APC NetShelter CX 24U on home power outlet?

[uberguru]

There's no way that any of us can answer that question, there are far too many variables. Fans don't provide cooling, just air movement, so if the environment outside of the cabinet doesn't provide sufficient cooler air, the cabinet temperature will rise.

The amount it will rise depends entirely on how much heat is generated by the equipment you put into the cabinet, but it's reasonably safe to assume that if you are powering the cabinet with 7200W of power (30A @ 240V), then most of that will be converted into heat and you'll need to get rid of it somehow. If your equipment generates 6000W of heat, you'll need approximately 20,000 BTU *per hour* of cooling to maintain a stable temperature. This isn't going to be possible using just passive airflow from an open door.

I dont think i will ever max out, i will be within 1.2kW for continuous power draw

 

[uberguru]

@kpfleming

One other quick question

Thinking of getting this PDU Rack PDU, Switched, 2U, 30A, 208V, (16)C13 - APC USA
Am not very good with power ratings. But does it mean this PDU is rated from 200-230V?

Poweredge C6320 for example says need 200–220 VAC, 240VDC, so will this PDU be fine?

Also i plan on getting this server rack instead 42U Standard-Depth Server Rack Cabinet, Sound Suppression | Tripp Lite

so if i get this SmartRack Rack-Mounted Server Rack Cooling Unit - 7,000 BTU, 120V | Tripp Lite for the cooling which is good for 2kW cooling capacity

Will that be ok? wont there still be requirement to get rid of the hot air in the room?

 

[kpfleming]

I dont think i will ever max out, i will be within 1.2kW for continuous power draw

If that's the case there's no reason to consider a 30A PDU at all. A 20A PDU would be more than sufficient, even at 120V.

 

[kpfleming]

If that's the case there's no reason to consider a 30A PDU at all. A 20A PDU would be more than sufficient, even at 120V.

For example this PDU: Rack PDU, Switched, 1U, 20A, 120V, (8)5-20 - APC USA

 

[uberguru]

If that's the case there's no reason to consider a 30A PDU at all. A 20A PDU would be more than sufficient, even at 120V.

I will like to future proof the setup, for now should not use much, but want room incase i need to, later on if necessary

 

[kpfleming]

That's fine, but just as is true in most data centers, the controlling factor is cooling, not energy supply. Even with 1.2kW of power draw, you're going to need 4,000 BTU/hr (or more) of active cooling just to keep the room temperature constant.

There are lots of articles out there claiming that US 208V and US 220/240V supplies are *not* interchangeable, so I would avoid anything with a 'nominal voltage' rating of 208V.

 

[uberguru]

That's fine, but just as is true in most data centers, the controlling factor is cooling, not energy supply. Even with 1.2kW of power draw, you're going to need 4,000 BTU/hr (or more) of active cooling just to keep the room temperature constant.

There are lots of articles out there claiming that US 208V and US 220/240V supplies are *not* interchangeable, so I would avoid anything with a 'nominal voltage' rating of 208V.

i plan on getting this server rack instead 42U Standard-Depth Server Rack Cabinet, Sound Suppression | Tripp Lite

so if i get this SmartRack Rack-Mounted Server Rack Cooling Unit - 7,000 BTU, 120V | Tripp Lite for the cooling which is good for 2kW cooling capacity

Will that be ok? wont there still be requirement to get rid of the hot air in the room?

 

[uberguru]

For example this PDU: Rack PDU, Switched, 1U, 20A, 120V, (8)5-20 - APC USA

Thinking of getting this PDU Rack PDU, Switched, 2U, 30A, 208V, (16)C13 - APC USA
Am not very good with power ratings. But does it mean this PDU is rated from 200-230V?

Poweredge C6320 for example says need 200–220 VAC, 240VDC, so will this PDU be fine?

 

[kpfleming]

i plan on getting this server rack instead 42U Standard-Depth Server Rack Cabinet, Sound Suppression | Tripp Lite

so if i get this SmartRack Rack-Mounted Server Rack Cooling Unit - 7,000 BTU, 120V | Tripp Lite for the cooling which is good for 2kW cooling capacity

Will that be ok? wont there still be requirement to get rid of the hot air in the room?

That cooling unit itself requires over 1kW of power, so you'll need an additional supply for it. Second, it removes heat from inside the cabinet and moves it outside... into your room. How will you get rid of that hot air from the room?

 

[uberguru]

That cooling unit itself requires over 1kW of power, so you'll need an additional supply for it. Second, it removes heat from inside the cabinet and moves it outside... into your room. How will you get rid of that hot air from the room?

Yup and that is issue, fans will actually even be sufficient for me as long as i can move the air out
There is an entrance/exit door in the small room where the server will be
So am thinking get something that can suck air out via the holes between the door
I really dont want to tear any walls or ceilings

So i will see is there are door suction gears that one can push air via holes around the door like
I can do cut outs like under the door, like a 1 inch cut out and install something that can suck air out
if there is such thing, i think i have solved the heat issue

 

[uberguru]

so doing research on what i can do with the door to get air out
thoughts on something this this idea, but with mechanism to either push air out or in depending on weather

 

[Sean Ho]

Whereabouts in the world are you; what sort of climate? For most places, a (relatively) quick and dirty solution is a mini-split air conditioner dedicated for the server room.

 

[uberguru]

Whereabouts in the world are you; what sort of climate? For most places, a (relatively) quick and dirty solution is a mini-split air conditioner dedicated for the server room.

