We are experiencing winter weather this week in Texas with freezing temperatures. It’s pretty cold for us. But what about your IT equipment, especially servers and network equipment? Does the indoor temperature matter for these devices?

The recommended temperature for IT rooms is 68 degrees. This equipment is running 24/7, and it gets hot. Keeping your room cool can extend the life expectancy dramatically. Every degree above 68 in your IT room will shorten the lifespan of your gear by 3%. So, if your room temperature is 77 degrees, it will have a negative impact on your equipment.

We often see IT rooms using the same AC system as the rest of the office. That’s great in the summer when you’re running on cold. But when the winter comes in and you switch to heat, you may be baking your IT room. We’ve found some rooms registering at 90 degrees with all the gear, plus the heating system sending hot air into the space.

Consider a stand-alone AC unit for your IT room to keep that temperature at 68 degrees for your servers and switches to get the most performance and lifespan. You and your employees can stay warm while still keeping your equipment cool.