localzuk Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 I know this topic is likely to be one like 'Apple vs Windows' or 'Vim vs Emacs', but what temperature should a server room be kept at in most people's views? There are so many differing ideas around but hardly any of them are backed up with reasons.
Oaktech Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 the air con keeps it at about 18-20 in the summer - the english weather and 60's brickwork keeps it at about 3 degrees above outside temp the rest of the year!
localzuk Posted January 26, 2012 Author Posted January 26, 2012 Why do you all keep it so low? Every server I've ever seen recommends operating temperatures of between 10 and 35 degrees C. In the age of reducing electricity usage, what are the advantages of keeping it at 20 degrees, over, say, 26 degrees? Even Google recommend 26.6 degrees (80 Fahrenheit). I was always taught the key thing with electronics isn't low temperatures, but consistent temperatures. Intel did a study and found no difference in numbers of failed equipment in comparison to lower temperatures. It also reduces the problems with low humidity issues.
timbo343 Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 In october when we had the warm spell, we had no air con in ours and the room was about 35 degrees by mid morning, you could feel the heat on the door handle on the outside it was that warm. Anyway, the servers were screaming for cool air... we had about 8 portable fans in there to try and push the hot air out the door.
Greenbeast Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 Why do you all keep it so low? Every server I've ever seen recommends operating temperatures of between 10 and 35 degrees C. In the age of reducing electricity usage, what are the advantages of keeping it at 20 degrees, over, say, 26 degrees? Even Google recommend 26.6 degrees (80 Fahrenheit). I was always taught the key thing with electronics isn't low temperatures, but consistent temperatures. Intel did a study and found no difference in numbers of failed equipment in comparison to lower temperatures. It also reduces the problems with low humidity issues. fair point, i might turn mine up
aerospacemango Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 When I was at my previous position, I campaigned for the server room air-con to be increased from 18 to 21 degrees, as there was no reason for them to be so low. This 3 degree shift had no discernable effect on the servers, but deffo had an effect on the electricity bill! Just before I left, there was a server move going on and the air-con was taken out to move to the new room...... Temperatures got as high as 33, but we had a door open constantly, and 3 fans in the room (which I still maintain just moved the hot air around!) At my current place, I have had the cold air fan set to come on if the room goes above 24.
aerospacemango Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 (edited) EDIT : Posted twice! Edited January 26, 2012 by aerospacemango
Flakes Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 Because although the room may be that cold, the internal computer parts are not. ours is set to 19-21. 35 degrees may translate to 40 degrees case temp and 50 degrees CPU temp (depending on loads of factors) The fans will spin faster at this temp and require replacements sooner. I think i remember Google doing a similar test with temperature, not sure how they got on.
localzuk Posted January 26, 2012 Author Posted January 26, 2012 Because although the room may be that cold, the internal computer parts are not. ours is set to 19-21. 35 degrees may translate to 40 degrees case temp and 50 degrees CPU temp (depending on loads of factors) The fans will spin faster at this temp and require replacements sooner. I think i remember Google doing a similar test with temperature, not sure how they got on. Their tests resulted in them turning their temperatures up to 80 degrees in their data centres. Temperature · Google Data Centers
pete Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 The hottest part of our server room (annoying corner where the return doesn't catch all the exhausted hot air from the switch rack) is 25 degrees, the intake temperature at the front of the server rack is around 20 degrees. I base it on keeping the internal temperature of the hottest server in the middle of the rack within tolerable limits and I don't exactly have elbow room to redesign the cooling paths for more efficiency. Now if I had room for hot and cold aisles, it'd use a lot less power.
ToyHeartsFan Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 Because although the room may be that cold, the internal computer parts are not. ours is set to 19-21. 35 degrees may translate to 40 degrees case temp and 50 degrees CPU temp (depending on loads of factors) ^This I think I once read 30c was about the max after that RM said it voided the warranty. Running components hot stresses them and reduces their lifespan. Ours sits around the 20c mark unless I'm working in there and feeling cold then it might get turned up a few degrees. The fans will spin faster at this temp and require replacements sooner. ^And the noise it makes will send you deaf!
GrumbleDook Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 Other things to consider is how you deal with A/C failure. In some places I have seen environment cards used with the UPSen to shut things down when too hot, but for those relying on being able to deal with issues on a direct "run to the server room" sort of action then a lower temperature can give a bit more time to deal with the issue. It's is all about risk and impact.
plexer Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 22 in ours for the reason of not trying to ultra cool it and that consistency is better. Ben
3s-gtech Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 20 in ours, old servers with very old 15k SCSI disks are getting nice cool air for as long as they live!
GREED Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 We had a power cut in my last school, air con didn't kick in but the servers were on UPS so stayed on. The following morning we were in Mid Summer Egypt remperatures. We did have 26 blade servers though. I didn't see it but my NM said it was 42... Agree with Tony, why waste money, keep it a steady 25 ish
Sylv3r Posted January 26, 2012 Posted January 26, 2012 Ours is set to 21 and we get an alert once it hits 27
Netwacky87 Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 Mine hovers around 21, we get an alert if it goes above 30 and the servers auto shutdown if it goes above 40
rich_tech Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 18-20 here, its quite a large room to cool our server room.
Out_of_Sync Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 I keep our room at 20, it is a large room and I spend a lot of time there.
mrbios Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 I keep changing the setting to 22-24, comfortable working temperature. Though someone else keeps turning it down all the time to 18-19oC which is just a complete and utter waste of electricity >_<
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