Data Centre Downtime Prevention: The Role of Climate Control in Summer Operations

In the modern age, data centres play a vital role in almost every aspect of our daily lives. Downtime can cause serious financial losses, operational disruption, data loss, damaged customer confidence and harm to a business’ reputation. 

And as our summers in the UK become more extreme with growing incidences of heatwaves, it’s more important than ever to ensure the infrastructure that underpins how we live, and work can continue to function whatever the weather.  

The Uneasy Friendship of Heat and Data Centres 

Heat is an unavoidable by-product of almost every component of a data centre, yet it’s also what threatens its very ability to function. It’s a tricky relationship that must be handled with care and expertise, or the consequences can be severe. 

Computing infrastructure such as servers, networking equipment and storage systems consumer power in order to do their jobs, and a significant amount is dissipated as heat.  

However, overheating can cause hardware failure and reduced lifespan, data loss, system crashes and even cause a fire to break out. A report by research centre Ponemon Institute declared the cost of an average downtime incident to be £7,000 per minute, or £420,000 per hour. On top of this, high temperatures can lead to greater inefficiency and energy wastage, leading to increased power costs. 

Temperatures in data centres must be strictly monitored, but this task becomes even more difficult in summer as the blazing sun shines outside.  

Top Tips to Ensure Effective Thermal Management in Data Centres  

With so much at stake if things go wrong, it’s important to know what the ideal environment for a data centre looks like and how it can be achieved. Maintaining specific temperature, humidity and air quality conditions often involves effective Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Systems.  

Ideally, the temperature should be in the range between 18-27°C, while relative humidity should be around 60%. It’s important to have a plan and processes in place to ensure these standards are met. 

This can include:  

• Optimising airflow in the room by sealing all air gaps, introducing hot/cold aisle layouts and ensuring equipment is not crowded together. 
• Scheduling regular maintenance of equipment to prevent breakdowns and protect lifespans. 
• Analyse past data to identify energy usage patterns and reconfigure accordingly 
• Ensure real-time monitoring of temperature and humidity levels  
• Use adaptive controls to adjust temperature and airflow settings based on current conditions 

How Can Andrews Sykes Help Maintain the Perfect Environment for Data Centres?  

1. Fast, Flexible Hire Options 
   We offer short and long-term hire of advanced air conditioning, cooling and dehumidification solutions, designed to suit your needs. Whether it’s an emergency cooling solution to keep temperatures under control while the problem gets fixed, or you need an answer to a longer-term air conditioning and ventilation challenge, we’ve got what you need. 
2. Smart, Energy-Efficient Equipment 
   Our equipment includes modern, energy-efficient portable air conditioners, dehumidifiers, fans, and chillers, many of which integrate with smart controls and monitoring systems to help you manage usage and keep costs low. 
   For example, our PAC22 and PAC60 portable air conditioning units are ideal for use in computer suites as they feature a special split design. And we a have range of high-performance chillers with capacities up to 750kW which are available for short or long-term hire. 
3. Rapid Response, Nationwide Coverage 
   Data centre downtime can have devastating consequences and every minute counts. Our depots and engineers across the country are on hand to solve the problem quickly and effectively. 
4. Expert Advice, Free Site Surveys 
   We don’t just deliver equipment — we offer free expert consultations and site surveys to help you choose the right setup. Whether you’re cooling an office block, a data centre, or a large server, we’ll ensure it’s done right the first time. 
5. Seasonal Support Planning
   Our team can work with you to create seasonal contingency plans so you’re not caught off guard when temperatures rise. You can even pre-book equipment in anticipation of warm weather to beat the summer rush. 

Case study: Air Conditioning Hire Maintains Telecommunications Giant’s Broadband Service 

When a telecommunications giant encountered chiller failure at one of their key locations, a temporary cooling arrangement was desperately needed while major repair works got underway. Within a few hours of being asked to provide the solution, Andrews Air Conditioning had the kit delivered, installed and operational so normal service could resume. 

Find out more  

Be ready whatever the weather with Andrews Sykes 

Don’t let soaring summer temperatures put your data centre at risk of disruption and act now to be heatwave ready. Air conditioning, cooling and dehumidification systems are essential for maintaining optimal conditions, protecting vital equipment and ensuring comfort for employees. 

To discover exactly how we can help call now on 0800 211 611 or enquire online.