It is not uncommon for data centers to understand the need for temperature control yet overlook the potential for problems if humidity is not kept in check. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) reports that the wrong levels of humidity can have a profound effect on the equipment in a data center.
If humidity levels are too high, condensation can result in corrosion and failure of the various components necessary for a data center’s operation. If humidity is too low, electrostatic discharges can result which can negatively affect CPUs, motherboards, hard drives, RAM, and other components. It is not enough to just trust that your HVAC system is controlling humidity and keeping it at the optimal relative humidity level. You need a humidity sensor that will alert you if the humidity falls out of acceptable range, so you can immediately respond and resolve the problem before your data center equipment is in placed in jeopardy.
A humidity sensor should be placed in your server room and set up to provide instant notification to those parties in the best position to react quickly. Since there are so many variables that can affect humidity levels, skipping this step could result in a critical issue that can undermine your operation.
If you would like to discuss a humidity sensor and/or temperature sensor for your data center server room, give us a call at Global Sensors. Our experienced staff is happy to assist you with your selection and answer any questions you might have about protecting your equipment from temperature and humidity fluctuations that could spell disaster for your operation.
