What is the Ideal Server Room Temperature and Humidity?

IT equipment performs precise calculations and copes with complicated tasks. To ensure its stable, smooth, and durable operation, it is vital to create optimal environmental conditions. Network hardware is sensitive to any change in environmental indicators. For example, condensation settles on circuit boards when the atmosphere is too wet. This is the main reason for creating the ideal server room temperature and humidity, which stands as a vital provision for any data center.

Focus on Temperature

The smoothness and durability of the performance of network devices highly depend on the temperature regime. Overheating of servers, processors, and other active hardware results in improper performance in the best case. In the worst case, overheating can lead to equipment downtime and malfunction and completely disable devices.

The Best Heat Parameter for Server Premises

According to the server room temperature standard, computing hardware works smoothly with an indicator being about 72°F. When hardware is placed in rooms in which this temperature is maintained, devices work durably and sustainably; no breaking or increased deterioration is observed.

Factors that Influence Heat on Premises

To guarantee the recommended server room temperature, system administrators should take into account the following factors:

• windows, their size, and position;
• the area of floor surface;
• lighting;
• occupants.

Generally, it is recommended to pick premises without windows for the server room arrangement. Also, note that each type of lighting emits a certain amount of heat. The more cabinets or other occupants are placed on the premise, the more heat will be produced.

System administrators must treat these factors when calculating the optimal server room temperature and selecting the needed cooling system.

Focus on Humidity

Both dry and wet air is critical for IT equipment. The rise or fall of this indicator can lead to the failure of processors, chips, and other components of electronic devices.

So, over-low humidity when the air is too dry leads to the accumulation of static electricity. Damage to network hardware can be caused by both the accumulated charge and a possible electrical breakdown between two metal surfaces. Over-high humidity results in condensation on cold surfaces. Moreover, too low or high humidity can result in fires.

The Ideal Humidity for Data Centers

The optimal humidity level is about 40%-50%. This humidity level does not allow the water vapor to condensate on circuit boards.

Ways to Monitor Atmospheric Factors

A large number of sensors are offered on the modern market to monitor the required level of environmental parameters. There are models designed for placing in rooms or directly server cabinets. Installed sensors are connected to apps that manage their operation. The following tools are widely used by system administrators to monitor the atmosphere remotely:

• utilities that control indicators by collecting the probes from different parts of the data center and analyzing compliance with the set indicators;
• apps for various types of OS allows configuring the sensors scattered around the computer room and monitoring the optimal indicators;
• software and programs are equipped with all the needed functionalities to control the environment on the premise.

All apps send alerts in the event of the rise or fall of atmospheric parameters to the control panel.

Ways to Regulate the Environment on Server Premises

The following solutions are applied to cool server rooms and hardware.

• Temperature control panel with fans

This is an additional panel installed on the premise to achieve better room cooling. Several fans can be installed and directed to different parts of the room to force the air to circulate in the right direction.

• Shelf Fan Trays

These are special metal constructions for fan installation. There are bodies of different sizes and types, which allows placing different models of fans and using them for both room and server cooling.

• Wall-Mount Roof Fan Kit

This is a set of tools designed for fastening fans to walls or roofs.

Another technology implies placing room occupants according to special maps used to create cold and hot air aisles. When circulating through these aisles, the air exchanges heat effectively and cools down naturally.

Benefits of Using such Technologies

Such cooling systems are used to control the environment inside premises and sever furniture. They allow adjusting environmental parameters to achieve the optimal level for computing hardware functioning.

Due to the use of fans, sensors, and hot/cold aisles, it is possible to adjust the environment of each room to the required standards. Compliance with set norms of atmospheric factors inside data centers will prolong system functioning and ensure its smooth operation. Network equipment is used to store datum and perform complicated computing tasks. Electronic devices are sensitive to condensation and static electricity, which are caused by improper environmental conditions. The violation of environmental standards for data centers will lead to system malfunction and downtime. To create and maintain the optimal atmosphere inside data centers, fans, vaporizers, and chillers are used. Sensitive sensors allow monitoring indicators remotely and alert when atmospheric parameters are not satisfying.