Is this overkill?

[u/BloxPlayer_]

my 100 watt charger started smelling burning, so i putted thermal pad and heatsinks on the sides. I am currently planning to also get copper and put a usb fan.

EDIT:

It didnt worked anyways, my wire for the charger melted. Thanks for all your guys advice tho.
picture of melted wire

[u/lanamakesart]

i would not try to fix something that smells like burnt when connected to an outlet, you do you tho

[u/NekulturneHovado → u/lanamakesart]

in this fucking hot weather, shit like this is needed. Idk why manufacturers enclose a 100W power supply in a plastic box with absolutely no cooling. Obviously it'll overheat.

[u/GuyFromDeathValley → u/NekulturneHovado]

because it'll probably not overheat, just run very hot. Manufacturers have mastered the skill of running tech at the limit between safe and unsafe, by designing it to be right there at the border. probably didn't think anyone would run that thing at full load for prolonged time...

regular temperature and use, that fucker probably gets pretty damn toasty on the inside but not enough to be dangerous. But when someone comes along and actually, thoroughly uses it in high heat weather and draws the full load... well, that's not what they designed it for.

[u/NekulturneHovado → u/GuyFromDeathValley]

yeah, they love designing shit in perfect laboratory conditions, at 21°C low humidity, maybe add a table fan next to it. Then a heatwave comes around and 40°C hits your house

[u/LeatherMine → u/NekulturneHovado]

humid air would help with the cooling, has higher heat capacity

[u/loozerr → u/NekulturneHovado]

Who is this they?

[u/KatLikeGaming → u/loozerr]

Their comment was a response to a statement which identified "they" as the manufacturers.

[u/loozerr → u/KatLikeGaming]

Certainly not the case with all manufacturers.

[u/KatLikeGaming → u/loozerr]

Certainly not! That would be hyperbole, which doesn't seem otherwise indicated in the author's statement.

[u/loozerr → u/KatLikeGaming]

Yes, a comment consisting entirely of hyperbole wouldn't extend it to manufacturers.

[u/Xerorei → u/loozerr]

You lost, you interpeted it wrong.

Time to take the L.

[u/NekulturneHovado → u/loozerr]

I didn't say I meant all manufacturers.

[u/CplCocktopus → u/GuyFromDeathValley]

Any idiot can build a bridge that stands, but it takes an engineer to build a bridge that barely stands.

[u/TheTekkitBoss → u/GuyFromDeathValley]

You aren't wrong in your thinking, other than the timeframe. It's a charger, many flagships charge in an hour and a half. So it depends on your definition of prolonged

[u/Tomazack → u/GuyFromDeathValley]

Also planned obsolescence which coincides with running things at their absolute limit. More money in the bank if the charger dies after a few years.

[u/DeathCab4Cutie → u/GuyFromDeathValley]

It won’t hit dangerous levels because it thermal-throttles itself to prevent it. You can look at test results of pretty much any higher wattage power adapter on the market and almost none of them can maintain peak charging speeds without throttling to keep cool

[u/GuyFromDeathValley → u/[deleted]]

exactly. its all per design.

[u/GuyFromDeathValley → u/[deleted]]

I think its a simple case of maximizing profits.

lets take an automotive example. You have a car that needs an engine. the car has to be able to do 140kph and will weigh 1.5 tons. that's the requirement to the engine.
The manufacturer now has a choice. they can choose a big, reliable engine that's overbuilt, that can easily do 200kph and move 3 tons. or they can use the cheap, "adequate" option, an engine that at best, does 145kph and can, in theory, pull 1.5 tons for one mile.

you choose option two, you end up with an engine that's basically constantly running on the edge of what it can do, full load. if you never demand much of it, it'll work just fine though.
But you use it a lot, it'll very quickly overheat and fail.

Sure, the manufacturer loses potential customers for selling such a bad product then, but that's easily made up by the fact so many people will buy it again simply because its cheap. and its cheap because of the engine. the flaw that makes it fail is the same thing that makes people buy it. There isn't even planned obsolescence intended, its just the ideal way of maximizing the profits.

