
but I assume you would be looking for basically a socket that has a build in thermostat, I know i would!

GreeBo · 12-07-2005 9:44am

damn Im good
linky

even better
linkyII

"+plug +in +thermostat" seems to do the google trick...

Spocker · 12-07-2005 9:58am

I'm very impressed (on a hot day as well). Cheers Greebo!

Alun · 12-07-2005 12:02pm

Two ideas ...

1) A portable air conditioning unit which would have its own thermostat. Could be a bit pricey though.

2) A bit of lateral thinking. The main way that computer equipment heats up a confined space is from the warm air being expelled via the fans both on the PSU and (optionally) in the case. The metal of the case itself is usually quite cool, so there's little heat escaping by normal convection. I've seen pictures of a setup somehwere, where they have attached a box of some sorts over the back of the PC case and attached some PVC hose, looked like tumbler drier hose to me, to that and vented it to the outside. It doesn't have to be a professional job ... a cardboard box and sume duck tape should do the trick. Just an idea

EDIT: just found this discussion that should give you some ideas.

gregos · 12-07-2005 2:06pm

Fans won't cool the place down. Alun is right: you'll have to duct the hot air away someplace else.

Spocker · 12-07-2005 2:15pm

Alun wrote:

EDIT: just found this discussion that should give you some ideas.

Jesus, did you see the ducting that quy had on his PC :eek:

Anyways, the ducting sounds like a good idea. I see what you mean about the fans, all they'll do is push the hot air around the attic space. Any suggestions on how to lower the temp in the general area??

The house is new and has 4 vents at the back (1 already used for vent from en-suite) so it shouldn't be too much trouble to rig up the ducting, but how to get the hot air from inside to outside..?

Alun · 12-07-2005 2:39pm

Yes, some of the examples shown on that link are a bit 'extreme' to say the least

If you have some kind of vent to the outside, then all you need to do is to rig up some way of connecting the ducting to the back of the PC and to the vent and away you go. Air is being sucked into the PC case through vents (usually) in the front and expelled through the fan(or fans) in the back of the case, so no additional effort is required to extract it, it just gets pushed out to the outside by the fans. Just make sure the ducting is as large a diameter as possible, and preferably don't make it too long.

If you do this, it should help considerably with the temperature in the room itself, since a lot of this is coming from the hot air being expelled from the PC. The PC case itself isn't the culprit here ... feel it, and I'll bet it's quite cool.

BTW, it's probably a good idea to give all the vents in the case a good vacuum first to make sure there isn't any accumulated dust bunging the holes up. And if you have it, install some software to monitor the fan speeds and internal case temperatures just to make sure everythings OK.

Spocker · 12-07-2005 2:46pm

Alun wrote:

If you do this, it should help considerably with the temperature in the room itself, since a lot of this is coming from the hot air being expelled from the PC. The PC case itself isn't the culprit here ... feel it, and I'll bet it's quite cool.

Sorry Alun, I should have been more specific - this gear isn't in place (yet) - it's all going in the attic, so in my case it's good old Mr. Sun and the serveral layers of insulation thats building up/storing the heat rather than the PC - the PC itself won't we a workhorse or CPU intensive, just a regular PIII thats consigned to being a fileserver

patrido · 12-07-2005 2:47pm

thermal insulation is your man. the reason your attic is 50degrees, and your house is 20ish is that your house is insulated and stops the heat coming in, whereas the attic acts like a greenhouse.

you could make a mini room or even a cabinet, from 4x2 and some sheets of plywood. put some insulation between the 4x2s, sandwiched between the sheets of ply. take your ducting to a vent on a cold side of your house, preferably north. this will be the air inflow.

then just put the thermostatically controlled fan on the cabinet so it will suck the air out of the cabinet, into the attic.

this solution will decrease the amount of dust passing through your equipment too as your pulling in cleaner, not the dusty attic air.

Spocker · 12-07-2005 2:57pm

I like it patrido, I ain't afraid of a bit of DIY so I might give that a go.

patrido wrote:

then just put the thermostatically controlled fan on the cabinet so it will suck the air out of the cabinet, into the attic.

Any idea where I'd get one of these....?

patrido · 12-07-2005 3:13pm

Dr. Spock wrote:

Any idea where I'd get one of these....?

a normal bathroom fan plugged in to one of the things greebo posted earlier is probably the best bet.
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/SMET05.html

A few weeks ago a guy on the ukha_d list on yahoogroups posted details of the ventilation solution he put in his attic for his node zero. You need to sign up first, but the link to the thread is here...
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ukha_d/message/119889

I think he got a basic thermostat in maplins and hooked it up to a fan.

patrido · 12-07-2005 3:18pm

by the way, if you do go for some kind of enclosure, it's important that the fan is on the same circuit as the PC. you might have quite reasonably fed the PC from a socket circuit, and the fan from a lighting circuit, but you don't want the power to the fan failing, and the PC continuing to work and generate heat in your nicely insulated enclosed space. it will be as bad if not worse, than having it in the attic as it is.

also if the PC is on a UPS, the fan should also be on it.

Spocker · 12-07-2005 3:21pm

Sorry patrido, hadn't noticed that Greebo updated his post.

patrido wrote:

it's important that the fan is on the same circuit as the PC

Good call, will do

Thanks for all the help guys

, I think I'll build the cabinet, fitted with the bathroom-type extractor venting to the hot side of the house, cooler air fed from the cooler side and controlled using the plug in thermostat jobby.

If I remember I'll post up some pics when it's all done

S.

Thermal-type switch?

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