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Surprise! Server Room Cooling - It's Not Just for Summer

Posted by: Tina Behnke on Sep 13, 2013

Once summer winds down you may think you're out of the woods as far as your server room cooling system is concerned. Think again. 

Server-room-cooling-not-just-for-summer

Keeping the server room at the appropriate temperature is extremely important for any data center. During ALL seasons

Summer server room cooling is a no-brainer. When the threat of summer heat approaches most IT managers gear up for crisis cooling to supplement a struggling air conditioning system and provide emergency server room cooling in the event of an air conditioning failure. 

Once the summer cooling season draws to a close, most building air conditioning systems will switch over from cooling to heating. Which means that rather than cool, dehumidified air coming from the ventilation system, you'll now have warm air.  

So what happens in your server room when summer season is over and the heat subsides? 

Does the equipment in the server room stop producing heat?

Does it get cooler in the server room because it's colder outside?

Do you block off the vents to keep the central building heat from coming into the server room?

How's that working for you?

Don't hit the panic button. While there are many other concerns that affect the safety and efficiency of your IT environment, keeping the server room at an adequate temperature during ALL seasons is a must. Besides, if your server room is down, your business is down.

While a portable air conditioner can be the one thing that saves your data center from overheating when your air conditioning system fails, there are many ways you can protect your data center from overheating.

Here are some budget-friendly tips to keep your server room cool.

Update Your Network Cabling Location 

If you have a server room that was built quite a while ago, you may need to check where your network cabling runs. Often older server rooms with raised floors have the cabling run underneath the floor to the cabinet. If your air conditioning also comes up through the floor, this can make it harder for the air conditioning to cool the the room, and the server equipment, effectively. 

Don't have cable under the floor? You may still be guilty of a "cabling crime." Check the back of your server rack. Does it look like a spider web? Time to untangle the mess and remove any air flow restrictions from behind the rack.

Take the time to tidy up the cabling -- and go ahead and label it while you're on task -- so the cable does not present an obstacle for the air flow. Running the network cabling over the tops of the cabinets, you will improve the air flow.

Turn up the Server Room Temperature 

Yup. You read that correctly. Many server rooms are chilled to an extremely cold temperature. Some IT managers figure if their air conditioning fails they will have a few more minutes of a cooler temperature to keep their servers running before the equipment overheats.

Paying for the electricity to keep the room cooler than necessary can be incredibly expensive. You can save money and be eco-friendly by keeping your server room between 68 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The server room can be as much as 80 degrees Fahrenheit, but older equipment may not be able to tolerate the heat. Be sure to check your equipment manufacturers' recommendations in the operation manuals.  

Choose the Right Air Conditioner

If you are relying on the building air conditioning system for the primary cooling in your server room it may be time to install a dedicated server room cooling system. Consider the costs and benefits of installation and life-cycle of the system. 

Portable air conditioners provide a cost-effective cooling solution for many small server rooms.

AirPac can provide you with fixed, reasonable rates on portable air conditioners regardless of the season. The equipment is completely dependable and efficient. AirPac can provide you with both primary and emergency cooling systems. We help you manage the madness and make the process quick and effortless. If you are interested in portable air conditioners, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have about our services.

Tags: Server Room Cooling, Spot Cooler Rental, Data Center Cooling