Many people ask, how cold should a server room be? Of course, general recommendations from ASHRAE are anywhere between 10°C (50°F) to 28°C (82°F). However, what most people do not know is that temperature of a data center or server room is not as critical as airflow and humidity monitoring.
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As long as airflow and humidity levels are in optimum conditions, then temperature shouldn’t be as much of a concern. The lack of air flow is much more of a critical cooling factor than temperature. A server room that is maintained at an appropriate temperature without airflow still has servers generating heat that rises through the racks threatening to damage electrical equipment.
Humidity is also a hazardous factor when it comes to protecting the server room from environmental hazards. High humidity can be unbearable in the summertime, but it can be a potential menace for servers. Low humidity can be as much of a danger for server rooms as well. Learn more about the hazards of humidity on server room equipment.
Airflow Recommendations
It is suggested that the server room floor is raised to allow an under floor air distribution process. An air flow duct system is also acceptable for an air flow system.
Humidity Recommendations
An air conditioning system should be installed independently from the facility AC system. Server room humidity should generally be set between 40-50%. The AC must be placed 4 inches away from server racks to allow maintenance space and avoid water leaks from the unit.
So there you have it, temperature is certainly a factor to consider when optimizing the conditions in the server room, however, humidity and airflow are just as much of a concern, if not more. Check out Ravica’s environmental monitoring system to set up a package of environmental monitoring sensors from water leaks and power monitors.
Server room environmental & security monitoring systems
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