THE EDGE n early June 2023 , it was reported that the El Niño

Pacific and would lead to increased temperatures across the globe over the coming two years . Recently , we have seen the terrible impact of forest fires in countries across the globe such as Canada and Hawaii . It all sounds like events happening a long way away , but UK temperatures have risen on average 1 degree since 1990 and summers have set new records in recent years .

For data centre owners , these periods of prolonged high temperatures are of particular concern because of the strain and risk of failure they place on critical infrastructure . Poorly maintained cooling has been a major contributor to some serious data centre failures in recent years and with supply chains limiting the availability of new equipment it is critical to stay on top of the needs of your data centre assets .

Keeping a cooling system in the best possible shape will reduce the strain it is under , make it more efficient , cut costs and prolong its life .

But there are things you can check today that could have an immediate impact on the performance of your cooling infrastructure and provide early warning of problems that may arise .

1 . Clean those coils – When was the last time the coils in your refrigerantbased AC system were cleaned ? You should have a log of this and if it was two or more months ago , then your next clean should be booked in . Clean coils offer the optimum heat rejection for your system , so getting into a cycle where they receive a clean just before the hotter summer months is important too . Every system should receive three to four cleans across a year .

2 . Refrigerant gas charges – When was the last time your system was charged ? Inevitably gas losses take place during the normal operation of your AC system and if not kept within their normal range , then the performance of the system is compromised . Your system may warn you if it becomes seriously low but you may not notice drops in performance that have already occurred . Your system should be routinely charged annually to keep it operating at its optimum design capacity and consider adding a Pressure Leak Test to any servicing package you have .

3 . Are you out of spec ? – In recent decades design parameters for ambient temperatures have risen

from the mid 30s centigrade , up to mid 40s . Depending on the age of your installation , it may not be designed to deal with these new norms , putting you at an elevated failure risk because your system is working harder to maintain target temperatures and humidity . Check these data points so that you can assess whether you need to accelerate your upgrade plans . 4 . Don ’ t forget your CRAC units – Once again it ’ s all down to organised maintenance and the hardworking CRAC ( Computer Room Air Conditioning ) units can often be overlooked with teams feeling the job is done when they have cleaned coils . Check when the filters were last cleaned or replaced as these units will be working their hardest right now and perhaps harder than they would otherwise need to .

5 . Thermostat review – What are your cooling and humidity targets and are they still valid ? Blocked thermostats , or ‘ tweaks ’ made to temperatures www . intelligentdatacentres . com

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