High Power Resistors Getting Hot - Too Hot?

[PepeSilvia]

I've got a Crate B80XL that I'm digging into. There are two resistors that drop the +/-41.5VDC supply down to +/- 15VDC, so they're dropping around 27V. They're each 220 Ohm, so it's a little over 3 watts. My inexperience keeps me from knowing how hot 3 watts in a resistor feels, but it's pretty damn hot.

I replaced the smaller 100uF/35V supply filter caps because the old ones had their tops about popping off, and I'm concerned it was from the heat of these resistors and that it's going to happen again (although if it takes another 20 years, that's probably not too bad).

What is the preferred way of handling this:
Move the offending resistors to a more remote location?
Slap a heat sink on the resistors?
Install a fan?
Or is it just expected, and can be ignored?

[R ski]

If I read right that 27 volts is metered across those resistors, using E*E/R results a tad more than 3 watts. If some electronic part place is near by I would install wire wound 5 watt resistors. The only issue is will the resistors be able to fit with in the circuit card? The fan will not really work to well, adds noise and heat sinking will work providing the heat sink will contact the resistors surface really well.

[PepeSilvia]

It came with 10 watt wire wound resistors, so there's not much improvement I can make there. Sounds like a heat sink would be my only real option. Seems like a poor design to me...

[Alex R]

It's a pretty common way of dropping voltage, quick cheap and dirty. They will get good and hot, that's normal.

[Jazz P Bass]

Yup.
Crate used that voltage dropping scheme on a lot of their amps.
They do get hot!
I kind of remember looking up the resistor datasheet & the heat that I measured was within bounds of the resistor. From the data it appears to be expected.