Build a Bear.... err Server Room (both need alot of insulation/stuffing?)

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svtkobra7

Active Member
Jan 2, 2017
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I for one can really appreciate your design desicisons and consideration you have put into all of them.

I'd definitely use this if I was converting a closet, but its going to be in the attic and connected to the laundry room/hallway.
The furthest possible from living or bedrooms where noise insulation mattered more over thermal.
  • It is da bomb, but completely follow your project and its inapplicability.
  • I haven't run across too many peeps who have used it, so my (pointless) comment was just really a +1 on @badskater 's comment
My 3rd hdd enclosure just arrived so I can pre-install it in my server before it goes in the box, that'll make adding drives much easier rather than having to pull the box out in it's entirety.
  • Nioce.
  • Guess what I have to do when I want to service the server closest to the wall? Remove ESXi-02 first (which is a complete $#@$en PITA - recall I made a "four post rack" using two vertical racks).
I did manage to pick up a solid core door for free, it was a little garred up on one half of it but I only need about a 30x30 section, I can cut a clean section out for my access panel and scrap the reset.
  • Score!
  • I waiver back and forth on whether to go for one or not.
Of academic interest only ... and in reference to the below discourse ...

Personally, I made the vent for hot air go into the garage, as it's a non-insulated garage, and the temps were on average from 40 to 95 (living in the pacific north west has its advantages for this) I did that so my wife would stop complaining it's cold in the room above the garage too.
It wouldn't be advantageous to just dump that moderately warmed air into the garage (theres no room above it and I'm only making 350w of heat), especially at a 150+ CFM rate.
I think my servers throw off a good bit of heat, but I wonder how much it really matters where it is displaced to, given the @$$clown solution I devised, which is a bit tough to describe. There are six-inch concrete slabs between condo floors and in each condo certain ceiling areas are exposed concrete and others have a 20.5" gap between that concrete and horizontal sheetrock (to allow HVAC, electrical, etc. to be run).
  • My USB powered fan (might as well be compared to your beast) ;) simply dumps the exhaust into an "enclosure" where that sheetrock does exist and that area is only ~500 sq. ft.
  • I keep the AC at 80 (I get chilly at anything below), but this "enclosure" is partially over bedroom 1 so you would think I'd go to bed sweating every night, but the only time I ever feel any warmth is when I open the closet door.
  • And considering the concrete between floors, floor to ceiling windows, etc. the condo is somewhat well sealed.
  • If not for knowledge of the law of conservation of energy (or knowing better), I'd be inclined to suggest it just "disappears".
Funny when I considered more extreme measures such as:
  • Tapping into the air handler (directly next to the server closet) to provide A/C to the closet;
  • Tapping into the dryer or other vent which runs to the outside of the condo;
  • When a small gap under a door + displacement of heat outside of the closet = not just good enough, but a perfectly balanced "system"
#tuned-in
 

Spartacus

Well-Known Member
May 27, 2019
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Austin, TX
Funny when I considered more extreme measures such as:
  • Tapping into the air handler (directly next to the server closet) to provide A/C to the closet;
  • Tapping into the dryer or other vent which runs to the outside of the condo;
  • When a small gap under a door + displacement of heat outside of the closet = not just good enough, but a perfectly balanced "system"
#tuned-in
I considered alot of those things too but just made the most sense to recirculate as its doing well currently.

So I made 1 step forward and 2 steps back last weekend.
I carved out 2 hours to get the intake box framed and installed above the laundry room (gonna leave the drywall uncut until box is fully built so I don't have an open insulated hole just going in the attic (though its getting highs of 80s right now so its pretty nice).

Unfortunately when I measured I assumed there was nothing between the joists in the attic space. When I moved the blowin insulation aside the top of the wall framing has a 2x6 blocking where my 14x24 air return was going to go, so instead of 16" of width, I now only have 10". Queue some swearing and home depot searches, ordered a 8x8 air return box, a 8x8 grille, and 8x8x1 air filter. All of it arrived Wednesday and I returned all the 14x24 stuff I luckily hadn't opened yet.

I'm hoping to get another hour or two tomorrow but TBD, need to hit the grocery and clean the house so 50/50 shot.

