Vent A/V component cabinet into garage?

[Michael Welch]

The wall on and in which we have our TV and the cabinet holding various A/V components is the other side of our attached garage wall. Currently, when we use the components, we just leave the cabinet doors open (since it gets too hot in there if you try to use them with it closed). Doesn't really bother me, but my wife talked to some guy recently who said that we could operate them with the door closed by cutting out a spot in the back side of the cabinet and putting a venting fan there. I haven't had a chance to talk to the guy myself yet but this seems wrong to me. As I said, on the other side of the cabinet is our attached garage. So cutting a hole in the back of the cabinets would mean venting to the garage. Isn't that dangerous with regard to garage fumes and stuff. Is something like that even allowed under building codes? Is a particular section of the building code (California) to which someone code refer me to read up on the issue myself?

My wife said she mentioned to the guy that the vent would lead to the garage and the guy said that was fine. So she's pretty gung ho about this because she loves the idea of not having to keep those cabinet doors open. Like I said, I haven't caught up with him yet to get clarification, but in the meantime, I thought I'd ask here to see if maybe I'm just totally off-base in questioning this.


- Michael

Similar Threads:

• Pull down stairs in the garage- fire rated?
• Outlet in FP cabinet
• garage door reversing informationm - by request
• Grandma's Garage Explosion Story
• Garage Door reinforcement

[Rick Cantrell]

The wall on and in which we have our TV and the cabinet holding various A/V components is the other side of our attached garage wall. Currently, when we use the components, we just leave the cabinet doors open (since it gets too hot in there if you try to use them with it closed). Doesn't really bother me, but my wife talked to some guy recently who said that we could operate them with the door closed by cutting out a spot in the back side of the cabinet and putting a venting fan there. I haven't had a chance to talk to the guy myself yet but this seems wrong to me. As I said, on the other side of the cabinet is our attached garage. So cutting a hole in the back of the cabinets would mean venting to the garage. Isn't that dangerous with regard to garage fumes and stuff. Is something like that even allowed under building codes? Is a particular section of the building code (California) to which someone code refer me to read up on the issue myself?

My wife said she mentioned to the guy that the vent would lead to the garage and the guy said that was fine. So she's pretty gung ho about this because she loves the idea of not having to keep those cabinet doors open. Like I said, I haven't caught up with him yet to get clarification, but in the meantime, I thought I'd ask here to see if maybe I'm just totally off-base in questioning this.


- Michael

You are correct.
Do not open a hole into to garage.
That is a violation, and it is unsafe.

[John Kogel]

Cut some vent holes in the back and pull the cabinet out from the wall a couple of inches

[Robert Ernst]

By doing this you would allow fumes to enter the home as well as violate the fire protection wall. Another reason it is not a good idea is that most of the time the interior of the home ends up under negative pressure and can draw in not only fumes but also the unconditioned air in the garage.

[Michael Welch]

Thanks sincerely for the feedback. I'm glad I asked and am glad to know my thinking was in the right direction. We definitely will *not* go the route of cutting that hole.

[Hank Williams]

I cut a small hole in the back of my entertainment center cabinet and installed a 120mm computer fan. Connected it to a home made circuit that is controlled by a temp sensor mounted above the Blu-ray player / Receiver area (where it gets hot). Fan starts off slow but speeds up when equipment gets hot. However, it isn't loud during a movie. If you shut off all the equipment you can hear it going... until it all cools off. Then it stops.

I'm not a very handy person but this has been one of my personal favorite home fixes. My wife didn't want the doors open and I didn't want the heat to kill the equipment. Maybe this is a solution for you too.