3 ms·
datacenters dont use sprinkler systems (or at least they should not).
by mvanbaak 3y ago
datacenters dont use sprinkler systems (or at least they should not).
- glogla 3y agoYeah, I always thought datacenters would use Halon. It of course has the problem of suffocating everyone.
- packetslave 3y agoHalon has been banned for years because 1) it's bad for the ozone layer and 2) it'll kill you. Newer systems (FM-200, Inergen, etc.) fight the fire by removing heat instead of removing oxygen.
- alwayslikethis 3y agoHalon is still used. Unfortunately the same properties that makes it effective also makes it harm the ozone layer. It does not just remove heat or oxygen, it directly interferes with the reaction involved in combustion, making things stop burning.
- dx034 3y agoWasn't there also this technique of lowering oxygen levels so much that humans can still survive but fire won't spread as fast? Or did this turn out to be too expensive?
- packetslave 3y agoA non-water fire suppression system for a 300,000+ square feet warehouse-scale datacenter would be incredibly expensive.
- Aeolun 3y agoWould it be as expensive as replacing 300,000+ square feet of servers?
- packetslave 3y agoPeople who aren't me get paid to do that kind of math when designing datacenters. Presumably there's a break-even point.
- jamesfinlayson 3y agoI have no idea what's used these days but I remember someone telling me the dry powder that is sometimes used is very bad for computer hardware - not immediately, but within a couple of years the metal will show obvious signs of reaction with whatever is in it.