The Benefits of Cleaning Your Data Center Computer Room Air Conditioning System Frequently
Computer Room Air Conditioning (CRAC) Cleaning is a vital part of a successful data center operation. The efficiency of your HVAC systems is directly tied to the cleanliness of your system components. This is true for systems that use cooled air or chilled water to collect and extract heat. The cleanliness of the fan blades that power either system – whether covered in dust or algae – has a direct impact on the performance of the system.
Benefit #1: CRAC System Longevity
Your CRAC system will last longer when it is kept clean. Computer room air conditioning units run 24/7 to keep the servers running at an ideal temperature. They need to remain completely clean to keep the performance of the machines at their max and not create a downtime issue by having them overheat or worse.
Benefit #2: Server Longevity
When the servers are kept at their ideal operating temperature, they are less likely to overheat or reduce their processing speed. They remain at their optimal conditions for maximum efficiency and the components of the servers are able to operate properly. When the HVAC system gets dirty it begins to have an impact on how well it pulls heat away from the server resulting in less heat being pulled away creating a more taxing environment for the server that can eventually cause the server to have functional issues potentially compromising the entire data center.
Benefit #3: Fewer Filter Clogs and Changes
When a system is properly maintained, the filters remain cleaner and free of large quantities of debris that clog the system, make it work harder, and make it less efficient at extracting heat from the servers which in turn makes it harder for the server to perform properly, impacting the performance, efficiency, energy use, and uptime of the entire facility. When the filters are kept cleaner due to frequent system cleaning, they last longer, saving both time and money plus potential lost earnings from downtime.
Other Cleaning Considerations
It is vital to create a completely clean environment in your server room and to maintain it properly each month or quarter. Our team can help you decide how often a cleaning of your CRAC system should be performed. There are other considerations for keeping your building’s HVAC system clean as well. This includes cleaning your entire server room from the top down every 3-12 months (including your server room) and cleaning your individual server racks every 6-12 months. The best way to keep your computer room uptime at a maximum is to create a proper cleaning regimen.
The Cost of Not Having A Maintenance Cleaning Pan Far Outweighs the Cost of Having One
Our team can help you do this because the question isn’t, “Can you afford a monthly or quarterly maintenance cleaning schedule?” It’s, “Can you afford not to?” According to Pingdom, the average IT based business loses over $5,600 a minute that their system is down. Depending on the size of the company though, this can vary from $145,000-450,000 per hour. Assuming you can get back online in an hour, you could have paid for a regular maintenance plan for your facility likely many times over.
