Hi, I have been using ReadyNAS 104 for more than 4 years now. Of late, the power adapter gets over hot and the unit shuts down automatically. If switched on after a while, it works perfectly, but it again gets hot and shuts down. Interested in knowing what causes this and how to avoid it. Will replacing the power adapter help? I have been using the following hard-disks, just in case.1. Seagate 4TB ST4000VN0002. WD 4TB WD40EFRX3. Seagate 4TB ST4000DM0004. Seagate 10TB ST10000VX0004 Thanks in Advance!

Hi rajamani_v, you wrote "Will replacing the power adapter help?". If your current one is broken, the new one will most probably help.However, your more interesting question is "Interested in knowing what causes this and how to avoid it.".Let me list some "dont"s and you could check, whether some of them might apply to your situation.(1) Do not expose the power adapter to direct sunlight.(2) Do not keep it close to other objects emitting heat in general(3) Especially, Do not keep it within a hot airstream exhausted by another device too close to the power adapter(3) Do not for what reason ever cover it with something.Let me also mention some "do"s and you can try whether there is something, which helps:(1) Put it on a tin box to let that act as some kind of heat pipe(2) Put it in a way maximizing airflow around it, eg put it on two pens in a way that fresh air can not only flow over but also under it.Happy testing and kind regards

Retired_Member wrote: (1) Do not expose the power adapter to direct sunlight. Where did this one come from? AFAIK there is no harm in putting an AC power adapter in the sun. Though you will see advice not to put lithium batteries in direct sunlight. rajamani_v : What firmware are you running? Is your NAS still under warranty (3 years for the original purchaser)? Your system should be using about 30 watts of power in normal operation (based on the normal power use of your specific drives + 9 watts for the NAS chassis). The RN104 adapter should be able to provide about 45 watts, so there should be enough margin to handle spinup, etc. Are you certain that the thermal shutdown is caused by the power adapter? It is possible that that NAS itself is overheating (and drawing enough power to heat up the adapter). Try downloading the log zip file, and see if you can find any clues related to the shutdown events. You can also send a private message (click on the envelope icon on the upper right of the forum) to one of the mods ( JohnCM_S or Marc_V ) and ask them to analyze your log zip. Put the zip into cloud storage (e.g. ,google drive, dropbox, etc), and include the link in the PM. Don't post it here. You could also try monitoring the NAS temperatures on the performance tab of the web ui, and make sure that the disk and CPU temps aren't climbing too high. It might also be useful to pull out the drives shortly after the thermal shutdown, and see if one is particularly hot. (Put them back in before powering up the NAS). If the power adapter itself is overheating/failing (but the NAS chassis is not), then you can replace the adapter.

StephenBwrote: "@RolandWausE wrote:(1) Do not expose the power adapter to direct sunlight.Where did this one come from?" The adapter is black and gets warm/hot during operation. Exposing it to direct sunlight will increase probability, that adapter gets warmer/hotter. Not exposing it to direct sunlight is just simply minimizing the risk of overheating. ...and we might not talk about the summer on iceland, but 45C° in India without air-conditioner, which is already 5C° beyond the maximum often recommended temparature for electronic devices. Depending on the circumstances rajamani_v is operating the device, it might be a good idea to avoid direct sunlight. I would call this common sense, sanity and reason, or simply a no-brainer, sorry.Kind regards

Retired_Member - No, none of the first four points are applicable, as I am having it in a well ventilated area without any exposure to direct sunlight.Will try the last two points (do's) and check if that helps.Cheers!

StephenB - It has been more than 4 years, so am assuming it will not be under warranty. The adapter (attached in picture) is the one that gets over heated. After close to 30 mins of use it gets very hot that I can't even touch it. Meanwhile, I will check tonight if the NAS itself is heating, get the log file and check if any of the hard disks are getting hot. Cheers!

Overheating of ReadyNas RN104 power adapter

11 Replies

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Retired_Member
Jun 26, 2019
Hi rajamani_v, you wrote "Will replacing the power adapter help?". If your current one is broken, the new one will most probably help.
However, your more interesting question is "Interested in knowing what causes this and how to avoid it.".
Let me list some "dont"s and you could check, whether some of them might apply to your situation.
(1) Do not expose the power adapter to direct sunlight.
(2) Do not keep it close to other objects emitting heat in general
(3) Especially, Do not keep it within a hot airstream exhausted by another device too close to the power adapter
(3) Do not for what reason ever cover it with something.
Let me also mention some "do"s and you can try whether there is something, which helps:
(1) Put it on a tin box to let that act as some kind of heat pipe
(2) Put it in a way maximizing airflow around it, eg put it on two pens in a way that fresh air can not only flow over but also under it.
Happy testing and kind regards
- StephenB
  Guru - Experienced User
  Jun 26, 2019
  Retired_Member wrote:
  (1) Do not expose the power adapter to direct sunlight.
  
  Where did this one come from? AFAIK there is no harm in putting an AC power adapter in the sun. Though you will see advice not to put lithium batteries in direct sunlight.
  
  rajamani_v : What firmware are you running? Is your NAS still under warranty (3 years for the original purchaser)?
  
  Your system should be using about 30 watts of power in normal operation (based on the normal power use of your specific drives + 9 watts for the NAS chassis). The RN104 adapter should be able to provide about 45 watts, so there should be enough margin to handle spinup, etc.
  
  Are you certain that the thermal shutdown is caused by the power adapter? It is possible that that NAS itself is overheating (and drawing enough power to heat up the adapter). Try downloading the log zip file, and see if you can find any clues related to the shutdown events. You can also send a private message (click on the envelope icon on the upper right of the forum) to one of the mods ( JohnCM_S or Marc_V ) and ask them to analyze your log zip. Put the zip into cloud storage (e.g. ,google drive, dropbox, etc), and include the link in the PM. Don't post it here.
  
  You could also try monitoring the NAS temperatures on the performance tab of the web ui, and make sure that the disk and CPU temps aren't climbing too high. It might also be useful to pull out the drives shortly after the thermal shutdown, and see if one is particularly hot. (Put them back in before powering up the NAS).
  
  If the power adapter itself is overheating/failing (but the NAS chassis is not), then you can replace the adapter.
  - Retired_Member
    Jun 26, 2019
    StephenBwrote: "
    @RolandWausE wrote:
    (1) Do not expose the power adapter to direct sunlight.
    Where did this one come from?"
    
    The adapter is black and gets warm/hot during operation. Exposing it to direct sunlight will increase probability, that adapter gets warmer/hotter. Not exposing it to direct sunlight is just simply minimizing the risk of overheating. ...and we might not talk about the summer on iceland, but 45C° in India without air-conditioner, which is already 5C° beyond the maximum often recommended temparature for electronic devices. Depending on the circumstances rajamani_v is operating the device, it might be a good idea to avoid direct sunlight. I would call this common sense, sanity and reason, or simply a no-brainer, sorry.
    Kind regards
- rajamani_v
  Aspirant
  Jun 26, 2019
  Retired_Member - No, none of the first four points are applicable, as I am having it in a well ventilated area without any exposure to direct sunlight.
  Will try the last two points (do's) and check if that helps.
  Cheers!