After a long winter, those of us in the northern climates yearn for the summer. But your data center does not feel the same way. Rising temperatures in your data center could mean destroyed equipment, a fire hazard, and, of course, lost data. These are losses with which you don’t want to deal with, and your business might not be able to absorb.
So, it is essential to have a heat management strategy in place for when temperatures in your data center rise beyond acceptable levels. Learn how to protect your data center from the heat buildup that can occur during summer.
Strategies for Heat Dissipation
Here are some simple changes that you can make within a data center to ensure it stays efficient when the temperature changes. Here are ways to make it more efficient during the summer months.
Perform Regular Maintenance
It seems obvious. But sometimes, working under a budget means skimping on maintenance schedules. Skipping a maintenance schedule is, however, a mistake. Taking preventative measures to ensure you have heat control in your data center is essential.
Adjust the Thermostat
Most data centers operate at a temperature between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. You will want to find the highest optimal temperature for your server system and set the thermostat there. Every degree of cooling saved means savings in the power bill and pocketbook. Also, keeping a data center on the warmer side helps it to adjust to the summer heat. Likewise, cold promotes condensation and static electricity.
Contain Cool Air
Containing cool air allows you to send it where the equipment needs it most. Position servers to face each other, so you have the cold air intake on the front and the hot air exhaust facing the back. This helps direct the cold air into the active equipment.
Cool Air Containment Solutions
You can also seal off any unused space to maximize airflow efficiency and maintain the data center room air conditioning’s velocity. AMCO Enclosures offers data center products to help keep your equipment cool. Their hot and cold aisle containment systems cool the equipment and not the room because a ceiling encloses the cold aisle. This solution forces all the cold air to pass through all the electronic components in the rack, ensuring cold air does not mix with hot air anywhere in the data center.
Summer heat can wreak havoc on your data center and your data. Don’t be caught off guard on how to protect your data center from the heat. Heat is as predictable on the calendar as the cold. It is going to hit at some point during the summer, so do yourself a favor and prepare now.