On Tue, Aug 23, 2011 at 9:12 AM, Jason Healy <[email protected]> wrote: > We're a school with a small server room that we're trying to keep cool (about > 4 racks, plus some telco gear). We have a dedicated AC unit in the room > right now, but it isn't able to keep up with the load in the space we have > (the airflow isn't great). Room is hovering around 75 F with AC on full > blast 24/7. On hot days it gets worse, and if the unit were to fail we'd go > over temp pretty quickly. > > Called in a few vendors like APC and Leibert, and they're pitching an in-row > or wall-mount unit, but it's pretty pricey. Meanwhile, our regular AC vendor > is pitching another wall-mount unit similar to what we have in the room > already: > > http://www.e-comfortusa.com/products/mitsubishi-pkaa24ka4--puya24nha4-mr-slim--wall-mounted-mini-split-ac-cooling-only-system--24000-btu/5543 > > On the one hand, the "normal" unit is much cheaper. However, it lacks a few > nice features (SNMP reporting on errors, for example, should a pump fail). > Given that the unit we have can't keep up, I'm not sure if I want another of > the same type. > > Meanwhile, APC/Leibert are telling me that I'm crazy to consider another > "comfort" unit in this space, as they're not rated for this kind of use. The > units they sell are pretty and shiny, but are 5x the price (plus > installation). I feel like the in-row form factor might help us, as it would > suck more hot air from the back of the rack rather than let it mix into the > room. > > I need a little help cutting through the FUD on this one. Is "comfort" > cooling so much worse that it's worth the extra $$$ for a data-center unit? > Since we're a school, I need to save where I can (I'm also trying to get some > better UPS in this room, so money I save on cooling can go towards power). > Since the space isn't a "proper" data center (no hot/cold aisle, no raised > floor, etc), I'm not sure where I should prioritize my funding. > > Any thoughts for cooling on a tight budget? > > Thanks, > Jason
Having the room at 75F does not sound like a problem to me. A lot of research has shown that running systems at higher temps has no significant impact on failure rates. This is research from places like Google and Amazon. Your biggest concern should be handling failure of the main unit, which, as you noted, will cause problems quickly. I would guess that another unit of the same size you already have is probably going to cover you quite well. Nick mentioned a temp/humidity sensor which is also a good idea. You might be able to get something the connects to a server and use it to send out alerts. Also, you could improve the airflow by running a small fan in the corner of the room; just something to move the air around a bit. Even on low speed it will make a difference in airflow over time. -☙ Brian Mathis ❧- _______________________________________________ Discuss mailing list [email protected] https://lists.lopsa.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discuss This list provided by the League of Professional System Administrators http://lopsa.org/
