This is NOT how you do it!
Most commercial offices today rely on a server room or computer room as the data hub for the computers and phones. It’s an essential space in the building, but one people rarely have to enter. Because of the large amount of heat the equipment in server rooms generate, special cooling is necessary to prevent overheating. Improper server room cooling can lead to massive data loss and expensive equipment failures that will bring a business to a halt.
How do you correctly provide server room cooling? You can start by avoiding these common mistakes.
1. Ignoring server room cooling altogether
Unfortunately, this happens too often. Leaving the door to the server or computer room open isn’t enough to allow sufficient heat to escape, and you can’t simply stick a fan in there. The standard HVAC system in the office won’t handle the job either. Turning the AC up just makes the rest of the office cold, it doesn’t do anything for the equipment in the server room.
2. Looking to amateurs for server room cooling
Is there a building “handyman” who helps out with broken lights and other tasks around the office? They may be good at taking care of small jobs, but unless they have commercial refrigeration training, they aren’t suited at helping out with setting up cooling for a server room. You want trained refrigeration professionals with extensive experience in commercial services.
3. Overcooling
Yes, you can have too much cooling for the server room. Computer equipment operates in an optimal temperature range between too hot and too cold, and will lose efficiency in cold temperatures. Overcooling the room is also a waste of energy. We can’t tell you what the safe range is on a blog post, because it varies depending on the equipment and how much heat the equipment gives off. This is why you always want an experienced professional on the job, since they can make sure you end up in the right temperature range to protect your equipment and data.
4. Leaving empty cabinet spaces or rearranging equipment
The balance of airflow in a data center or server room is an important part of keeping equipment correctly cooled. If there are cabinets left empty, it can throw off the circulation. If you’ve had professionals install your server room cooling, don’t start moving around equipment and leaving large gaps in the cabinet, since it will interfere with the careful balance the professionals achieved.
5. Forgetting regular maintenance
Server room cooling isn’t a “file it and forget it” job. You want the equipment to always function at optimal levels, and that’s impossible if you let it keep running year after year without attention from professionals. Routine server room cooling inspections from the same professionals who installed the system is key to keeping it operating the way it needs to so your businesses data and equipment stay protected.
We’re not only a major HVAC contractor, we are also experts in commercial refrigeration in Logansport, LA and throughout the Shreveport area. Arrange for your data center and server room cooling needs with us.
Hall’s Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration: The Doctor of Home Comfort—And Commercial Refrigeration!
