Server closet cooling
 

Hello everyone,

I am just getting settled in a new house, and have a closet in my office that I plan to use for housing my servers. I have a stand alone AC unit to go in the closet that will duct hot air out though the attic vents (not into the attic, but out one of the vents in the roof). I am wanting to put a radiator for my workstation in the closet. Does anyone see any issues with this other than the obvious long haul it would take to get it there and back. Does anyone have any recomendations for pumps for this sort of long haul setup? Should I use a larger res to accomodate slow returns. I am thinking a loop something like, rad -> res -> pc -> rad, but I am open to suggestions. I have no WC setup in the workstaion now so I can optimize anything as needed. The distance is about 6 feet either direction to travel, maybe even up to 8 (will measure when I get home).

Can anyone point me to links of people having done the same sort of thing?

Thanks!

Harbor Freight has a 1/2HP inline heavy duty AC pump for $35. Something like that is probably loud, but may be OK sitting in a closet pumping water to your computer. The problem is that it might be a little TOO powerful and cause problems because of that.

Search for threads by airspirit.
He's built (and commented on) at least one system (really a set of systems, but many of the issues should be the same) with a remote pump and reservoir.
I've never done a setup like this, but I find myself wondering if it makes sense to route the water (and so heat) to somewhere where it won't load your closet A/C - you're paying twice to pick up and move the same heat...

Do you have a basement? That would be a good place for your rad.

I will check out the Harbor Freight pump, i could always plumb some resistance in, or mabye set it up like:

rad -> res -> comp -> pump -> rad

So it pulls through instead of pushes. I dont know if that would have any effect at all, but my mind would think, "At least its not shooting water in, instead its pulling it out." That may or may not effect anything, and it may be sub-optimal, I dont know.

I have seen posts from airspirit, and will try to look for them again. I had completely forgotten about them until you mentioned it.

Unfortunately I do not have a basement, where I live its solid limestone beneth the house. However, my house is extremely well insulated. What I have thought to do was run another exhaust tube and pair it with the one going out of the attic, that way all heat generating sources areducted out.

What about radiators? Size is not really a concern, so I have thought of getting a larger one but I am not sure it would help much.

As for a res, I have been looking at lots of different setups, but I am not sure of what i want to go with there either.

The good thing is I have lots of time, no rushes here. I can plan it just how I want it, then implemnt it.

Thanks for all the comments, any more are _very_ welcome.

i doubt you need a stronger pump, its not that much further and its a closed system. a standard eheim 1048 will pump water thru a 50 foot hose and have very little loss on the other end when pumping openly.
ina closed system you got the syphon effect going, so anything uphill it has to push is being also pulled downhill.
like if you wanted to mount it 30 feet on the roof that would be fine.