IT room cooling

[pete]

I have a computer room that (like so many of them) has it's windows positioned so as to get the full heat of the daystar throughout most of the day.

Groovy in winter, annoying in Summer because even with the windows and door open, there's no real airflow.

 

The machines are hand-me-downs from main use computer rooms and have been recently cleaned out so they run fine (so far) in the heat, but it's still not a nice room to work in.

 

Air-con would cost roughly £1,500 with an associated running cost.

 

Has anyone implemented outside air cooling for IT rooms that a) works b) isn't any more audible than A/C (gentle murmur at full tilt) c) won't cost the moon on a stick?

 

Has anyone got a good, reliable supplier for the same?

[Cools]

window tints help keep sun down and help cool the room.. with extractor fans to remove hot air and create airflow.. have them set to turn on at a set temp

 

or aircon with control unit and program it to turn off after 30 min and minimum temp 23c so not to over work the compressor and blow it.

[DAZZD88]

We have A/C and it works. The only issues we have, are stolen remotes. Why we didn't have wall mounted thermostat controls I'll never know. Depending on how your A/C is set to work, it can be audible (if you have it on the super speedy cool down setting) or it can be very quiet and barely noticeable. I'd recommend it, providing you can stop the kids from operating it and make sure staff don't leave the thing on all weekend.

[plexer]

I've just emailed ecocooling.co.uk to see if I can get some prices for cooling of our IT rooms using their evaporative cooling solution.

 

Ben

[pete]

To all who have replied - I have AC in a bunch of other computer rooms and know it works. The problem is a) that we're participating in the 10:10 project (cutting carbon emissions) and b) if there's anything effective that's cheaper than AC.

[Max_Power]

Hi Pete, Interesting thread given we have had a similar issue. Tried extractors to remove the warmer air, but it wasnt up to the job. A decent solution is hard to find without the ££ to back it up.

Be interested to see how this thread pans out, and if anyone manages it without spending vast amounts of cash.

[Cools]

pen and paper.. lol..

[PeteHopton]

You need to look to contain and separate your hot and cold air, then use some extraction on the hot air, something a bit more 'industrial' than bathroom extractors!

This will create a negative pressure in the room, now all you need in venting to get fresh air in the front of your servers.

 

Important you block up the gaps in your cabinets.

[featured_spectre]

We have 2 aircon units in our ICT classrooms as they are on the top floor and the windows face the sun...we dont open the windows often, when we do it is with the air con on as well to create airflow and its only when its really hot and we dont want people sweating up the chairs and such like.

[plexer]

Problem with air-con is the sealed room aspect of it.

 

Ben

[pete]

You need to look to contain and separate your hot and cold air, then use some extraction on the hot air, something a bit more 'industrial' than bathroom extractors!

This will create a negative pressure in the room, now all you need in venting to get fresh air in the front of your servers.

 

Important you block up the gaps in your cabinets.

 

This is not a server room, it's a classroom with computers and children in it. If anything it would be cheaper to cool the children, since their heat output rivals the desktops.

Edited June 17, 2011 by pete

[plexer]

I should have some figures next week based on the size of our computer rooms for evaporative cooling.

 

Ben

[plexer]

Ok just to update this with pricing on the evaporative eco-cooling system.

 

To install a single air cooler and use it to cool our 40 seat ICT room and the ICT Workshop next door would be £15,500, I don't have a cost atm to install air-con into these rooms but will have to get a quote in order to compare them.

 

Evaporative cooling is supposed to cost about 10% the cost of AC to run.

 

Ben

[john]

Ok just to update this with pricing on the evaporative eco-cooling system.

 

To install a single air cooler and use it to cool our 40 seat ICT room and the ICT Workshop next door would be £15,500, I don't have a cost atm to install air-con into these rooms but will have to get a quote in order to compare them.

 

Evaporative cooling is supposed to cost about 10% the cost of AC to run.

 

Ben

is all I can say to that, I bet it is no more than £5K to put A/C into your rooms, despite what the evil Eco Tree-Hugging brigade will have you say, Air Conditioning is NOT that evil, the modern units that are supplied now are soft start, hardly draw any electric at all and are very efficient and use safe gasses compared to the old ones. Opening a window and sweatting is much cheaper yes, but no-one noticed the electric bill jump when I got my new A/C in the IT Room last year and its a decent sized unit.

[andybrown]

:-)

[3s-gtech]

Agreed with john, we're currently having AC fitted into an IT room that regularly gets over 30C at present (flat roofed, takes the full beating of the sun). £5k total, with wired remote. There are additional costs, as we have to have them tested etc, but it'll be more than worth it. Can't speak for evaporative cooling as we only have a small amount of active cooling in the place. The extractors they fitted in one refurb here are useless and noisy.