Hot Aisle vs. Cold Aisle Containment

Data center environmental control is a critical issue in terms of IT efficiency and security. Both cold aisle and hot aisle containment can improve the efficiency of data centers, although currently, cold aisle containment is considered preferable. Here is an overview of both types of data center containment.

Hot Aisle Containment

A hot aisle containment system is one that that encloses the hot aisle to capture the hot air produced by the equipment, thus separating the hot and cold air and enabling the rest of the data center to become a cold air return. This type of environmental containment necessitates that the data center racks are arranged in a discrete hot aisle/cold aisle arrangement.

 

Cold Aisle Containment

A cold aisle containment system is one in which encloses the cold aisle and enables the rest of the data center to become a hot air return. This system also keeps the hot and cool air separated and also requires that the data center racks are arranged in a discrete hot aisle/cold aisle arrangement.

Advantages of Cold Aisle Containment

According to a recent white paper by Emerson Network Power, cold aisle containment is the better form of data center environmental control. This is mainly because it enables cold air distribution to be directed exactly where it is needed. This makes it more efficient than hot aisle containment. Although hot aisle containment can also produce highly efficient cooling, because the cool air distribution is open it can be difficult to create the required input temperature. So for hot aisle containment to work optimally, the hot air must be ducted from the hot air containment area all the way to the air inlet of the computer room air conditioning unit.

Data Center Resources has been operating since 2002. Over the years we have maintained relationships with leading manufacturers within the data center space as well as having developed our own products. Our team of experts is aware that the data center market is fast-paced and constantly changing, for this reason we are committed to keeping up with the best available solutions. Contact us today to find out how we can help you keep your data center ahead of the game.

About Data Center Resources

Data Center Resources, LLC is a leader in providing power, cooling and monitoring products and services for the critical data center and IT spaces. The company develops unique proprietary solutions and also serves as a direct distributor for many of the industry’s largest manufacturers. Customers include the federal government, state and local agencies and many of the world’s largest corporations.

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