Peltier TEC1-12706 40x40mm 12V 6A Thermoelectric Cooler

When mentioning cooling in a typical conversation, most people would think of heat sinks, fans and other Passive Cooling devices that simply dissipate the heat created from a CPU or other component. However, Peltier Plates like our Peltier TEC1-12706 40x40mm 12V 6A Thermoelectric Coolers offer Active Cooling, which instead cool the Electronic Components, rather than simply removing the surrounding heat.

These Peltier plates work by utilising the Peltier effect, and have two plates which draw the heat from one plate to the other. This in turn causes one side to get very hot, while the other gets very cold, and the achievable temperatures on either side can range from 350°C down to -60°C in the right conditions. This allows Makers like yourself to build machines and devices like cooler boxes, fridges or coffee warmers via a solid state semiconductor – without any moving parts.

Bear in mind, however, that these plates actually work so well that without a heat sink and a fan to cool the hot side, the unit can burn out in less than two seconds. So be sure to always provide it with its own heat dissipation in order to keep it from popping itself almost instantly.

Typical Applications for these 40x40mm TEC1-12706 Peltier Plates:

Thermoelectric Coolers like our Peltier TEC1-12706 are typically used to build custom cooling units for heat-intensive machines or components like CPUs. However, they can also be used for enjoyable home projects as well, and projects involving these Peltier Plates include:

• Building a drinks-cooler cabinet to rapidly cool soft drinks, beers or wine at a party.
• Creating an active cooler for a CPU for extreme overclocking.
• Crafting a custom designed Instant-Ice tray, which turns blocks of water into ice in less than a minute.

These are just a few ideas involving Peltier Plates, but are great examples of how Thermoelectric Cooling Units can be used. Just be sure to provide these units with sufficient heat dissipation like Heat Sinks and Cooling Fans, otherwise they could end up popping themselves if they get too hot.