CRAC & CRAH unit Filtration

Will your Data Hall air handlers keep your Data Hall clean to the required specification? Many Data Hall CRAC or CRAH air handling units come standard with MERV 8 rated filters. According to the ASHRAE Standard 52.2, MERV 8 filters trap 70% of particles 3.0 microns and larger. Some data centres will use MERV 11 filters—these trap up to 80% of particles 1.0 micron and larger. So, 20-30% of these relatively large particles pass through the filters along with all of the smaller particles. These airborne particles eventually settle throughout the room. Some will accumulate directly on the heat sinks and fan grills within the IT equipment. More will coat the floor and other areas until disturbed and become airborne again. Clearly, these standard air filters are not enough to meet the data centre requirement for ISO 14644-1 2015 Class 8. There are more efficient filters. For example HEPA filters have a MERV rating of 17 or higher. HEPA filters remove 99% of all particles as small as 0.3 microns. Such filters are common in true Cleanroom applications, but are impractical for data centres due to their high airflow requirement. The only way to ensure certification to ISO 14644-1 2015 Class 8 plus all accessible surfaces free from dust is to have the room cleaned and tested by a professional company.

For more information on CRAC & CRAH unit Filtration talk to IT Cleaning Ltd