Oh I also managed to score a 1.25" thick slab of melamine for 15$, its 49x49 that I'll cut down to the 44x44 I need for the base.
That'll be sturdier, more thermally resistant, and look/function alot nicer than a spare unfinished subfloor sheet.
 
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Spartacus

Well-Known Member
May 27, 2019
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Austin, TX
Was able to install the intake into the laundry room at least, didn't remember to take as many pics (or a before inside, but it was just a flat ceiling so use your imagination :p) but got a few for the little bit of work that I was able to get done today.

Used a roto zip to cut a really clean square in the drywall and then added a 16" 2x6 to support one side of the return vent box the other was the ceiling joist. That 8x8 filter is a damn tight fit though, should make a great seal for air pathing.

I put a couple of plastic bags over the hole and covered it back up for whenever I get the main box building progress started.



 
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Falloutboy

Member
Oct 23, 2011
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When my new 42 RU rack is replaced as the courier turned into 42 RU of scrap steel, I am considering an in floor split A/C inverter system which will forcably blow 16.c chilled air up through the bottom of the rack, the only problem I can think of is where to expel the hot exhaust air to, my immediate thought is to create an aluminoum and glass insert for my aluminium framed windows and have the exhaust run out there.
I am also a little unsure about this A/C solution with regards to humidity, any input would be welcomed, i live in NZ by the way, temps in winter can get down to -7.c and the rest of the year will be about 10 to 25.c on average with the highest evee temp here for a day being 42 from memory. relitive humidity here us anywhere between 70 and 100%
 

Spartacus

Well-Known Member
May 27, 2019
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Austin, TX
Yeah I just wish I had a jointer (or even a planer and jointer jig) home depot wood is overly curvy and twisty for my preferences, but for framing it wont matter that much.
 

Your name or

Active Member
Feb 18, 2020
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Well I think more about a Firehazard with all that Wood. I hope you have a Smoke Dedector who is going to a UPS who cut off if something get detected?
 

Spartacus

Well-Known Member
May 27, 2019
788
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Austin, TX
All that wood is for framing and holding the insulation pretty much and its in the attic where its weather sheltered.
The interior will be a melamine floor (kitchen countertop material), and the interior walls/siding will be firecode x panel drywall.

...why would it be a firehazard? or more so than any other part of my house thats made of wood, insulation, and drywall.
 

Your name or

Active Member
Feb 18, 2020
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or more so than any other part of my house thats made of wood, insulation, and drywall.
OMG here everything is build of Conreate and Brickwalls so in the case in one Room a Fire start the are mostly contain in the Room only. Sure the Smoke damage everythig but not burn down. So in my Case I try everything to get all flammable stuff away as I could. I will buy soon a Server Rack for my own and will shield it from the other party of the Room for Sound reason.
 

Spartacus

Well-Known Member
May 27, 2019
788
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Austin, TX
Where is here country/state? Interior concrete and brick walls is way overkill for residential stuff in the south USA like Texas where you don't have to build a basement to get below the frost line (no such thing as a frost line here :D ). Any rock, brick, or concrete is generally commercial or exterior non-structural aesthetic. The insulation and anything interior is all treated, as well as fire-blocks installed in various spots. But overall its just not a common build standard in developer home builds.

That said my 2 server towers I plan on putting in the box are no more or less likely to catch on fire than my gaming rig in my upstairs office.
Newer high quality and properly sized PSU give a substantially decreased chance of electrical fire happening as well.
My servers are currently sitting behind my couch in the living room so technically they'll be in a safer place moving to the attic box rather than a living space if they ever caught fire.
 

Spartacus

Well-Known Member
May 27, 2019
788
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Austin, TX
Here's what most home frames here look like without insulation or drywall, its pretty much just plyboard, studs, and joists ~ all wood even for 2 story house builds, it just requires larger joists in-between floors for the weight.


Exterior they then wrap the wall plyboard in a waterproofing/draft proof membrane like tyvek:


And put stucko, rock, brick, hardiplank or whatever preferred exterior facia on the outside over it solely for aesthetic, non-structural finish: