I'd like some Thermal Dynamics Advice for my rack.

I have a couple of choices, I need to decide on some combination of the folowing:

Pull air from underneath the house, always in the mid 60's (but is moisture a problem?)

Pull air from the conditioned space

Vent to the attic using induction

Vent to the attic using a $450 remote attic fan with a heat rise thermostat controlling the attic fan.

Considerations:

I can seal the rack to a point, but there will always be leaks between the gear pulling from the conditioned air, just not adding vents)

I'm in North Carolina in the foothills so 7/9 months of the year is probably not to much of a problem, the other 3 months.. NEED temp control.

It's a 45 space rack (almost floor to ceiling)

Included in the rack right now:

Onkyo M-282 AMP
Sherwood Steroe Receiver
Onkyo 706 Receiver (probably a Onyo 9.2 or Denon soon)
Server 8 bay hot swap
Server expansion Case 10 bay hot swap
HTPC Media Room (maybe one more HTPC)
Xbox 360 (future 2 more)
One Cable STB (may go away)
UPS (for computers)
AVR (future)
24 port GB switch
Media charging station (cameras/Headphones/Etc)
Squeezebox Controller
External Networked TV tuners
Moden/Wireless Hub

LOTS OF HEAT GENERATING!


Right now it's about 76 degrees outside and the Rack Temp Gauge is at 91 degrees. But it's open to the garage (unopened) and the master closet (AC registers closed). Actually the rack isn't closed in in any manner yet. But where the temp gauge reader is is at the top with no where for the air to go, the rack isn't really that hot.

Any thoughts appreciated!

I pull conditioned air through our equipment rack and exit it through a return air vent that ducts straight to the house a/c return air system ... I did that because the room is pretty much sealed tight and we used outside doors so that we could try to contain the sound as much as possible from the rest of the house, and the use of a couple of PC cooling fans on the AVR and amp helps keeps those particular components cool.

No concerns about pulling the heat back into the system in the summer? Or do you have a by-pass? or shut off?

My unit and duct work are basically above and to the side of the rack. so tying into existing ducts is easy.

Jeff, no because the equipment rack is basically the return-air vent for the room and by the time that air returns to the a/c unit inside the garage (other side of the house) it's cool due to the length of the run to get back to the unit. I did that five years ago whenever we built the room and it hasn't had any issues so far.

Personally I'd be hesitant of pulling any moist air in from under the house myself ... I'd try to use conditioned air if possible.

The a/c blower vents you mean?

Thanks, I'm a thinking sound advise. Don't know why I'd worry about conditioned air.. I try , but my home is basically a gift to my power company even with efforts to contain it!

Maybe I'll just install a damper/diverter for the summer in the return air and vent it to the attic

Thanks again

No actually the Conditioning unit and all the main duct work... the return duct is right there. Well and the supply!

Looks like you've really got some nice options available to you Jeff ... noise from the a/c getting into the room may be an issue possibly.

For those of you that have a rack if you haven't already found it.

I just received my fisrt (of many) Channel Vision Pro P-1300's!

A 4U hinged, faceplate that accepts Channel Vision/SMC devices. No not anodized but on the back side of the rack for gear you dont need eyes on a blessing. Cable splitters, etc... My SMC box is going away! I'm also going to use one as a VESA mount for a monitor to service the computers in the rack when you need to get to the bios. Thought I would give ya a heads up!

It's actually the master bedroom closet and it's 18' x 5.5/8.5 foot at the widest... Not to worried about sound transmission. Its why I put the rack in there. But it's also available thru the laundry room from the house, so it just works. Easy access and no sound/visual concerns

Are you using a Mid Atlantic rack or something similar?

Yes Middle Atlantic... well no ..I got cheap and bought MA rack rails! (save a buck!) took 1 1/2 days to get front and back side to side rails algined perfectly ... I should have just bought a "Slim 5". But it's working perfectly .....45U .. I think the rails were $120 delv'd

Oh I gotcha now, the Middle Atlantic racks are nice ... I actually built the dimensions of our equipment cabinet with the installation of a MA rack in mind, built some temporary MDF shelves 'til I bought and installed the rack and the shelves have been in place every since. Saved me $3,500 in the long run!

You did it right, me ... now I'm all MA and anodized black components so $100 for each custom face.. still have to buy trim strips .. probably $150 .. empty spots oh blanks or drawers or .... I don't think this ends!

But hey.. it will be a beautiful thing to look at! ... in my master closet......

Those racks can get darn pricey in a hurry but they are unbelievably nice and convenient if done correctly ... I really like the overall look and finish on them also.

I'd show you some pics right now (of the half finished-120 plus cables), but my server PSU took a dump (and the photos are on the server) and it's a 2U case .. so special PSU .. winging it's way from newegg as we/I type!

Yea, yea we know Jeff ... that excuse has been used around here since Peter and Ken both had single digit post counts.

I was going to call you on that and post them ... but they are all on the server, thought I'd have some copies on one of the machines .. I've RDP'd, looked around ....but NO!

Can't have that!

I know where all those cables go and belong!

That's really nice work, Jeff. I'm envious.

I like it that you keep the hand sledge handy in the corner, there.

Thanks TT.

In a couple more weeks I'll be taking most of the gear out, rearrainging/removing/adding gear and then start the cable management again. Also removing the SMC (white enclosure with cabling) and installing the RG-6 splitters, amps and terminals in the rack on the back (garage)side.

Then time to close the walls back up and get the millwork installed.

Few more months and I should be close to done buying installing gear and have it mostly completed

It's been a journey ...... and a learning experience!
But worthwhile IMHO.