Electrical Safety for Air Conditioning

Air conditioning of data centers is an essential prerequisite for availability and operational safety. Data centers must maintain suitable conditions and temperatures for the critical equipment to remain functional and at peak performance. If there is too much hot air in a data center, the equipment can overheat, and irreversible malfunctions can occur. Because of this, the air conditioning system is considered critical to the electrical safety of the overall data center. Bender’s ground fault protection and insulation monitoring devices help prevent electrical failures in data center air conditioning systems, reducing the risk of overheating and costly downtime.

As a general rule, the cooling and air conditioning of data centers and server rooms aims to minimize the volume of air to cool. This is why the spaces in which data centers often reside is a smaller footprint than one might imagine. Outside of the server room itself, it is also essential to evaluate the number of additional heat sources within the facility, as these could also have an impact on the system's cooling system.  With line isolation monitors and ground fault protection, air conditioning systems in data centers are continuously monitored for electrical faults, maintaining reliable operations.

While data centers can be costly and consume a tremendous amount of energy, it is vital to ensure all systems are set up in a way that maximizes efficiency. There is too much at risk if this is not done correctly. Even just a few years ago, the increasing integration and packing density for processors and telecommunication systems that generate high heat levels in such a small space would have been inconceivable. However, this is now possible thanks to advancements in air conditioning units and cooling technology.

A failure of the air conditioning, and subsequent possible overheating, is synonymous with fire risk, loss of irreplaceable resources, and loss of time and money. From this perspective, continuous monitoring with Bender's RCMS series residual current monitoring systems (ground-fault monitors) is indispensable. With this technology, immediate recognition of hazardous changes in the power supply is possible. Implementing Bender's monitoring technology increases the reliability of the air conditioning system that is necessary to the data center. Bender’s insulation monitoring devices, paired with line isolation monitors, provide critical safety monitoring for air conditioning systems, preventing hazardous electrical faults.