For 21st century companies, the server room is the core of the business. It is where they keep vital information of their clients, projects, employees, and sales.
Most of the time, we focus on keeping the software up-to-date and the protection systems are in place that we forget or overlook the importance of cleaning the server room.
Having a proper regular cleaning schedule will ensure that your equipment and machines are healthy and functioning well. It might even prolong the life of your servers, saving you up to thousands of dollars.
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Dust and dirt buildup in a server room could greatly damage your equipment. Without regular cleaning, dust and dirt will pile up, creating grime on the equipment fan which could cause damage to the equipment. It would slow down your cooling system which can lead to complete part failure.
Here is a server room cleaning checklist to keep your server room clean and functioning properly.
Having a server room means dealing with electric cords and most of the time, tangled wires are seen. Having tangled wires may cause certain hazards such as tripping, electric shocks, and even fires.
To prevent unnecessary cord hazards you can organize, label, and bunch cable wires. Organize cables and label both ends. You may color-code codes according to the device where the cord is used. Use vertical cable management. Bunch cable wires of the same type using cable ties.
Dust is one of the biggest enemies of electronic equipment used in data centers. If not removed, the equipment temperature could rise by us much as 40° F. Rising temperatures could cause downtime which could cost businesses up to $5,600 per minute. Prevent this from happening by regularly removing dust using vacuum with HEPA filters. Wipe equipment and cords with an antistatic cleaning solution using a microfiber cloth.
Overheating is one of the effects of lack of temperature control. This may damage or shorten equipment life.
Control the temperature of the server by keeping it below 77° F. It is important to account the temperature outside the room as it may affect the room temperature.
Avoid overcrowding the server room. Having spaces in between equipment will allow the air to flow.
Provide a cooling system that would account for the generated heat of the servers.
Keep humidity of the room between 45 – 55% as low humidity leads to electrostatic discharge. IHigh humidity, on the other hand may result in corrosion, rust, and short-circuiting.
Not all cleaning products, especially DIY cleaning products can be used to clean the server room as it may affect the different equipment inside. You may use a vacuum with HEPA filters to remove dirt and dust. Wipe the equipment and wires with an antistatic cleaning solution using a microfiber cloth.
Don’t forget to clean the floor when cleaning the server room. Almost 80% of dust and dirt inside the server room is from the soles of shoes.
When cleaning the floors, use a dry mop. Schedule deep cleaning every three months to prevent dirt and dust from building up.
Clean all surfaces of the equipment, even those that are at the back of the drawer and are not visible, with an antistatic cleaning solution. Avoid overusing liquids when cleaning as it will damage the equipment. If your room uses ceiling plenum to house cables, schedule a deep cleaning session every six months.
Here are the three main things you can do to keep the contaminants away from your data service center.
Overheating is a great possibility in rooms full of servers. Your cooling systems help ensure that your equipment does not suffer from overheating and cause a downtime. But there are times that instead of helping, these cooling systems present problems on their own.
As cooling systems circulate air in the server rooms, it is inevitable that they also circulate contaminants.One of the dangerous contaminants they may circulate is the belt debris.
Belt debris are the “black dust” created by friction on the cooling system belts. This is caused by misaligned pulleys on cooling systems that could easily be detected with regular maintenance. You may also purchase low particle belts to replace the old ones.
When cleaning, use a vacuum with HEPA filter. You may also consider replacing the air filters in your cooling system once every three months.
Humans are also great sources of contaminants in the data room. Some of these are dander, skin particles, and hair.
Have your operators wear protective caps and booties before entering the data center to lessen and regulate the contaminants inside the server room.
Another way is to install contamination control mats at the entrance of the room. This will help remove the contaminants in the shoes of those who will enter the room.
Never use automatic doors for your server rooms. Doors are the only way contaminants enter a data server room from the outside. You don’t want to have a door that opens and closes every time the sensor detects somebody walking by.
Install two sets of doors. One for the small room where they will be putting their protective caps and booties.
Make sure that your doors are secured and fixed all the time.
For an average size server room, we recommend that you have it cleaned quarterly to maintain equipment health.
Implementing a proper regular cleaning schedule for your server room could prevent serious damages not just to your equipment but also to the data you stored.
Hire a cleaning service that knows not just how to clean walls, remove damp smell, and molds in the office. Hire a cleaning service that is knowledgeable in cleaning rooms that are full of equipment, machines, and wires.
Don’t think twice. Contact us for cleaning tips and additional information about server room cleaning. We are here to serve you.
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