Just out of curiosity, I was wondering if anyone has modified an entry system to help with cooling. I have a Unitec Portal that's in an enclosed brick kiosk, and being in south FL, it gets hot in the summer. Yes the units have internal cooling fans, but when it's opened you notice the heat. Any thoughts?
Entry system getting hot, hot, hot
- Thread starter mac
- Start date
Waxman
Super Moderator
my hamilton unit has a 110 v outlet inside. when my environmental control went out i used one of those fake candles people put in their windows during the holidaze. i plugged it into the 110 outlet and it kept inside cashier warm. you could do the same thing with a small fan to keep yours cool ( if your unit has an outlet).
robert roman
Bob Roman
My daughter’s boyfriend is a professional gamer and uses high-powered pc’s that get really hot during play.
To cope with heat, he sets processor on top of a chill pad, dual-fan cooling system (USB-powered).
Pads start at around $30 at Best Buy.
To cope with heat, he sets processor on top of a chill pad, dual-fan cooling system (USB-powered).
Pads start at around $30 at Best Buy.
MEP001
Well-known member
The "chill pads" that cost $30 are just a couple fans to help cool a laptop and would do nothing to help cool inside a hot cabinet. Something needs to exhaust the hot air or there is no benefit from a fan.
Bill Pitzer mentioned using a fan blowing through oversized conduit running to an auto cashier so the air would get cool running underground to the unit.
Bill Pitzer mentioned using a fan blowing through oversized conduit running to an auto cashier so the air would get cool running underground to the unit.
tdlconceptsllc
Well-known member
A Form of Refrigeration would be necessary to remove heat from a confined space and reject to a unwanted space meaning outside. You could put a mini evaporator coil inside and a condenser outside with the compressor and a 4 way valve and have heat in the winter. Would be costly you would have too drill a line set through pay station and brickwork. A refrigeration system off a drink machine would work for this. I have been wanting to do this to for a through the wall vender for someone.
Every Paystation I have ever owned has this same issue hard on the Boards.
Every Paystation I have ever owned has this same issue hard on the Boards.
robert roman
Bob Roman
“I have a Unitec Portal that's in an enclosed brick kiosk, and being in south FL, it gets hot in the summer.”
I’d imagine this set-up would be ventilated.
I mentioned pad fan because they are inexpensive, last a long time and work great when PC is almost too hot to touch.
Does something prevent installing a vent in brick enclosure?
I’d imagine this set-up would be ventilated.
I mentioned pad fan because they are inexpensive, last a long time and work great when PC is almost too hot to touch.
Does something prevent installing a vent in brick enclosure?
From talking to Unitec I found out that there are actually six, yes six, cooling fans inside the unit. The shell of the machine does have vent holes, but because it's encapsulated in a brick and cement case, there is simply no way to get fresh air for cooling. I was thinking of just boring a hole or two in the back of the kiosk, with maybe one of those solar fans you see in hats, to get rid of the hot air. The owner keeps a thermometer inside, so we can get real before and after readings. Will let you know. Just seemed that the manufacturers would have thought of this.
tdlconceptsllc
Well-known member
They want it to overheat so they can sell you new control boards why would they build it perfect haha
jenward
Member
mac,
Our units are tested in an environmental chamber, and the Portal has a certified operating temperature of -20F to 115F.
We sell a brick-in kit for the Portal, with instructions on how to brick-in the unit and create gaps between the unit and the brick. This gap should allow for adequate air for and ventilation. Do you happen to know if a brick-in kit was used in this instance? Also, if the unit was installed some time ago, the exhaust fan should be checked to make sure it's fully operational.
I hope this information is helpful. If you have additional questions, please let me know.
Thank you,
Jen Ward
Unitec
Hello Jen, the unit was installed about 20 months ago, with the brick kit. near as we can tell by looking, all of the cooling fans are working. The owner did recently install a thermometer but all we know for sure is that it was real toasty inside. It has been in the 90s here for the last few weeks and my gut reaction is that unless we can provide access for fresh air (which is still at 96 degrees) we can't effectively remove the heat. Will let you know what happens as we put in a real vent yesterday. And Jen, thanks for monitoring this site. Wish more of our suppliers would.
Stuart
Member
Just outside the box here---- maybe go into the ER and find the conduit which goes to the unitec. somehow modify a fan, funnel, duct tape, whatever to blow through the conduit air to create a positive airflow which will push some of the "HOT" air out of the unitec through the existing vents on the side and the front. FWIW
A little update. Jen you mentioned the units are tested to 115 degrees F. The thermometer in the unit before the modification was reading 113 degrees pretty steady. I don't know about you, but I have a hard time being effective at that temp. We cut a 4" hole on the back side of the kiosk near the top of the unit, and the temps have come down, but so has the ambient temp. I'm going to install a small exhaust fan in the hole to suck the hot air out.
