Many modern office spaces utilize server rooms to store, power, and operate their in-house servers. One of the most important elements of managing a server room is regulating the space’s temperature. If the computer hardware or IT equipment were to overheat, it could critically impact the performance, productivity, and stability of your business operations.
Below are a few tips that can help you understand the importance of cooling conditions and how to maintain an optimal and consistent temperature in your server room or network closet.
What is Ideal Server Room Temperature?
The ideal server room temperature can vary depending on a number of factors, including the size of your space, the type of equipment being operated, and the number of devices being housed in a single location. Because server rooms often house large amounts of equipment in relatively confined spaces, they may run into the danger of overheating due to the power and energy they exert with regular operation. Overheating puts the productivity of your company at risk, so it’s important to implement a cooling plan for your server room to prevent costly downtime and shortages.
Keeping the Temperature in Your Server Room Consistent
Generally speaking, an optimal temperature for your server room is between 68 and 71 degrees Fahrenheit. To achieve and maintain this temperature for your equipment around the clock, it’s important to incorporate both the installation of effective cooling systems and the appropriate backup measures in the event of power outages.
Cooling Systems
The most basic and essential element of server room temperature control is the installation of proper cooling systems. Depending on the set-up of your space and outside weather conditions in your area, these systems may incorporate any combination of traditional AC units, water cooling systems, or outside air distribution. Additionally, it’s crucial to place fan trays to ensure cool air is circulated within and around the data racks themselves.
Strategic Cooling Duct Placement and Airflow Planning
This is where the navigation of your server room’s layout comes into play. By placing multiple thermometers throughout your space, you’ll be able to identify inconsistent temperature in your server room. Then, place cooling ducts accordingly to exercise maximum control over airflow and achieve a consistent and optimal temperature throughout the server room.
Backup Cooling Measures
Constant operation of your cooling systems is imperative to maintaining a consistent temperature in your server room. In the event of a power outage, planning ahead will save your server room equipment from overheating and shutdowns. Investing in backup generators and portable AC units that can run independently from the primary generator will protect your equipment as the main energy source is restored.
Choose Donnelly Mechanical for Your Server Room and Data Center Needs
At Donnelly, we are an industry leader in HVAC for server rooms and data centers across New York City. Contact us today for more information on how to achieve the maximum cooling of your server room equipment.
July 15, 2020 The recommended temperature range for the server room is between 50 and 82 degrees, with the optimal server room temperature being between 68 and 71 degrees. Keeping this temperature is not as easy as setting the ideal number on a thermostat. Many factors play into maintaining this temperature, which is why the ideal server room temperature is a frequent and important topic of discussion in the IT world.
Read more to learn about why temperature matters and how you can use monitoring and maintenance to keep your server room temperature requirements within range.
Energy Conservation Cooling Needs
When the servers manage and store data, they emit heat. If the temperature of the server room becomes too high, the servers will overheat. Heat damage causes machine malfunction that can lead to permanent loss of data and server breakdown. This can happen with even a minimal amount of overheating.
One way to prevent this is to keep the server room temperature low using the air conditioning system. Though this does work, running the air conditioner regularly uses a lot of energy, costing a substantial amount of money over time.
The ideal solution for server rooms is to maintain optimal server room temperature — low enough that heat won’t damage the components, yet high enough that there won’t be excess costs from air conditioning.
Temperature Monitoring Systems
To get an idea of your current server room temperature requirements, measure the temperature in several places to record any hot spots you have. The larger your server room is, the harder it is for the ideal server room temperature to be in all areas. These hot spots show where your current cooling methods are inefficient and where your equipment may be overheating.
Many devices and tools are available that will help you keep track of the server room temperature, even when you are away from the office. For example, there are electronic thermometers that will automatically take and record the temperature throughout the day so that you can review it later.
Temperature Maintenance
Once you have determined your ideal server room temperature and the weak spots, there are several things you can do to maintain this temperature. Consider installing or implementing:
- Airflow planning
- Thermometers throughout the space
- Cooling duct placement
- Reliable AC units
- Generators
To start operating in the recommended temperature range for your server room, contact DataSpan today. We offer many of these services and more and will help you determine what is best for your server room.
Contact DataSpan to Cool Your Server Room Today
One of the best ways to maintain your optimal server room temperature is to enlist the help of the professionals at DataSpan. We offer cooling systems for server rooms that are custom designed for you to meet your particular needs.
To get started, fill out the contact form on our website or give us a call. You may also directly contact the DataSpan representative for your area by using our find your rep tool.
get server room cooling services