T 1.7 Inadmissible temperature and humidity

Every device has a temperature range within which its proper functioning is ensured. If the room temperature exceeds that range in either direction, the result may be a discontinuity of service and failure of devices.

In a server room, for instance, the devices accommodated there will consume electric power and thus heat up the room. If ventilation is insufficient, the admissible operating temperature of the devices may be exceeded. In case of solar radiation, room temperatures of more than 50° C are not improbable.

The windows of a server room shouldn't be frequently opened for ventilation. In Spring or Autumn, for instance, this could cause large temperature fluctuations leading to drastic cooling down and subsequent impermissible rises in humidity.

Example:

In a Bonn-based agency, the entire control and evaluation electronics system of a security facility was accommodated in a room whereby just enough space to open the doors of the equipment lockers was left. For security reasons, both the cabinets and the room were provided with massive, tight-fitting doors.

After completion of the installation in Autumn, the operation was free of problems. The following summer, however, unaccountable malfunctions emerged. These were soon followed by total system crashes, without any discernible systematic causes in either case. Several days of searching for faults, involving great expenditure in technical and staffing terms, and carried out with the doors open, yielded no results. It was only by accident that the cause of failure, an overheating of the facilities with outside temperatures of more than 30° C, was finally found, and was remedied with the installation of an air conditioning system.