How To Cool a Network Closet

[Jose R.]

Fellas.

I have my BI PC and all gear stuffed on the top shelf of a closet. The airflow is poor as the gear is near the ceiling well above the top of the closet door so it's basically an upside down cup with regards to heat: it builds up. I can go thru the walls to vent this, so I'm thinking a thermostatically controlled fan setup on rear wall pulling air thru the doors and exhausting it out the back would be sufficient.

Long question short: What's the favorite fan/thermostat setup people use for this? I was shopping rack coolers, media cabinet coolers and such like these:

Amazon.com: server fan thermostat

Any favorites or suggestions for this? Thanks, all!

 

[Serodgers]

I did a through the wall fan to cool my equipment closet.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001501LHK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Jose R.]

Nice... Your closet setup is just like mine with the high location causing that heat trap. I see you have a speed control on it. I assume it's on relatively low being it's such a small space?

Question for everyone: Is thermostat control preferred over manual 24/7 operation? The heat generation of a typical setup should be consistent as they do the same job 24/7. So I assume just find a happy speed and leave it there, OR have it controlled by thermostat to ramp up circulation if needed. What's the consensus on that?

 

[Mike]

I have a temperature controlled fan similar to this

in my attic that exhausts the hot air from my data closet into my attic. Seems to work well.

 

[mat200]

more ideas here
Suggested vent for closet - if your closet gets too hot

 

[Jose R.]

Thanks, guys.

more ideas here
Suggested vent for closet - if your closet gets too hot

Shit, I even searched this topic first. The search on this forum for some reason isn't very effective for me compared to other forums. I get so many hits that your thread from 2017 would be way too buried to find. I need to work on fine tuning that or using Google to search this site for me.

Anyhow, thanks for the ideas. Mat, on your setup, are you just dumb-running the fans or is the PC controlling them based on temp or a separate thermostat?

 

[mat200]

Thanks, guys.



Shit, I even searched this topic first. The search on this forum for some reason isn't very effective for me compared to other forums. I get so many hits that your thread from 2017 would be way too buried to find. I need to work on fine tuning that or using Google to search this site for me.

Anyhow, thanks for the ideas. Mat, on your setup, are you just dumb-running the fans or is the PC controlling them based on temp or a separate thermostat?

Hi @Jose R.

Just dumb right now.. even just having a passive vent helps balance the temps.

next step is to make / get an temp controller.

 

[bp2008]

Some months ago my servers took over the entire coat closet by my back door, where all together they consume 250-400 watts. Obviously I don't want that running behind a closed door and I didn't want to cut a hole through the wall into my bedroom to vent air through. So I just took the closet door off its hinges. It still raised the ambient temperature in the closet by about 10 degrees F. So I laid four 120mm USB-powered fans (http://amzn.com/B00JLV4BWC) at floor level to blow cool air into the closet just under 3 of the server cases so they would suck cool air in their fronts and blow it out the back. This only reduced air temperatures in the closet by about 2 degrees.

 

[SouthernYankee]

Use Google search to search the forum for example

Site:ipcamtalk.com closet

 

[Serodgers]

Nice... Your closet setup is just like mine with the high location causing that heat trap. I see you have a speed control on it. I assume it's on relatively low being it's such a small space?

Question for everyone: Is thermostat control preferred over manual 24/7 operation? The heat generation of a typical setup should be consistent as they do the same job 24/7. So I assume just find a happy speed and leave it there, OR have it controlled by thermostat to ramp up circulation if needed. What's the consensus on that?

Yes have the speed control set to about 75%. Still moves a good amount of air but cuts down the noise level a whole lot. I just leaving it running 24/7 as here in Fla i do not think this time of year it would ever be cool enough for a thermostatic control to ever shut it off so not really needed. I can adjust speed if needed.


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[SteveN1]

You might check the temps first. I thought this would be a problem in my server closet, but it turns out they remained near an acceptable level (30 degree). Not ideal, but a check of the CPU temps show that they are < 50, so it should be good.

 

[iseeker]

Use Google search to search the forum for example

Site:ipcamtalk.com closet

I think it is keyword : site. Like closet : ipcamtalk.com

 

[th182]

I have a rack of servers in a closet and it gets toasty! Added vents to the doors with cheap furnace filters over them on the inside (figure try to reduce dust in the machines). Then I put vents in the ceiling behind the rack with 6” ductwork and an in-line fan venting outside. VenTech VT DF-6 DF6 Duct Fan, 240... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005KMTYFK?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

The closet is off of my utility room so the fresh air intake in there balances out the venting to the outside. Probably not an ideal setup and I’m sure an HVAC specialist would have better ideas - but it works.

As I wanted to learn more about automation I went a step further and setup a raspberry pi reading and responding to temperature sensors. Two sensors at the back and two at the front of the rack. Then added an additional fans and powered dampers using relay modules to the pi. If the temp gets too high it opens a damper and kicks on a second fan that vents into the basement. I’d rather heat the basement than cook my machines. It also sends me email-sms alerts if something is not right.

Goal for this fall is I’d like to tie it into sensing when the furnace is calling for heat in the winter and dump that hot air into a return to help heat the house. We will see if I have time for that.

All way overkill for what I needed. But I wanted to nerd out and learn something in the process. Just the one vent fan has been sufficient getting the heat out.


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