• Rivalarrival@lemmy.today
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    1 year ago

    Why do they need to humidify the air for the datacenter?

    Static electricity. Humidified air dissipates static charges before they can build up enough to arc and cause damage to sensitive components.

    • Zworf@beehaw.org
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      Yeah and too much is bad too, because it can condense on coolers. I’ve been told it’s also bad for bearings in HDDs when it’s too low.

      Of course in a datacenter being low on humidity is a much more likely thing as there is nothing to emit humidity (e.g. humans).

    • MelodiousFunk@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      1 year ago

      I worked in a “datacenter” where the humidifier function for the HVAC unit was turned off because it leaked under the floor into an adjoining office when it was trying to humidify. Management refused to fix the unit due to the cost, and saw no issue with running the room with relative humidity in the teens all winter. Madness.

      • Zworf@beehaw.org
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        That low? Wow… Your skin must have got chapped every time you went in there.

      • shortwavesurfer@monero.town
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        1 year ago

        If we didnt run a dehumidifier the humidity in my house would stay above 80% most of the year. We have a decently large dehumidifier and by itself it cant get it below 45%. But 45% is much better then 80+% so it could be worse

        • Zworf@beehaw.org
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          1 year ago

          Yes of course but you have humans in the house who exhale H2O all the time. A datacenter doesn’t have many of those (per square metre or foot or whatever you measure your datacenters in)

            • Rivalarrival@lemmy.today
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              1 year ago

              Temperature is the more important factor. Even if the ambient air is at 100% humidity, if it is very cold, the relative humidity after heating it will be very low.