I have a 3 TB AirPort Time Capsule purchased in March 2013, and I've noticed it gets incredibly hot.
When I say incredibly hot, what I mean is that if I rest my hand on top of it, it not only feels extremely hot, but after about 4 seconds it feels too hot to touch any longer and I have to let go.
Should I be worried?
It's under Apple Care until March 2016.
iMac (27-inch, Late 2012), OS X Yosemite (10.10.2), null
If you put your hand on top of the Time Capsule, it should feel no more than barely warm to the touch.
Your Time Capsule is defective and should be replaced as soon as possible.
I think you're right. I'll take it back to the Apple Store.
Power down to allow it to cool off..
Although I am in two minds.. if you have data on the TC you need to save copy it off NOW.. right NOW.
It is just it may not start up after a power down. Sometimes it is better to let it keep running but put some pencils underneath to get it off the surface of the bench and get a small fan to blow air over it.. then get your data off.
Last step do quick erase of the TC .. and return it for replacement.
To be that hot on a Gen4 (check the base A1409) is wrong.. something is at fault.. I am not 100% sure what but it is worth getting it back to apple.
OK so perhaps I should have mentioned that I had my ISP-supplied broadband router resting on top of the Time Capsule.
I had not thought this was an issue, because the router does have 4 little feet so there was an air gap, and it was not blocking any vents on the Time Capsule.
But now that I inspect it, I've realized that the router is generating a fair amount of heat itself.
I've now taken the router off, and the Time Capsule has cooled down somewhat. It is no longer too hot to touch, but it is still hot. It is not what I would call barely warm.
Yes it says A1409 on the back. I only use the Time Capsule for backup, and I have lots of other backups so losing the data is not an issue.
We assumed that you had a newer version of the Time Capsule, which runs barely warm to the touch.
Give your Time Capsule plenty of free air space.....nothing else within 6-8 inches or so. Do not place the Time Capsule inside a cabinet or in an enclosed area. A quiet whisper fan would be a good investment if you want maximum life out of the Time Capsule.
I've now taken the router off, and the Time Capsule has cooled down somewhat. It is no longer too hot to touch, but it is still hot. It is not what I would call barely warm.
Yes it says A1409 on the back.
The A1409 Setup Guide (page 31) states: “Do not place other objects (books, papers, small pets, etc.) on top of the Time Capsule. It may interfere with Time Capsule cooling.”
I’m pretty sure the “etc.” would include other heat-generating electronic equipment, such as routers.
In my experience the A1409 typically runs at temperatures significantly higher than “barely warm”, especially towards the back where the cable connections are. If the hard drive is running, as it does during backups, the unit can get quite warm. With a router resting on top it, I wouldn’t be surprised if it got extremely hot, or eventually failed due to overheating.
OK, so it probably isn't faulty then.
I will do as the setup guide says and avoid keeping any objects - including routers and "small pets" - on top of the Time Capsule.
Thanks.
A rule of thumb with older Time Capsule models like you have is that if you cannot keep your hand on top of the unit easily for at least 30 seconds, then it is running too hot.
Anything that you can do to minimize heat on the Time Capsule will maximize the life of the product.
2013 AirPort Time Capsule gets incredibly hot
