I'm putting a server rack in my garage that'll have about 2000W, with a potential max of 3000W load depending on how little sleep I get and more insane I become. I'm in Middle Tennessee and I also use my garage for garage-things, so having an AC in the garage to flood the entire garage with cooled air is not ideal, because I open the garage door often. I also have to be mindful of dust. I once had a rack in the garage, but I didn't seal it well and heat and dust were my enemy, so I downsized to a smaller rack indoors, but where the rack is there, I can't keep temps where they need to be, so back to the garage it goes, but I'm going to be actively cooling it.
I'm planning on getting a 12k+ BTU evaporative dual-vent portable AC unit (window unit or a minisplit are not an option), putting 1" insulating foam in the rack and completely sealing it, or building some sort of movable barrier to isolate the equipment in the corner. I'm really not sure how to go about this. With the dual-vent AC unit, I'll need 2 ducts to run outside the house, one for intake, and one for exhaust. My thought was that I could pipe the cooled air from the AC unit into the rack, then have an exhaust fan at the back of the rack, joining that exhaust with the AC unit's exhaust to vent out of the garage... or the AC's exhaust goes outside, but the back of the rack exhausts into the garage.
This is not our forever home, and I don't want to properly build a closet in the garage. Space is also a premium, so I was thinking that completely sealing the rack cabinet, having the portable AC unit next to the rack, and ducting it into the front door, would be the most space-saving option. Having a movable barrier could also be good as I'd be able to insulate it and help kill noise.
What are the appropriate routes to take here? I have to move my equipement from inside the house to the rack in the garage in a couple weeks, as we had water damage and the contractors will be starting demo of all the first floor flooring soon. I need to move the equipment to the garage before then.
Also, aside from the Tripp Lite SRCOOL unit, is there a portable AC unit you'd recommend? Especially if it's 'smart' in some way that I may be able to control and monitor it through Home Assistant?
Below is a crude drawing I thought up too with a hinged movable 2-panel wall that I could maybe latch to both of the walls in that corner of the garage. There's also a work bench and cabinets to the left of where that wall would be, and a big safe against the right wall. I built a storage soffit on that right wall that's just low enough where the rack can't go under it, but it fits in that corner. I'll need a way to access the front and back of the rack... The electrical panel is also right where the AC is, so I need to be able to get to that as well.
I'm planning on getting a 12k+ BTU evaporative dual-vent portable AC unit (window unit or a minisplit are not an option), putting 1" insulating foam in the rack and completely sealing it, or building some sort of movable barrier to isolate the equipment in the corner. I'm really not sure how to go about this. With the dual-vent AC unit, I'll need 2 ducts to run outside the house, one for intake, and one for exhaust. My thought was that I could pipe the cooled air from the AC unit into the rack, then have an exhaust fan at the back of the rack, joining that exhaust with the AC unit's exhaust to vent out of the garage... or the AC's exhaust goes outside, but the back of the rack exhausts into the garage.
This is not our forever home, and I don't want to properly build a closet in the garage. Space is also a premium, so I was thinking that completely sealing the rack cabinet, having the portable AC unit next to the rack, and ducting it into the front door, would be the most space-saving option. Having a movable barrier could also be good as I'd be able to insulate it and help kill noise.
What are the appropriate routes to take here? I have to move my equipement from inside the house to the rack in the garage in a couple weeks, as we had water damage and the contractors will be starting demo of all the first floor flooring soon. I need to move the equipment to the garage before then.
Also, aside from the Tripp Lite SRCOOL unit, is there a portable AC unit you'd recommend? Especially if it's 'smart' in some way that I may be able to control and monitor it through Home Assistant?
Below is a crude drawing I thought up too with a hinged movable 2-panel wall that I could maybe latch to both of the walls in that corner of the garage. There's also a work bench and cabinets to the left of where that wall would be, and a big safe against the right wall. I built a storage soffit on that right wall that's just low enough where the rack can't go under it, but it fits in that corner. I'll need a way to access the front and back of the rack... The electrical panel is also right where the AC is, so I need to be able to get to that as well.