Disaster Strikes In Minutes

Imagine you are sitting in the server room managing the systems when suddenly the comforting hum of the air conditioners stops. The silence is deafening and it may take you a moment to realize what just happened.

The temperature rises quickly in a server room. Air conditioning carries a staggering amount of heat away and without the airflow, the stagnant air gets hot faster than most people realize. Very quickly, temperature alarms sound and it won’t be long before servers shut down or equipment is damaged.

You don’t have time to dither about, deciding what to do. While the loss of server room air conditioning doesn’t require response time as quick as something like a fire, it still requires rapid and unambiguous decisions.

Backup Portable Air Conditioners

Rolling in spot coolers allows a server administrator to restore cooling to the room as quickly as possible. They give time to troubleshoot and fix the air conditioning without damaging the equipment or shutting down company operations.

Deciding to use portable coolers as emergency server room air conditioning is merely the first step. The administrator needs to know how much cooling is needed to know how many units will be required. Where will these units be placed? They have to be put in certain areas in the room for most efficient cooling but not in places where they will interfere with employee operations. Where will the venting ducts run? You don’t want to add tripping hazards nor do you want to block airflow. Will the hot air be vented out the door or into the ceiling?

These are all decisions that should be made before disaster strikes rather than trying to throw together a plan in an emergency.

Put The Backup System In Place Now

Although portable air conditioning is, well, portable that doesn’t mean it can’t have permanent placement. Some server room air conditioning plans place portable coolers in the server room at all times. These backup air conditioners have their thermostats set a few degrees higher than the main system. This means they don’t run under normal circumstances but kick in immediately once temperatures rise.

The advantage is this backup system is in place when temperatures change for reasons other than server room air conditioning failure. Failure of nearby air conditioning systems put extra load on server room systems. Something as simple as a summer heat wave can strain existing HVAC systems and cause temperatures to soar. Your backup system gives you another layer of protection against disaster.

Cooling In The Winter?

Using spot coolers for a winter party seems counter-intuitive and that’s why it is such an important step. Who considers air conditioners when there is a foot of snow in the yard?

Once you start packing people into a small space, things start to heat up. People put out a surprising amount of heat and it doesn’t take long for a crowded room to become uncomfortably warm. People move around to find a more comfortable space and this actually generates more heat.

You’ve probably done some cooking for the party and the kitchen is hot. Add to that the hot drinks you are serving, the warm winter clothing people wear, and more and suddenly you have a sweltering room on a frigid winter day.

What Are Your Options?

Throughout a large portion of the US, people use evaporative coolers in the summer. While these provide an inexpensive alternative to refrigerated air, they also require regular maintenance as you switch between warm and cool weather. Frigid temperatures can make the water lines freeze so they must be disconnected and drained before the weather gets too cold, making them useless in the winter.

You can’t crack open a window. The air outside isn’t cool - it’s cold. You can’t regulate the temperature of the incoming air so your guests are in a boiling hot room with an icy draft. That’s not going to help the situation.

That leaves you with no cooling in the rare event you should need it. Spot coolers are the only effective way to provide some relief from the heat.

How Portable Air Conditioners Help

While spot coolers normally serve as supplements to server room air conditioning or in other business roles, they are often rented by consumers for exactly this kind of event.

Spot coolers can be conveniently placed in the rooms that will get crowded to provide unobtrusive cooling on demand. The air stream won’t be the frigid temperature of outside air and can be directed so that it’s not directly blowing on your guests. You could also put spot coolers in nearby rooms, allowing the cool air to move about the house.

High capacity coolers can be leased inexpensively for the day of the event. They are portable and quickly roll into place or can be moved during the event as the microclimate of your home changes. Install takes only minutes without any permanent mountings that will deface your home.

Portable air conditioning might not be your first thought when planning a winter party, but are an inexpensive and convenient way to control the environment and keep your guests comfortable.