To extrapolate and personify the air, it is saying "DAMN THE FANS - we will convect anyway" ?
Server Closet Cooling (Supermicro Fan Reversal + Venting Room)
- Thread starter svtkobra7
- Start date
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Svtkobra, I like the vent locations you and Dawg have decided on. I think you should get a decent cross flow of air running diagonally side to side and bottom to top.
1) I agree passive venting would be best if possible, if for no other reason than to remove a point of failure. It would be a shame to depend on a fan (that could fail) for cooling if you could get by without one.
2) Go for the simplest vents you can find, the ones you posted have dampers built in. Dampers are great for choking down air to balance an air conditioning system, but you're shooting for maximum air flow not trying to control or direct it. Search for a return grill, maybe even scratch off returns with filter holders if you don't need one. I'd go for something like this: Value Brand Return Air Grille, 16x16", White 373692 | Zoro.com
...as an aside I like Zoro a lot, owned by Grainger, with the same stock, but better prices.
3) As to vent size, I think Dawg is also right go big, especially on the utility room side. something 16" wide would be a good choice because you can cut out the space between two studs and screw the grill through the drywall and directly into those studs. Pre-drill the holes.
I think even without a exhaust fan or the AHU pulling, warm air will pass over to the utility room which is essentially open to the rest of your apartment with its louvered door.
4) With server fan orientation: try and find out. I think pulling over the motherboard and pushing though a wall of HDDs and a back plane wouldn't work as well as pulling through HDDs and over the motherboard. If you keep disk trays empty it might work well, I say test and see.
1) I agree passive venting would be best if possible, if for no other reason than to remove a point of failure. It would be a shame to depend on a fan (that could fail) for cooling if you could get by without one.
2) Go for the simplest vents you can find, the ones you posted have dampers built in. Dampers are great for choking down air to balance an air conditioning system, but you're shooting for maximum air flow not trying to control or direct it. Search for a return grill, maybe even scratch off returns with filter holders if you don't need one. I'd go for something like this: Value Brand Return Air Grille, 16x16", White 373692 | Zoro.com
...as an aside I like Zoro a lot, owned by Grainger, with the same stock, but better prices.
3) As to vent size, I think Dawg is also right go big, especially on the utility room side. something 16" wide would be a good choice because you can cut out the space between two studs and screw the grill through the drywall and directly into those studs. Pre-drill the holes.
I think even without a exhaust fan or the AHU pulling, warm air will pass over to the utility room which is essentially open to the rest of your apartment with its louvered door.
4) With server fan orientation: try and find out. I think pulling over the motherboard and pushing though a wall of HDDs and a back plane wouldn't work as well as pulling through HDDs and over the motherboard. If you keep disk trays empty it might work well, I say test and see.
Apologies, a bit behind on catching up on recent posts, but will do so as soon as I'm able.
While a trivial event to anyone reading this, today was the first time I ever powered on a rack mount server. I've had plenty of NAS appliances before, but that isn't quite compable.
Boot
Post Boot
While a trivial event to anyone reading this, today was the first time I ever powered on a rack mount server. I've had plenty of NAS appliances before, but that isn't quite compable.
- Currently sitting in my home office, with no HDDs, I can see why people comment that they are loud. At power on, with those fans at full blast, it is a bit loud, but once they stabilize it isn't too bad (we will see what it sounds like with 16 spinning disks at load though).
- I would think that measuring power draw through a UPS is not very accurate (with other devices connected), and again no HDDs, it peaks at 252 watts during boot (477 watts - 225 watts baseline) and settles in at 171 watts (396 watts - 225 watts baseline).
Boot
Post Boot
I genuinely appreciate the second opinion - I need to create a final mock up, measure a few times, and get to work. I got a bit distracted with the server delivery + a life event (let's just say this will probably be the last vertical, wall-mounted rack + cooled closet that I put together.
I'm starting to come around and will plan for passive. A bit stubborn, but the more I mull over your comments during the day, etc. the more they make sense to me.
Will check these out - thanks so much for the examples (meshes well with how my brain works).
10-4.
10-4.
Part of me wants to give it a try and tinker. Part of me sees that air shroud and thinks about as much engineering went into that shroud as an active front spoiler on an Italian sports car, it is a tried and true format, and there is no way my theoretical idea would work. But again, if it wouldn't take too long, and I have thermometers to measure, it would be sorta fun.