You may have noticed that when you use your Roku Express device to play movies or do anything else, it gets very hot. It is reasonable for you to worry about this as it raises serious concerns about its operation and even your safety.
This is normal? At what temperature should one of these devices be? What can I do to prevent it? And when does it happen? All these questions will find their answer here, so take note and get ready.
heat and electronics
Any electronic equipment you use, be it your PC, your smartphone, or the television, uses electricity to function. This means that energy flows through several of its components and this tends to “radiate heat”, in principle this loss is practically impossible to avoid.
This is a permanent problem of any system, avoid or reduce heat loss. The ways to achieve it are as varied as the ways in which it is approached. Some use more effective components, others seek to dissipate heat faster and there are those who simply seek to reduce energy consumption.
So if your Roku Express device is overheating it is because it is suffering from this hard to fix problem. That is, it has gone from a “normal” condition in which it gets hot when running, to exceeding its expected range. You must know how to identify these cases and take action in this regard.
Causes and consequences if your Roku Express device overheats
As you have seen, it is normal for a device to heat up when using it, but if this heat exceeds normal, there must be a reason for it. The first would be a malfunction of the equipment, but this is rare thanks to the quality controls that must be passed before going to market. However, it’s not that uncommon for it to happen, so you should consider it a reasonable option if you rule out everything else.
Another very common cause is some change in voltage. Each device is designed to operate on a specific voltage and excess electrical power can overheat the device. Also, some variations can cause malfunctions in the components of the equipment and this overheats it.
On the other hand, the most frequent reason why a Roku Express device overheats or any other is due to cooling failure. This may be due to the fact that its ventilation channels are obstructed and it does not allow the proper circulation of hot air. The reasons vary in each case, but excessive dust or too many equipment nearby are usually the most common in those cases, you should improve the aforementioned cooling.
In any case, if your device presents this situation, you must proceed immediately, otherwise you risk irreparable damage to it.
Solutions when your Roku Express device overheats
Now, if you face this situation, what should you do? It varies depending on the specific situation, but there are several things you can do to remedy it.
First of all, the fundamental thing is prevention. Locate your equipment in a ventilated place where it is not exposed to heat sources. The drawers, for example, meet the second condition well, but poorly with ventilation, so they are not recommended.
Similarly, make sure that it is not covered by anything and that it is free of dust or dirt. Periodic maintenance and constant cleaning are ideal in this last point. It is also important that you familiarize yourself with the normal temperature of the device. This can vary even when you demand more of it, since it is not the same to play a video in 480p than in 4k.
Finally, these devices have a LED bulb that, when it stays on red, indicates that the system has detected overheating. It is now when it is the turn of the second place, the action.
You simply have to turn off your equipment and unplug it, letting it rest for at least 20 minutes. In such cases, verify that you are not involved in any of the previous points and activate it again. If the fault persists, it is time to take more drastic measures and go to a technician for an in-depth review.
