Portable Air Conditioners and Server Rooms
See Server Room ACs
Server rooms are essentially rooms that house
computer servers and in the informational technology sector, the
term generally applies to smaller arrangements of servers, while
larger groups of servers are housed in data centers. Server rooms
are at the heart of IT operations, and in order to prevent hardware
malfunction and system failure, proper operation and setup is
critical.
Unfortunately, in an enclosed space of a server room, the generated
heat from equipment can quickly increase the ambient temperature
beyond equipment specifications. The life and reliability of
machines is compromised, and other disastrous results can follow,
including system crashes, random reboots, and overall poor
performance. With that in mind, it's important to keep your server
room's temperature within the recommended ranges associated with
your hardware. Keep in mind that the heat dissipation from your
servers will require adequate ventilation and cooling, so this is an
important step in protecting your equipment and ensuring maximum
productivity.
| Environmental
Conditions of Server Rooms |
|
Computer equipment ages quicker when hot, and
for individual machines such as home or office desktops, the
internal fans and cooling mechanisms are often sufficient at
keeping temperatures within safe operating limits. However,
in data centers and server rooms, this may not be the case.
Modern server equipment generates enormous amounts of heat,
and today's machines run faster and hotter. Moreover, server
rooms may even be prone to "hot spots" which can build up
behind equipment racks or near larger machines, and if not
addressed, this can cause premature failures.
Increased humidity levels can also affect your server room
because high humidity levels can damage equipment by causing
corrosion and rust. Thus, preventing humidity changes and
variations is imperative in order to avoid environmental
conditions where there may be excess condensation, so the
optimal humidity levels for a server room or data center
should range from 40 to 55 percent. Lastly, another problem
that can plague server rooms is insufficient airflow often
due to the server room's design. As such, all of these
environmental temperature problems and fluctuations usually
call for the installation of separate cooling systems.
|
Portable Air
Conditioner Buying Tip: |
| Never use a swamp
cooler in a server room - only a portable AC. The
moisture expelled by a swamp or an evaporative cooler
can damage equipment. |
| Why Buy a
Server Room Portable Air Conditioner? |
When it comes to computer server rooms, keeping
temperatures and the overall environment controlled must
occur twenty four hours a day due to constant heat
generation. Relying on central air conditioning systems is
not possible due to the fact that most systems are prone to
shutoffs during weekends. Moreover, central air conditioners
are complex appliances that have been known to suddenly
fail. Window air conditioners aren't an option either, as
most server rooms are usually not near windows. Instead,
they are often located in interior rooms which presents a
cooling dilemma for many customers.
Thankfully, portable air conditioners are ideal for keeping
server rooms at the right temperatures because they have the
ability to cool office spaces and computer rooms that house
heat-generating electronics. This prevents computer
networks, communications, and office equipment from shutting
down when temperatures rise. As self-contained units, one of
the biggest benefits of a portable AC is the fact that
permanent installation is not necessary. In fact, almost all
models include rolling casters that allow you to move the
unit from one area to the next, making cooling server room
hot spots especially easy.
Nonetheless, server rooms can't be cooled by just any type
of portable AC. An ideal server room portable air
conditioner must have the following features:1. Automatic Restart Function
2.
Ventilation System to Displace Hot Air
3. Condensation Tank
Automatic Restart Function
An automatic restart
function is imperative in a server room portable air conditioner
because it will help keep the unit running continuously, even in
the case of power failure. In other words, you can still keep
your equipment cool even at night or on the weekends when
central cooling is not available, and in the event of a power
outage, the air conditioner will resume operation once the power
is restored without you having to reset the controls manually.
Ventilation System to Displace Hot Air
Server rooms must have a means to expel heat from the server
room. As mentioned above, many server rooms are located
within the interior of a building, and furthermore, window
air conditioners can't be used because of the security risk
presented by an open window. The ideal type of portable air
conditioner for a server room uses a vent hose to push air
out through a drop ceiling or wall.
Condensation Tank
A server room's atmosphere requires low humidity levels
because too much moisture will cause damage to machinery.
However, because portable air conditioners act as
dehumidifiers and whisk moisture away from the air, this
condensate is collected into a condensation tank or bucket. |
Portable Cooler Guide Main Page |
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