How to Stop Overcooling Your Data Center
Are you overcooling your Data Center? It’s possible that you are and you don’t even know it. Overcooling your data center not only wastes energy, but it can also increase your operating costs and decrease the lifespan of your equipment. Here's what you need to know.
Why Overcooling Happens
Overcooling can occur for a number of reasons.
One of the most common reasons, I’ve found, is that many operators believe that keeping the temps as low as possible will protect their equipment from overheating. However, this approach can actually lead to some serious complications. If the air is over-cooled, it cannot hold moisture, leading to increased risk of condensation on equipment and a risk of hardware corrosion.
Another common explanation is that Operators just don’t know that they are overcooling.
Consequences of Overcooling
Overcooling your data center can have a number of negative consequences. First and foremost, it wastes energy. Cooling is one of the most energy-intensive activities in a data center. By overcooling, you're essentially throwing away energy that could be put to better use.
Overcooling can also increase your operating costs. The more energy you use, the more you'll have to pay for it. Over time, these costs can add up significantly.
Finally, overcooling can decrease the lifespan of your equipment. When the temperature is too low, the equipment can become damaged over time. This can lead to costly repairs or replacements.
The Solution
The best way to prevent overcooling is to perform regular audits of your environment. You can easily do this with the AUDIT-BUDDY system. You can quickly collect temperature, humidity and dew point data for every cabinet, and generate a heat map to show if your aisles are too hot or cold. Our software automatically detects if your white space meets the ASHRAE recommended guidelines (and where you should pay attention).
Then what?
Once you have conducted your audit, you should visually inspect any outlier locations. Here are some items that the Purkay Labs’ team check during their on-site audits.
Check the temperature and humidity levels throughout the data center.
Verify that there are no missing blanking plates
Inspect all raised flooring for proper sealing and gaps - there should be no air leaks due to loose fitting tiles
Verify that the hot and cold aisle containment is functioning properly - no obstructions etc.
Check that all air filters are clean and properly maintained.
Inspect all cable management for proper routing and organization
Verify that the high CFM output grates in front of the rack don’t exceed the CFM requirement
Check that there is no excessive airflow through the floor mounted PDUs where power cables are under the floor.
Once you have answered this information and taken corrective action, go back and run your audit again. This time you should notice a difference between your before and after data collection.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, overcooling is a common issue in data centers that often goes unnoticed. It can waste energy, increase operating costs, and decrease the lifespan of your equipment. By using a tool, like the AUDIT-BUDDY and the Static Heat Map, you can identify areas of overcooling and adjust your cooling strategy to optimize energy efficiency and equipment performance. The data will help you to adjust your cooling strategy to save energy, reduce operating costs, and extend the lifespan of your equipment.
About Purkay Labs
We believe that Data Center Operators deserve quick, reliable and independent data about their white space environment, without the burden of complicated permanent monitoring systems. We create simple, standalone, and cost-effective portable environmental monitoring systems so you can get data wherever and whenever you need it. Our flagship product- the AUDIT-BUDDY system- is the first multi-height portable environmental monitor that provides data to help manage your airflow, reduce Scope II emissions, increase energy efficiency & cooling optimization.