Avoid Common Errors When Cooling Your Data Center

Cooling a data center may seem straightforward, but it is a complex process that requires specialized knowledge. Even minor errors in the cooling system can impact the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the data center, potentially leading to downtime and data loss. If you're responsible for a data center, it's crucial to avoid these common cooling mistakes.

Air Leakage

Issue: Data centers rely on specific airflow patterns, such as hot and cold aisles, to efficiently cool IT equipment. Air leakage can cause hot air from the equipment to recirculate into the intake of cooling units, leading to higher temperatures and potential overheating.

Solution: Implement proper airflow containment measures, such as sealing gaps in raised floors, installing blanking panels, and using brush strips in cable cutouts. These steps help maintain the integrity of hot and cold aisles, preventing air leakage and ensuring efficient cooling.

Rack Placement

Issue: Inadequate spacing between racks or improper alignment can create localized hotspots with higher-than-recommended temperatures. Poor rack placement can lead to inefficient use of cooling capacity, forcing the cooling system to work harder to compensate for uneven temperature distribution.

Solution: Ensure proper rack placement, especially within hot and cold aisle configurations. This arrangement directs cool air to the front of the racks, where IT equipment typically draws in air, and expels hot air to the rear.

Humidity Sensors

Issue: Improperly calibrated sensors can report incorrect humidity levels, leading data center operators to make inappropriate adjustments to the cooling system. This can result in wasted energy, excessive cooling, or overheating, increasing uncertainty and inefficiency.

Solution: Regularly calibrate and maintain humidity sensors, place them strategically to capture accurate readings, and integrate them into the overall environmental monitoring system. This helps maintain optimal humidity levels for data center equipment.

Wrong Roof

Issue: Choosing the wrong type of roof, such as one with insufficient insulation or poor reflective properties, can result in heat accumulation, leading to higher internal temperatures and negatively impacting equipment performance. Roof color can also significantly affect cooling efficiency, especially in areas with high outside temperatures and sun exposure.

Solution: Select roofing materials with excellent insulation and high solar reflectance to help control internal temperatures and reduce the load on cooling systems. Ensure the materials can withstand local weather conditions, including temperature extremes, precipitation, and potential natural disasters.

Data center cooling is more complex than it appears. While simply blowing air to cool devices might work, it is not always the most cost-effective or energy-efficient method. To ensure the stability and sustainability of the data center, operators need a deep understanding of various cooling strategies and must carefully consider all aspects of implementation. By addressing these key factors, data centers can achieve efficient, reliable, and cost-effective cooling solutions.