Air Conditioning in Colocation Facilities

Proper air conditioning is an important factor in your colocation facility. With hundreds or thousands of servers in the same room, all generating heat, it’s necessary to have a way to cool the facility. What happens is that the electrical power used by the devices is naturally converted to heat. This heat emits into the room. With so many devices working at the same time this will make the temperature of the room rise. Unless the heat is somehow removed, the excess heat in the room will ruin the servers.

That is why air conditioning is so important. Industry experts recommend a temperature range between 20 and 25 °C and a humidity range of 40-60%. This has been established as the optimal range for electronic equipment. This is equivalent to average room temperature and is well within the manufacturer’s specified guidelines for optimal performance.

Air conditioners not only help control the room temperature, but they also help to control the room’s humidity. Too much humidity and water will start to condense inside the servers. This has obvious hazards such as short-circuiting the wires or doing other damage to the hardware. Too little humidity and the room becomes too dry. While this doesn’t have the same obvious problems that too much humidity does, it still has its share of problems. Too dry of an atmosphere can create static electricity problems which will also damage the servers.

When choosing a colocation facility, make sure you have a look at the air conditioning and humidifying systems. Ask the provider what the temperature of the room is set to and what percent humidity it’s at. Be sure to also inquire about how the company monitors the room to make sure it always stays at the correct temperature and humidity. The air quality of the room is a very important factor in maintaining your servers so you want to be sure that you’re getting proper service.

For more information on colocation services, visit Vancouver Colocation, one of the leading colocation providers for small to medium sized businesses in Western Canada.