Today, all small and big businesses rely on their IT infrastructure for the smooth functioning of their operations. At the heart of this IT infrastructure are the server rooms that house the servers which store all the data vital to the organisation. These servers are therefore of paramount importance and hence it is crucial to protect them from any kind of damage.
Now, one of the most vital components of the server room is the air conditioner. Overheating of servers can cause them to slow down, shut down or in severe cases, meltdown resulting in a catastrophe. This will interrupt your IT processes and the damaged server equipment will need to be replaced at a significant cost, as such damage is often irreparable. So, the installation of a highly-efficient air conditioning system in a server room is critical.
Understanding CRAC
CRAC stands for Computer Room Air Conditioning. These are the cooling systems installed in the server rooms or the larger data centres. Since the servers generate a lot of heat, these cooling systems are used to cool them. Thus, they protect them from any damage caused due to overheating.
There are various types of CRAC in terms of design and technology. For example, some CRAC uses water or air as the coolant (often called ‘the medium’), while some CRAC use chemical refrigerant.
As well as the cooling mediums, these cooling systems come in different structures according to the layout of the server rooms. For example, for smaller set-ups, Whole Room Cooling may be preferred. Here the entire server room is cooled. As for larger set-ups, conditioned cooling is recommended, wherein only a specific and enclosed area around the servers is cooled.
Now that we have understood the cooling systems required for servers rooms and data centres, in brief, let us now go through certain factors that need to be kept in mind while choosing an air conditioning system for your server room.
Factors to Consider While Choosing an Air Conditioning System For Server Rooms
We have already understood how crucial air conditioning systems are for the uninterrupted functioning of servers in the server room. They need to be maintained at an optimum temperature, require controlled humidity levels and also need back-ups in case of power outages. So, here are some of the factors that need to be considered before choosing an air conditioning unit for your server room.
Size of Your Server Room
When choosing an air conditioning system for your server room, the first and foremost factor to consider is the size of the server room. The size, capacity and type of the system all depend on the size of your server room. Whether it is a single server room or a large data centre that you need cooling solutions for, your contractor will help you with the selection of the right unit for you.
Choose the Type of Unit as Per the Selected Optimum Location
The location of the air conditioning unit will have a direct impact on how effectively it maintains an optimal temperature. An ill-placed unit might lead to ineffective cooling, which in turn may lead to overheating and damage to your servers. So the location of your unit and selecting a unit as per its location is crucial.
For smaller set-ups, wall-mounted air conditioners are sufficient and do the desired job quite well. These AC units direct the cold air directly at the server. These units are specifically designed to handle the intense and constant cooling that a server room needs. They are quite different from the regular home/office wall-mounted units that relatively offer very little in terms of consistency.
Under-ceiling units are another variety to choose from. These units are more suitable for larger set-ups, where a relatively higher-powered option is required.
We at the Air Con Company offer highly resilient commercial air conditioning installation for your server rooms, ranging from wall-mounted to ceiling suspended units to in-row cooling units.
Choose a Highly Efficient Unit
The air conditioning units that you deploy in a server room are going to work 24×7. As a result, the efficiency of the unit becomes an important factor when it comes to choosing an air condition system for your server room. This will greatly impact the operational cost. So while buying an air conditioning unit for your room, always look for a unit with a high Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) rating. The higher the EER rating, the more efficient your unit will be. The EER measures the ratio of output cooling energy (in BTUs) to input electrical energy.
If you need any assistance to figure out the EER ratings and BTU calculations, our commercial air conditioning service specialists will be more than happy to assist you.
Buy From a Trusted and Experienced Contractor
Server room air conditioners are a significant investment. Besides, we have already understood how crucial they are to your business. So while buying an air conditioning system for your server room, only the most experienced and trustworthy contractor should be preferred. Choosing a reliable contractor will ensure that you will get the best unit at the best price. Moreover, since service and maintenance are vital aspects as well, a trusted contractor with a proven track record makes much more sense.
So these are the factors you should consider before choosing the right system for your server room.
We at the Air Con Company have been one of the leaders in the server room air conditioning installation London market. Few air conditioning company in London have been serving customers on both domestic and commercial fronts with such dedication and commitment as ours. So the next time you need any assistance in terms of air conditioning installation or service, contact us and we will serve you with utmost commitment. As well as providing air conditioning solutions, we also deal in heat recovery systems, ventilation system installation, renewable energy installation and hot water system installation.
