While on the surface, a room full of data center infrastructure might seem like a quiet place—no loud engines, no co-workers trying to tell you about their health problems—it can be anything but. Some reports note the average decibel level in a data center is between 70 and 79 decibels. By way of reference, the average dishwasher runs at 75 decibels. Toning down that kind of environment can seem difficult, but with liquid cooling, it’s more possible than you may think.
How Liquid Cooling Reduces Data Center Infrastructure Noise
Making just one change to data center infrastructure—adding liquid cooling—can help make your data center a quieter place.
Server fans? Gone. By adding liquid cooling systems, one of the biggest causes of noise in data center infrastructure—the server fan—is removed from the picture. After all, all a server fan does try to displace hot air from the inside of the system; with liquid cooling, there’s no need for air movement beyond normal air flow since the liquid involved handles the cooling.
Climate control demand plummets. Server fans aren’t the only noise generators in data center infrastructure. Climate control systems also work to keep the overall room at an appropriate temperature. If the need for a server fan is reduced or eliminated, however, there may be less of a need for climate control systems as well. The heat generated in the servers is addressed immediately, not ejected out into wider airspace by server fans. So with liquid cooling comes a second reduction in noise.
A new noiseless primary coolant. Using liquid cooling replaces two primary noise sources in data center infrastructure. Instead of fans—which even air conditioning systems use—liquid coolant turns to cold water, which is generally supplied outside the building. While there are pumps involved, most of these are also located outside of the data center, meaning that any noise is separated from the center. There may be a pump involved in that last few feet of getting water to the servers, but compared the noise level of air conditioning and a fan for every server to a compressor pump, the sound effect is minimal.
Reducing Data Center Infrastructure Noise Starts With a Little Help
If you’d like to reduce the noise in your data center infrastructure, liquid cooling can be a big step toward making your data center sound a little less like a non-stop dishwasher. To take this step, or others, just get in touch with us at EmconIT. Our third-party maintenance services can not only help keep your systems running cool and quiet, but they also help them operate optimally. You depend on your data center; keeping it running at its best starts by dropping us a line.