Re: Re: Equipment in loft - dust and heat issues?

[Kim Wall <kim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

dermot_bradley wrote:

> I hadn't thought about this...........hmm, so with a 19" cabinet
setup
> I'd need to make up some sort of drip-pan at the top of the
> cabinet......which would then mean having to frequently check and
> empty the pan :-(

Overflow pipe, flood sensor and windscreen washer pump all spring to
mind, depending on how much gravity is in your favour.


> My loft has the usual foam lagging between it and the floor below,

Which you could remove from underneath the rack if you're worried about
cold, as is usually done with cold water tanks.

I reckon that if the equipment is on 24/7 then condensation on the
equipment itself is unlikely to be a problem.  If there's equipment that
powers up when needed, try to surround it with 24/7 stuff).   drips from
above or running down cables (make a 'drip loop' as when bringing cables
in through external walls if a cable approaches the rack from above)
would be more of a concern.

Cooling while keeping the dust out is probably trickier.  Someone posted
pics a while ago of a cabinet they'd built which was ventilated using
cool air blown in from outside the house, which sounds like an excellent
way of keeping things cool in summer (30C air from outside beats 50C air
from the roofspace) while the positive pressure keeps the loft dust from
getting in.

Maybe something clever where the airflow is re-routed by switching
various fans on and off according to ambient temperature is the way to
go...


Kim.