Is your server room cool enough to protect your expensive computer equipment from overheating? If not, you may be at risk for serious – and costly – damages.
A portable air conditioner is the perfect solution for server room cooling, especially for small to medium-sized businesses where computer network equipment gets stowed in storage closets or utility rooms that lack proper ventilation.
Choosing the right portable AC to keep your server room cool can seem like a daunting task. But in fact all it takes are a few simple measurements and calculations. Here’s what you need to know:
Calculating Server Room Heat Load
The cooling capacity of portable air conditioners is measured in BTUs (British Thermal Units). The higher the BTUs, the more cooling power the unit has. Generally speaking, BTU requirements are based upon the size of the room you’re trying to cool. (You can read all about picking the right size air conditioner here.)
Server room cooling presents a particular set of challenges, however – most notably the presence of so much electronic equipment that significantly increase the amount of heat in the room.
Therefore, in order to properly calculate the size AC needed, you’ll must measure and calculate the actual heat load in the room.
| Room area BTU | length (m) x width (m) x 337 |
| Windows BTU | length (m) x width (m) x 870 (for southern windows) length (m) x width (m) x 165 (for northern windows) multiply by 1.5 if the windows have no blinds |
| Occupant BTU | number of usual occupants x 400 |
| Lighting BTU | total wattage of the lighting in the room x 4.25 |
| Equipment BTU | total wattage of the equipment in the room (including servers, nodes, switches, etc.) x 3.5 |
Once you’ve calculated the BTUs produced by the various heat sources, you can calculate the total heat load by adding them together:
Total Heat Load BTU = Room Area BTU + Windows BTU + Occupant BTU + Lighting BTU + Equipment BTU
The Total Heat Load of the room equals the BTUs you need for your AC. Portable ACs are available with BTUs ranging from 5,000 to 14,000, more than enough for most server room requirements.
Still not convinced a portable air conditioner is right for your server room cooling needs? Click here to learn more.