Buried in an appendix of ASHRAE’s Thermal Guidelines is a section on hot aisle temperatures and safety requirements. While this may be unbeknownst to most people, it is a topic that should be discussed, especially as the industry moves towards raising inlet temperatures to maximize cooling efficiency and energy savings. Higher inlet temperatures, coupled with good airflow management practices like sealing cable cutouts, blanking open U spaces, and removing misplaced perforated tiles, can lead to less than ideal hot aisle conditions. Add to this the increasing demand for higher density, increased capacity, and better efficiency and you have a situation where working conditions can quickly get out of hand.

Here are a few things to consider as hot aisle temperatures rise:

To learn more about ASHRAE’s Thermal Guidelines, check out our recent webinar titled, Understanding ASHRAE’s 5th Edition of Thermal Guidelines: What’s New and How It Can Impact Your Facility.