Efficient Climate Control For Data Centers

Whether your business needs to manage a single file server for less than 20 computers or an entire data warehouse with dozens or hundreds of systems, cooling can become a critical and expensive problem. Modern computers that perform tasks worth business-level investment will have significant heating issues, and you need to think as deeply about climate control infrastructure as you'd think about networking or electrical infrastructure.

Here are a few climate control issues that come with data center management, along with ways that an HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) professional can deliver multiple solutions depending on the situation.

Why Does Cooling Matter?

Computers are heat-generating devices. The reason for the heat is the way that certain components work, and the biggest culprit is the central processing unit (CPU). Simply know as a processor in the tech industry, this component performs a lot of calculations that uses a lot of electricity to perform complex internal actions. The end result is heat that could start a fire.

The real, modern risks of CPU heat problems is a lot less risky than a fire. Even a burnt, but fireless problem is becoming rarer. Processors are designed to slow down in speed to reduce heating issues, which means safety at the exchange of slower performance.

To keep your systems running as intended--or at faster speeds if your systems are overclocked or customized to boost performance even more--you will need a way to both displace hot air and deliver cold air.

A simple room cooling solution isn't enough, because computers are built in a way that retains heat. Most computers have an exhaust fan to move hot air, but it may not move fast enough for some of the larger and hotter systems. For this reason, you'll need a direct cooling option that pumps cool air in while keeping the exhaust system efficient.

Cooling Plans For Data Centers

Although normal climate control isn't the core of the cooling plan, you shouldn't let the room get hot, either. The air conditioning system can be similar to most other buildings, but HVAC professionals don't need to take special considerations for personnel when building ventilation. Allow the planning and installation team to find a vent placement that works best with your equipment.

For direct cooling, there are multiple air delivery options. There are multiple server cabinet models with hose intake connectors that allow air to be pumped into a server cabinet directly, or you could use a standard server rack and ask for low pressure air pipes to point directly the server racks. The pipe position can vary depending on cooling needs.

When considering the rest of your building, the HVAC team can look at your entire climate control system whether it's connected to the data center or not. Making sure that the temperatures from other parts of the building aren't leaking from cracked walls or bad door seals can make your climate control bill a lot more manageable.

Contact a business HVAC installation team to discuss other parts of keeping tech businesses cool.