We've got an environmental monitor and probe from apc in one of our comms rooms. Just plugs into the card slot on the back of a smart ups. Then the probe can be set up to alert you via email, pager, or sms messages. Relatively cheap way to monitor. (about 179) James -----Original Message----- From: Jim.Walls@xxxxxxx [mailto:Jim.Walls@xxxxxxx]=20 Sent: Monday, December 02, 2002 1:07 PM To: windows2000@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [windows2000] Re: How much heat can switches, FAX machines and PCswithstand? "Rod Falanga" <rfalanga@xxxxxxx> asked (in part): > I've got a situation in which I've got a small room, with a > 3COM 24-port switch, a Brother FAX machine, and a really old > PC running Windows 2000 Pro. <snip> > I could shut and lock the door, but then I'm concerned that it > might get too hot in that room. (It's about 4 ft wide by 8 ft > long, on the southern wall of the building.) > Bottom line: how much heat can that sort of equipment withstand? > Would it be safe to leave the door shut, or should I leave it open? You did not say where you are, nor if the rest of the building is air conditioned. I'm gathering that the room is not air conditioned. It's most likely not an issue, but the external factors could make it one. You mentioned that one side of this room is the south facing outside wall. If you live in Phoenix and the wall is not insulated, it WILL be a problem. On the other hand if you are in Point Barrow, Alaska, it won't likely be an issue at all. A couple factors to keep in mind. How airtight is the room? A room with a heat source and no ventilation will get surprizingly warm. How well insulated is it? Since this is a room inside of a larger building, is the rest of the building air conditioned? If yes, is the A/C on 24 x 7? With more people concerned about electrical consumption, a lot of business shut down all the A/C for the weekend. The room where the computers or phone equipment becomes an oven over the weekend. You can do a test by leaving the room with a couple hundred watts of electric lights left on and the room closed up. See what it's like on Monday morning. A chart recorder is even better for plotting the temp all weekend with the lights on. If in doubt about the room being to warm for the equipment, supply some cooling. If the rest of the building is cooled over the weekend (or it's not an overly hot enviroment), that may mean just a fan. Remember that if the room is pretty airtight that you need to provide a way for air to get both in and out. I've seen way to many situations where someone had a nice air duct and fan (or even a duct off the A/C) to blow air into a fairly airtight room and wondered why it still overheated. If the air can't get back out of the room, the cool air won't go in. As to how hot the equipment will tolerate, check the manuals. Most electronic equipment will list that information. If not, I would not want the room over 100 degrees - that's a real "off the cuff" figure. In general, the hotter the equipment, the shorter the lifespan. The computer is most likely the biggest issue. The exception is if the FAX has a laser based printer and keeps the fuser hot all the time, it will also produce a fair amount of heat. ----------------------- Jim Walls - K6CCC k6ccc@xxxxxxxxx Mobile Radio Operations Southern California Edison Co. Ofc: 626-302-8515 - PAX 28-515 FAX: 626-302-7501 - PAX 27-501 =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D To Unsubscribe, set digest or vacation mode or view archives use the below link. http://thethin.net/win2000list.cfm ================================== To Unsubscribe, set digest or vacation mode or view archives use the below link. http://thethin.net/win2000list.cfm