T 4.63 Dusty ventilators

IT equipment, like all other electrical equipment, should only be operated within the temperature range specified by the manufacturer. Maintaining the minimum temperature is usually not particularly difficult. To stay below the maximum temperature, though, it is usually necessary to operate additional equipment. This is because it is common for this type of equipment to discharge excess heat using fans.

There is always a small percentage of dust in the ambient air, even in inside air such as in normal offices or server rooms. Since some of this dust settles on the fans, considerable quantities of dust build up on the fans over time. The dust build-ups can

• reduce the air flow, and therefore the cooling effect, of the fan so much that the devices overheat and fail or catch fire (primarily in power supplies).
• slow or completely stop the fan from rotating, which then causes the blocked fan motor to overheat and itself become an ignition source.