The dog days of summer are right around the corner, and data center managers know they’ll need to keep a watchful eye on how outdoor temperatures may affect their facility’s operations and airflow. The good news is that you can still keep your data center up and running without breaking a sweat throughout the summer using a few key strategies.
Here are four simple ways you can beat the summer heat and maintain your data center’s energy efficiency and airflow.
- Straighten up your cables. Cables may be small, but they can easily heat things up when left unmaintained. This is because the electrical current that runs through the cables releases heat energy. When these cables are bunched together in an unstructured mess, it can be a cause for concern. Get rid of any unused cables and use your server racks to keep your cables neat. Server racks and cable maintenance both improve airflow for reduced energy waste.
- Make blanking panels your best friend. Blanking panels are essential when it comes to maintaining airflow, especially during the summer months. By inserting blanking panels over the empty slots of your server racks, you can help to prevent hot aisle air from mixing with your data center’s cool aisle air and causing issues with overheating.
- Consolidate your hardware. About 38% of large companies expect to exceed IT capacity within 18 months, but that’s not always the case. Analyze your data center facility to determine where you can consolidate your infrastructure and hardware. When you consolidate your hardware, you can remove enclosures and other infrastructure support that you don’t need to lower power and cooling costs, reduce IT costs, and improve computing efficiency.
- Keep your cool air contained. Just like you would contain the cool air in your home during the summer months by insulating any potential gaps around your home, it’s important to contain the cool air in your data center. You can do this by taking advantage of a raised floor partition system and by sealing off any unused space to keep the cool air from escaping and raising energy costs.
Looking for data center supplies to maintain your facility’s energy efficiency this summer? AMCO Enclosures offers a wide range of data center products to meet your needs. To learn more information about our types of server racks, thermal containment systems, and more, contact AMCO Enclosures today.