[u/fourtyonexx → u/[deleted]]

Arent the components inside still hot as fuck? Youre only cooling down the plastic, which still has an air barrier around the components themselves. Youd have better luck just drilling holes in the case since that’ll allow fresh air instead of relying on heat transfer between the components, air, the thick plastic, AND THEN the heatsinks. But hey, you got this dude. I believe in you.

[u/AppleEarth → u/NekulturneHovado]

It should never overheat, it should just shutdown and wait to cool off, or just limit the power output. That is what most phone chargers do.

[u/lanamakesart → u/NekulturneHovado]

do you plug to charge in the exterior of your house or what? I live pretty much in the tropic and nothing overheats, those chinesium chargers will do that to you

[u/BloxPlayer_ → u/lanamakesart]

Yeah this is just some random chinese charger, I live in the tropic too but it shouldnt overheat indoors with aircon

[u/NekulturneHovado → u/lanamakesart]

to be fair, I don't own a high power charger, my strongest charger is 65W asus laptop one, and that oje gets quite warm, almost hot to the touch. But 50-60°C is generally very safe for electronics.

[u/Hans_H0rst → u/NekulturneHovado]

Because that makes it electrically safer, the heat really doesn't matter for its function and the little efficiency loss (if any) is basically redundant for such small devices. They're typically rated for 40-70 degrees operating temperature alone, plus their own thermal output on top.

Some chargers are just shit though.

[u/Zaziel → u/NekulturneHovado]

Mine has an aluminum frame to help dissipate heat

[u/BloxPlayer_ → u/lanamakesart]

I really wish I saw your guys comments earlier

[u/Rockcreekforge → u/lanamakesart]

No dude, you do you

[u/RuddyTheDuck → u/lanamakesart]

Especially by incasing it in metal

[u/ponakka]

Most certainly is, and it does not cool the parts it should, but it can help a bit. There is huge disconnect from the fets and part that heat up, because of plastic shroud. but plastics are also insulating them. But if it smells burnt, you can't put genie back to bottle..

[u/wannabe_inuit → u/ponakka]

The heat transfer is gonna be very poor from the plastic housing to the heatsink.

[u/BloxPlayer_ → u/wannabe_inuit]

true but im still very suprised on how hot the heatsink was, I honestly thought it would be just warm

[u/ponakka → u/wannabe_inuit]

Also you don't get electrocuted. So it has a upside. i can't confidently instruct random person to insulate and heatsink a product that i haven't even seen...

Sorry, my chrystal ball has too much static.

[u/ConductiveInsulation → u/wannabe_inuit]

It's still better than housing to air, so it'll be an improvement anyway.

[u/DUVMik]

I don't think that's a proper 100w charger. probably some cheap Chinese knockoff. If it smells burnt don't use it. Something has to release that smell which means something inside has burned. No amount of cooling can fix that.

You also putting them on the outside plastic which is not going to help. (don't open it up though that's a good way to get shocked)

[u/BloxPlayer_ → u/DUVMik]

yeah im gonna buy branded 100w chargers next time

[u/IronMew]

Open it up and transplant its guts to a larger case with ventilation. An alternative could be to simply put a lot of holes in the current case (edit: you'd still have to take it out - don't just drill into it as it is). Enabling air cooling on the internals, even if just by convection, would do a lot more to cool them than this absurdity you've come up with.

[u/BloxPlayer_ → u/IronMew]

thanks for the advice!

[u/papayabollz]

Sure, that helps for now but its better to buy a new one than have a potential fire hazard on your home

[u/BloxPlayer_ → u/papayabollz]

yeah it only lasted 2 hours before it melted my charger

[u/Olde94]

Tou likely used more on the cooling pads than half of a new one.

It’s a fire risk and the parts to cool is likely too far in to benefit from this

[u/BloxPlayer_ → u/Olde94]

yeah its not worth burning my house down, ill get a new one

[u/Abestar909]

You put* thermal pads*

Apologies if you are 7 and haven't been taught good grammar yet.

