G-Stress Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Working on quite a few projects all at once. Everything is coming along fine so far, but as it's getting warmer I'm running into a problem. I have a 42U rack full of server's and other equipment in the garage that is currently not heated or cooled. I assembled everything this past November and everything ran fine through the winter, but as it's warming up I see the cpu temp's rising into the 50's. I'd like the keep them in the 40's or lower. I plan to at some point heat and cool the garage, but for now am up for suggestions. I would like to be able to still open the garage door this summer and still have the rack running at a decent temp. I got a few idea's in mind, but am very curious to hear what some of you guys may suggest. Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infiltrator Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 1) Is there any air-conditioner in the garage? 2) You could look into water cooling as well? 3) Are you able to provide some pictures, so we can suggest some solutions for your heating problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Stress Posted March 19, 2011 Author Share Posted March 19, 2011 (edited) http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/3519/1003783.jpg http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/2361/1003784z.jpg Hope this is helpful. Thought about water cooling also. I'd like to do that and illuminate the tubes with LED's somehow, but to run tubing into each server I think would become an issue for upgrades, hardware failure having to pull the server's out, etc. Currently no AC in the garage, that will happen at some point possibly this year sometime, probably fall. Really looking to do some custom mod that will allow me to have garage door open in 80-90 degree temps outside while rack remains consistently cool. Edited March 19, 2011 by G-Stress Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infiltrator Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/3519/1003783.jpg http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/2361/1003784z.jpg Hope this is helpful. Thought about water cooling also. I'd like to do that and illuminate the tubes with LED's somehow, but to run tubing into each server I think would become an issue for upgrades, hardware failure having to pull the server's out, etc. Currently no AC in the garage, that will happen at some point possibly this year sometime, probably fall. Really looking to do some custom mod that will allow me to have garage door open in 80-90 degree temps outside while rack remains consistently cool. I had a quick look at the pictures, and running a water cooling system would be a bit tricky to do. I know some server racks have the ability to have fans installed to keep the equipments inside cooled. Don't know if your rack allows it. But you will definitely need an air-conditioner installed in the room, in order to keep your server from overheating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Cooper Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 As it is your garage and I imagine that in the summer you will open the garage door, you will probably want to look at rack cooling rather than room cooling. Effectively putting a tent over the rack and running the air conditioning into the tent instead of the room. That way when you open the door you don't loose your rack's cooling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Stress Posted March 19, 2011 Author Share Posted March 19, 2011 I know what your talking about with the racks that have fan mounts usually at the top of them. Mine does not and that actually wouldn't do a thing vs. the heat of the summer. I thought about building a plexi-glass wall around the rack with a window unit AC inside it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infiltrator Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 (edited) I know what your talking about with the racks that have fan mounts usually at the top of them. Mine does not and that actually wouldn't do a thing vs. the heat of the summer. I thought about building a plexi-glass wall around the rack with a window unit AC inside it. Would be nice if you had a spare room in the house, where you could fit that rack server in. And wouldn't have to worry about anyone opening the door and letting all the cooled air out. Edited March 19, 2011 by Infiltrator Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Stress Posted March 24, 2011 Author Share Posted March 24, 2011 Yea I set all this up this past nov. And of course through the winter time it ran great at about 20 degrees average. I like the tent idea. I'll figure something out and post back results. Thanks for all the input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Stress Posted April 11, 2011 Author Share Posted April 11, 2011 Today it was about 81-84 degrees and in the garage the server's were running at well over 50 degrees according to SpeedFan. I shut everything down, but where I live the summer is hott hott typically 90 degrees plus consistently throughout the summer. I'm not sure what the actual temp was inside the garage. Do you guys think somthing like this would be sufficient? http://www.rackfans.com/index.php maybe a couple 2U's or fill the majority of the back of the rack with 1 or 2U's? I wanted to do something like this anyway with blue led fans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infiltrator Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 I like these led fans, and that's what I have on my computer case at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Stress Posted April 11, 2011 Author Share Posted April 11, 2011 ? is can those provide sufficient cooling in 80-90 degree temps. I will probably do this anyway just because I like the way they look and for the extra cooling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infiltrator Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 (edited) ? is can those provide sufficient cooling in 80-90 degree temps. I will probably do this anyway just because I like the way they look and for the extra cooling. Not sure, but I know some server fans can get quite loud if the room temperature rises. Edited April 11, 2011 by Infiltrator Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgront Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 I dont think that this is going to provide the air cooling that you want. because what is going to happen is that you will be pulling 80 or 90 degree air across your server....and this will cause heat no matter what, What you may want to do is if you using fans, u could make it like a vacuum since, if I am not mistaken, you can have a fan intake against a wall with no airflow and just have the air outflow open...then what you may want to do is put the fans on the back and force the air to come up from the bottom and with that dont allow air to come from the top or the sides just the bottom so that if you cut that inflow off it would be like a vacuum in a way in which the inside heat would continually leave, or have the bottom open and cause cooler air from the floor to move through the entire case....Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remotesh Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 I don't think those fans are going to solve all of your heating problems, I myself would seriously look at Jason Cooper's idea. Those fans of course are a great start to keep it a little cooler but fans are designed to blow air across or suck out hot air etc, but if the air around it is hot than its going to be spreading the hot air around it. But if you had those fans and a tent with an air cooler. You would probably be set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeypesci Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 A proper rack with proper servers! I'm jealous! How about a simple small standing air con unit? I wouldn't risk trying water cooling. I've never been a fan and if it leaks, water and servers, as you know, don't mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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