Ahh, Summer. It’s already one of the hottest years on record for much of California, and in light of soaring temperatures, it’s an important time to closely monitor your valuable electronics and data centers. You’ll want to make sure air-conditioning and water-cooling systems are working properly, but there are more steps you can take to ensure your electronics survive the heat.
Fact: Electronic devices tend to run 10-20 degrees higher than room temperature. If temperatures become too hot, outside cooling and ventilation is needed to prevent overheating. While air-conditioning may fit the bill, in some cases you may want invest in an environmental monitoring system to ensure your electronics keep safe.
Energy costs can also increase during the summer months, due to an increased amount of water being used to cool down systems. To ensure cooling down your electronics and data-systems isn’t costing you a fortune, a power monitoring system may be beneficial to view and keep watch on how much electricity is being used, potentially saving money in the long run.
Cable management is one of the most overlooked fixes to data centers overheating. A disorganized cluster of cables can block ventilation access, causing the data center to overheat. You’ll want to streamline your universal power cords to make sure air flows evenly throughout the center. Likewise, it’s also important that your cables are not too long – making crowding and overheating less likely.
Other inexpensive and quick fixes for cooling data centers include A) blanking panels- blocking off unused rack space to improve airflow, B) getting rid of any unused and needless equipment, and C) spot cooling any hot spots within data centers with small portable fans.
For optimum thoroughness, a regular scheduled maintenance by a HVAC technician would ensure efficiency and proper airflow to your data center. And exhausting heat from the data center could be the solution to your data center airflow, sending unwanted heat to another room outside of the source.
In addition to these out-of the box approaches to ensuring the performance of electronics and data centers, here are a few more approaches to keeping temperatures normalized:
- Keep electronics out of the sun, and preferably in the shade, especially for prolonged periods of time.
- Don’t leave your electronics in the car, where heat is highly intensified.
- Water and electronics is a recipe for disaster. Pack ziplock bags to store your electronics for days at the beach or by the pool.
- Try and keep your thermostat to under 80 degrees. This will help to ensure your electronics and data systems don’t overheat
So remember, while you keep cool this summer, keep in mind your electronics also need some good old TLC. Contact our knowledgeable sales staff with all questions regarding international power cords and the best solutions to beat the summer heat. Quail Electronics, by email or by telephone: 800.669.8090.