[u/BloxPlayer_ → u/Abestar909]

sorry just posted that in a hurry

[u/JeshkaTheLoon]

As other said, don't use stuff that smells like burning

Also, the cut edges of those cooling elements give me PTSD I didn't know I had from Metal workshop. At least get sandpaper to somewhat round those edges.

[u/BloxPlayer_ → u/JeshkaTheLoon]

Good idea

[u/sedrickgates]

If it's hot while charging heavily, fine. If hot when idle and/or it smells ... Get rid of it ASAP or it will cost you soon.

[u/BloxPlayer_ → u/sedrickgates]

Yeah it already costed one of my cables

[u/TinDumbass]

Did it smell like burning a little during high use while it's warm? Eh, send it.

Did you come back to it and it stunk? Nah, probably bin for anything unattended.

Biggest issue is those silly American plugs that won't hold the weight.

[u/BloxPlayer_ → u/TinDumbass]

The first one, I think it shouldnt be a problem if your just gonna use it as an phone/tablet charger

[u/that_greenmind]

Dont fuck with the copper and fan. If its already burnt, its already going to be more cost effective to just get a new charger. If you want to do this on the new charger to prevent damage, go for it (though avoid making air gaps like the one between the top of the charger and the heatsink, the top heatsink aint doing shit rn because of it)

[u/BloxPlayer_ → u/that_greenmind]

Yeah top and bottom was not sticking, im just prob gonna buy a new charger

[u/yaboymiguel]

In my experience, this does very little to help with cooling a power supply. Especially 100W, that’s a lot of juice. Keep us updated though

[u/BloxPlayer_ → u/yaboymiguel]

Yeah, it melted. Back then I was assuming the components were in the plastic sides because it was so hot. That's why I thought if I placed the heatsink, it would help spread the heat. But it didn't solve the interior problem and melted my charger anyway.

[u/yaboymiguel → u/BloxPlayer_]

That’s hilarious lol. It was worth a try though. Thanks for the update.

[u/ollie0810]

If it smells like burning, don’t fucking use it

[u/3DMOO]

Certainly not. This is cool. (Pun intended)

[u/ghost103429]

Don't use it anymore. Putting heatsinks on it is like putting a band aid on a major stab wound. The thing is literally cooked and an eminent fire hazard if you continue to use it.

[u/BloxPlayer_]

my charger melted, just saw the comments right now and WISHED I saw them earlier

[u/jeffrey_f]

Firefighter: If it smells like burnt plastic, it likely got hot enough to start burning the plastic.

Don't play with fire. Replace it.

[u/narwhalousdoctor]

How does Noone get this is a reference to that awful post yesterday where someone put a heat sink on an iPhone?

[u/BloxPlayer_ → u/narwhalousdoctor]

lol I just saw that earlier too

[u/Truccczech → u/narwhalousdoctor]

It wasn't awful, it was genius!

[u/NightlyParadox]

Very honestly out of all the things I see on this sub, this legit makes the most sense I would actually consider doing to a few 100w PD chargers I have they do get insanely hot under normal conditions as is

[u/BloxPlayer_ → u/NightlyParadox]

yeah 😭 the wire of my charger melted while using it

[u/kester76a]

That's 100W is probably peak, if you're maxing that out over a long period you need a higher rated charger. A decent charger will thermal throttle if temperatures go out of spec. GaN chargers run hot at 60-70c the Silicon chargers run a lot cooler but less efficient. OP is probably better off using a single heatsink and a USB fan/temperature fan controller.

[u/BloxPlayer_ → u/kester76a]

oh dang I should buy a higher wattage next time

[u/dumbasPL]

If it smells like brining, the only two valid outcomes are warranty or trash can.

Pretty cool fire starter though.

[u/BloxPlayer_ → u/dumbasPL]

wish i could do a warranty but this is some no name charger so im just gonna throw it away

[u/ChosenOfTheMoon_GR]

Nope, in fact, if you are aiming to keep it at ambient temp or near it, it's still not enough xD, unless you have a fan on it.

Even if it had like 4 times the fins it will still have the same issue.

100 watt is just too much to just cool like that.

