Maintaining the indoor environment of your data center is critical to ensuring reliability and system uptime and this includes not just removing dirt and dust, but also ensuring that the optimal temperature and humidity. Even small changes in these conditions can greatly impact the performance of your systems, so you need the right data center environmental control products in place to avoid these problems.

Let’s take a look at some of the recommended conditions and how you can maintain them using data center environmental control products.

Temperature

The most optimal temperature for your data center is between 72 to 80.6 degrees Fahrenheit (22 to 27 degree Celsius) as reports show that operating expensive computer equipment at higher temperatures (more than 30 degrees Celsius) can negatively impact its longevity, durability, reliability, and performance.

This brings up another interesting question. Should you measure the ambient temperature or the air temperature at the point where it enters the server? The answer is both: Measuring and controlling the cold air as it enters the server ensures that the IT equipment operates as close to optimal range as possible. Measuring and trending the ambient air can provide valuable insight as to any leakage in containment systems or heat gain from other sources. At the end of the day, the server inlet temperature and humidity is what dictates the performance and longevity of your IT gear so keep a sharp eye on it.

Humidity

Humidity can be broadly defined as the amount of moisture present in the air inside your data center. The most optimal humidity levels are between 45% to 55%. When these levels go up, water condensation can corrode the hardware and can lead to a failure in components. On the other hand, when the humidity levels are too low, it can increase the chances of electrostatic discharge that in turn, can damage some of the sensitive components.

In general, it is not possible to monitor temperature and humidity separately as both tend to go hand in hand. This is why any data center maintenance plan should include the monitoring of both these aspects. You can always have any data center moisture control products and temperature measurement tools handy to regulate both these levels at all times.

A reputable data center energy management company like LDP Associates can mission-critical moisture control for your data center, amongst other facilities. Request a consultation with our experts today and we’ll provide you with a free estimate.