Data centers play a pivotal part in today's interconnected world, serving as the backbone for collecting and processing our digital information. Though data centers use powerful technology to keep our modern world running, this technology is quite sensitive to airborne contaminants and particles – meaning the conditions in these facilities must be carefully monitored to keep everything running smoothly.
Read on to learn why data centers need high-efficiency HVAC air filters to perform at their best, and which HVAC air filters create ideal conditions for the sensitive technology used in these environments.
Protecting Data Center Equipment
Data centers are filled with sensitive and valuable electronic equipment that requires a controlled environment to perform properly and optimally. Circuit boards, wiring, and intricate mechanical components can all be affected by airborne particles and contaminants which can cause problems if they get into these systems. If they do, these airborne contaminants can severely reduce operating efficiency, cause electronic interference and, in some cases, even lead to total system shutdown.
High-efficiency HVAC air filters are the first line of defense against this. These filters trap harmful airborne contaminants like dirt, dust, salt, sulfur particles and chlorine particles – preventing them from accumulating on the sensitive equipment in data centers. By removing these impurities from the air, high-efficiency HVAC air filters significantly reduce the risk of equipment failure caused by overheating, short-circuiting or material corrosion. Protecting this equipment is critical to ensuring system integrity and mechanical reliability while limiting costly system downtime.
Boosting Energy Efficiency
In addition to protecting data center equipment, high-efficiency HVAC filters can also boost overall system efficiency. Maintaining the correct temperature within a data center is necessary to ensure optimal performance, and HVAC systems play a key part in this. However, keeping data centers at the right temperature can be both costly and energy intensive. High-efficiency HVAC air filters can improve energy efficiency by reducing the workload of cooling equipment within an HVAC system.
By preventing particles and contaminants from entering this part of the HVAC system, high-efficiency air filters maintain cleaner and more efficient heat exchange surfaces. Efficient cooling like this requires less energy to keep data centers at the correct temperature and therefore leads to lower overall operating costs. This further increases operational efficiency by limiting the risk of downtown caused by equipment overheating.
Creating Healthier Spaces
Beyond the advantages discussed above, high-efficiency HVAC air filters provide another crucial yet often overlooked benefit for everyone who works in these mission-critical facilities. High-efficiency HVAC air filters help create healthier, safer and more enjoyable spaces by protecting staff members from harmful particles like bacteria, viruses, mold spores, allergens and many airborne pollutants.
In doing so, these filters significantly reduce the risk of respiratory illnesses, allergies and other potentially dangerous health problems among employees. Further, boosting indoor air quality with high-efficiency HVAC air filters will boost employee comfort, lower absenteeism and lead to a more productive team overall. Employee well-being is the most crucial aspect in every occupation, making high-efficiency HVAC air filters an essential component of a safe work environment.
Best HVAC Air Filters for Data Centers
With so many options to choose from, it can be difficult for facility managers to know which HVAC air filters will perform best in data centers. Here are the filters we recommend to keep these facilities operating at maximum efficiency:
Pleated Air Filters
These filters are designed with superior dust-holding capacity that keeps air clean and free of debris for longer. They are optimized for data centers, providing reliable and effective protection that prolong system integrity while reducing energy costs.
We recommend the Pleated MERV 10 or MERV 13 in this range.
HEPA Air Filters
Brookaire's High-Efficiency Particulate Absorbing (HEPA) filters capture up to 99.9% of particles between .3 - 10 microns. HEPA filters are ideal for use in critical environments like data centers to protect against the widest range of harmful air particles.
Box Air Filters
Extended surface Rigid box filters are designed for high-efficiency filtration. They provide optimal performance in variable air volume and flow systems to maintain maximum efficiency in changing environments.
V-Bank Air Filters
Brookaire V-bank air filters use synthetic filter material to maximize dust-holding capacity over an increased surface area – resulting in a lower air pressure drop and increased filtration performance.
Brookaire is proud to manufacture and supply the Northeast's largest inventory of high-efficiency HVAC air filters and v-belts. Whether it's a standard size or a custom filter built-to-spec, we offer everything facility managers need to keep data centers running at peak performance. Browse our filters online or contact us today to learn more.