Here is year round weather


Yeah i am thinking of a min-split, but will be on the door, am thinking top of the door.
But i have looked for door mini-splits and could not find any

so open to recommendations and/or links

 

[NateS]

Whereabouts in the world are you; what sort of climate? For most places, a (relatively) quick and dirty solution is a mini-split air conditioner dedicated for the server room.

They're in the North America based on the voltage available. I was just about to suggest a mini-split, +1. If it's installed at the same time the electrical work is done, the coolant lines could be installed while the wall is open already.

Thinking of getting this PDU Rack PDU, Switched, 2U, 30A, 208V, (16)C13 - APC USA
Am not very good with power ratings. But does it mean this PDU is rated from 200-230V?

Poweredge C6320 for example says need 200–220 VAC, 240VDC, so will this PDU be fine?

Yes, that APC is rated to work with North American 240V power (as well as European 230V power, and North American 208V power). If you look at the technical specs page and scroll down to input, you'll see it's rated for 200-240VAC, 50-60Hz. 240V at 60Hz is exactly what you have available in your panel. Talk to an electrician about how to get that from your panel to your server rack. Since your current power is not enough, and it costs hardly anything extra to put in a bigger circuit than a small one (the labor is far more expensive than the wire itself in most cases), you might as well go for a 240V 30A circuit since that's what most common PDUs expect. I'd recommend also putting in an additional 120V circuit as well, for any small things that don't support 240V input, like some ISP modems and such.

Note that if you think you may need an AC to remove heat, either now or in the future, it may make sense to put an electrical subpanel in the server room, and then run all of the circuits from that (and you'll have more expandability).

 

[NateS]

Yeah i am thinking of a min-split, but will be on the door, am thinking top of the door.
But i have looked for door mini-splits and could not find any

so open to recommendations and/or links

You won't find any that go on a door, because the coolant lines would not be able to flex repeatedly like that. You could install it directly above the door on the wall though; that's actually a fairly common place to put them. Just keep in mind that you'll have to route coolant and condensate lines outside to the outdoor unit, and where you put the indoor unit may make a huge difference in how hard that is to do.

 

[uberguru]

You won't find any that go on a door, because the coolant lines would not be able to flex repeatedly like that. You could install it directly above the door on the wall though; that's actually a fairly common place to put them. Just keep in mind that you'll have to route coolant and condensate lines outside to the outdoor unit, and where you put the indoor unit may make a huge difference in how hard that is to do.

Like am saying, a fan will do the job. fans can be powerful especially if can pull air in and out. So if i can find something like this

that can push air in and out based on weather, am done with cooling in that room. The room is 10ft by 8ft. There is only ever be 1 single 42U rack 42U Standard-Depth Server Rack Cabinet, Sound Suppression | Tripp Lite I do not want to punch hole into the wall for A/C. i want an idempotent setup

Scaling will only be via more power draw and i estimate i will be within 1.2kW for a long time and maybe no more than 3kW ever.

 

[uberguru]

Since your current power is not enough, and it costs hardly anything extra to put in a bigger circuit than a small one (the labor is far more expensive than the wire itself in most cases), you might as well go for a 240V 30A circuit since that's what most common PDUs expect. I'd recommend also putting in an additional 120V circuit as well, for any small things that don't support 240V input, like some ISP modems and such.

Gotcha
So you saying getting 240V covers me from 200-240V?
Yeah will see if i can get both 100-120V and 200-240V to cover all

 

[NateS]

Like am saying, a fan will do the job. fans can be powerful especially if can pull air in and out.

Gotcha. Yeah, a fan can go on a door, a mini-split cannot. If fans are sufficient for your use case, and especially if you can make good use of the heat to heat the rest of your house, that's the way to go for sure.

Gotcha
So you saying getting 240V covers me from 200-240V?
Yeah will see if i can get both 100-120V and 200-240V to cover all

Yes exactly. The vast majority of devices that support US 208V, US 240V, and IEC 230V support all three, because they're close enough that from an engineering perspective it's not that hard to do, and then you can sell the same device worldwide.

Now there is a difference between US and European 240/230V which is sometimes important, and that's the frequency -- Europe uses 50Hz vs the US 60Hz. That doesn't matter much at all when you're just converting it to DC, so server power supplies won't care, but things with AC motors, like if you put AC fans to move air out of the room, it's usually important to get the frequency right. I'd recommend not worrying about that and just use 240V for your servers, and 120V for your fans and anything else you're not sure will be happy with 240V. It'd probably be hard to find 230V fans available for sale in the US anyway.

 

[uberguru]

Yes exactly. The vast majority of devices that support US 208V, US 240V, and IEC 230V support all three, because they're close enough that from an engineering perspective it's not that hard to do, and then you can sell the same device worldwide.

Great news!!! electrician just came to check and we found out there is an unused dedicated 30A 200-240V circuit right in that same room
It was meant to be for the washer and dryer but those are using gas instead of electricity.
So dedicated circuit is out of the way and i got 30A!!!

Next is cooling now. Will have to see if there is a company innovative enough to have mini-split for doors OR a fan that works like a mini-split that can decide to either push air out in summer or pull air in winter.
That is next and last challenge now

 

[Sean Ho]

Great news!!! electrician just came to check and we found out there is an unused dedicated 30A 200-240V circuit right in that same room
It was meant to be for the washer and dryer but those are using gas instead of electricity.
So dedicated circuit is out of the way and i got 30A!!!

Excellent, that saves a lot of time on that end! Receptacle is probably a 14-30R, and most 30A UPSes would be L6-30P. There are short adapter cables with 14-30P on one end and L6-30R on the other.