Server Room Temperature

There must be something definitive out there.

I know from personal experience that once a room gets to 80 degrees Farenheit, many computers will begin to experience problems. In my first computer job in 85, we had many days off because the mini computer was not in a properly cooled room. We actually set up a thermometer and shut the server down when it got that hot to avoid crashing the system with many users on it.

But you have to think about it from a weakest link in the chain perspective.

Computers generate large amounts of heat - especially processors and hard disks. The cooler the server room is, the easier it is to keep these systems running at their optimal temperature.

To avoid any failures you have to keep the room cool enough to avoid failures on your hottest box.

Our data centres run at 68 degrees.

James

The optimal temp for a computer room depends on the computer equipment and the type and size of the cooling system for that room. The first thing to know is what does the computer manufacturers recommend/ require. This will change radically depending on the equipment. Some mainframes have some very strict requirements. Some smaller systems just have an upper limit of mid to high 80 degrees.

After that, though, you have to have an idea of the ability of your HVAC system. If the HVAC is undersized for the room, then the temperature has to be maintained lower in order to allow the HVAC to never get critically behind in room temperature. HVAC sizing is an extensive calculation and needs to be done by an engineer if the number of computers is significant.

My personal experience in Data Centers indicatesme that 70 F (18 C) is a good set point for the HVAC system. You can obtain more data visiting the sites of diferent HVAC manufacturers.

"Electronic equipment generates heat, which compounds the difficulty of controlling the temperature within a critical space. To prevent overheating that could damage delicate circuits, equipment manufacturers specify tight tolerances, often 71? F - 73? F, + 1 ? F or2 ? F." - LIEBERT.COM

You must calculate the amount of heat generated by the servers and other equipment (the watts dissipated in heat and the size of the room gives you an idea of the BTUs needed).

If you need more info in these or other topic relative to Data Centers I will be happy ofgiving you a hand!

Jose P. Mir.-