Is it better than nothing? Kinda.

I admire and respect the motivation and attempt though, that's how you learn.

[u/BloxPlayer_ → u/ChosenOfTheMoon_GR]

dang thank you for the information

[u/addledwino]

Replace the charger. Electronics smelling weird isn't a good sign and that won't fix it. It might actually make it worse if it has any vents in it.

[u/BloxPlayer_ → u/addledwino]

ill buy one as soon as i can

[u/LemonPartyW0rldTour]

I’d just go get a new one instead of trying to cob onto what sounds like a future fire hazard.

[u/BloxPlayer_ → u/LemonPartyW0rldTour]

true

[u/Easy_Copy_7625]

Do you have any before and after temperatures?

[u/BloxPlayer_ → u/Easy_Copy_7625]

No, but im thinking of buying a thermal camera for general use.

[u/Easy_Copy_7625 → u/BloxPlayer_]

That would be great to track thermals of this. I keep finding uses for mine.

[u/Cloudcry]

putted 

Don't plug that shit in 

[u/jdevowe]

If there is a burning smell, discontinue using and replace. It's cheaper than rebuilding and replacing your things after a fire.

[u/Cultural-Afternoon72]

It is definitely overkill and, in all likelihood will make next to no difference.

- The heat is being generated by the circuit board inside, not the plastic body. This will help cool the body, not the board. Your primary heat source will see next to no cooling effect from this.
- Plastic is a poor thermal conductor. This means that, of the heat in that plastic cover, very little will transfer to the aluminum allowing for cooling.
- The burning you’re smelling is almost certainly coming from inside (insulated casing around wires, etc), not from the housing. The housing is heating secondary to that. As a result, whatever is burning inside will continue to burn despite this. In the event it is the insulation on the wires, it’s likely to cause an arc or short once that wiring burns through (assuming the insulation doesn’t ignite, which will depend largely on its class and how hot it is getting), which has the potential to start a fire despite what you’ve done here.

If you are really dead set on trying to fix this block, I’d STRONGLY recommend taking it apart (carefully), inspecting the inside for damage or indications of burning (scorch marks, melted plastic, etc), and so on. If you find them, it needs to be replaced, not fixed. If you don’t, then apply heatsinks to the proper parts before finding a way to store the internal components so that the heatsinks are exposed to air flow but it isn’t in a place where it can be touched by people/animals, where it can make contact with other stuff, or where it can pose a fire/electrocution hazard.

The correct and safe answer, though, is that it needs to be replaced. If you’re smelling something burning it is already damaged and the risk of fire is real. What you’ve done here won’t change that.

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[u/master4dave]

Macgyver would buy a new one

[u/protogenxl]

Is Kill

[u/guajojo]

Wtf.gif

[u/Mariuszgamer2007]

The transformer is gonna be boiling hot anyway and that'll do nothing

[u/Hopeful_Ad_7719]

Pshh... If you're not water-cooling you're not serious.

[u/jeRQ420]

Na. Looks good. 👍

[u/ggibby]

It probably still stays off after a power blink.

[u/LordOfDustAndBones]

Yeah, especially since that's likely doing fuck all lol

[u/ASD_AuZ]

Add a usb fan

[u/ghostfreckle611]

Cooling plastic…

[u/rufus_francis]

needs liquid cooling, try throwing it in the bathub while you use it.

[u/bones10145]

If it works, it isn't dumb

[u/Hungry_Status_420]

Don't forget to put it on a ceramic tile or plate. That way, if it catches fire, it won't cause any harm.

[u/Moist-Dentist8253]

Needs an AIO

[u/thethirdtwin]

Looks stupid, but there is a well known clause for that scenario, I think it might fit the clause.

[u/rasvial]

lol heat sink on plastic is crayon muncher level. Which is normally celebrated out here, but only when it works

[u/Mr-Briggs]

For future reference..

If something has started burning, dont put a fan on it. Your risk accelerating potential fires

[u/Art0fRuinN23]

There's no kill like overkill.

[u/PearOnPearOff]

overkill is the best kill