Suggested vent for closet - if your closet gets too hot

[mat200]

Hi,

I wanted to share a couple of pictures to inspire others.

A simple solution for a hallway closet "datacenter" if you find that it is getting too hot for your equipment. I recommend watching the temp and if it is exceeding 80 degrees F to find a way to better vent an enclosed space.

This is what I did:

1) Locate studs.
2) Buy a vent cover, make a template.
3) Cut drywall vent in upper part of closet to allow hotter area to vent up into hallway.
4) Insert wood ( 3.5" wide ) or drywall sections to make a nice clean wall within the vent.
5) Plaster and paint.
6) Install vent cover - paint.
7) Optional install fans - in my case I have PC case fans, which I will power from freenas PC Powersupply.

Here's a couple of pictures of the nearly finished vent - it looks slanted due to the camera angle, I did use a level - so at the right view it looks better.

This allows me to not reroute any AC vents.

 

[Coldair]

I just put an 8*4 grill box and grill in the closet and run 4" flex to the nearest trunk on the main ac system that services that zone

 

[spencers]

I just put an 8*4 grill box and grill in the closet and run 4" flex to the nearest trunk on the main ac system that services that zone

Even though I'm in a rental, I've been thinking about doing the same. Concerned about when I need to run the heat in winter, though.

 

[Coldair]

close the grill then or open the closet a little

 

[bp2008]

The last time I cut into a wall, it was to run HDMI, usb, and ethernet through, the smell of death began coming through that hole whenever the HVAC turned on. I mean, literally, something had died either in a wall cavity or up in the roof. I got it sealed up but it wasn't fun for a while.

 

[BigLarge]

Just started working on my install today and noted my closet is quite warm as well Glad you posted this, thanks!

 

[CountZero]

I went cheap and easy, and just cut a vent into the super cheap hollow core closet door that I had on the closet that I used. If I ever move the equipment out to somewhere else, I can grab a cheap door from one of the big home centers and just replace it and no one is the wiser.

I put a plain grille on the inside and the outside of the door, and then mounted a pair of 200mm computer fans on the inside grille blowing out. Seems to work very well, and it was a fairly quick install.

Not sure why the images is rotated 90 degrees. But you get the idea anyways.

 

[CountZero]

I like those airplates. I have one of their rack mount plate units in my rack, and I had been using 2 single fan units on the closet door. I just couldn't fit the dual fan units without cutting into the center spine of the door and the single fans were not moving enough air to keep the temperature stable. If those fans will work for you, they are a great option. Simple to install, and they look good if they are exposed.

 

[tibimakai]

I have installed my pc, with separate components(no case), nas, ups in one of my entertainment cabinet doors(two shelves). I have a push and a pull fan installed on the back. On the other side(other door) of the entertainment cabinet, I have another pc the same way, which will be the gaming PC

 

[mat200]

another nice setup here:

My network closet

Figured it might be of interest The power inlets are so that I don't need UPS's under my desk! Then I also have a rack in my garage, connected with 10G Fiber back to the main rack

ipcamtalk.com

 

[mat200]

other examples worth looking at

Small closet in my mom's house

Didn't take very many pics but we are working on installing some cam's at my mom's house. She's having a new house built and thanks to @EMPIRETECANDY she will have some starlight IP cameras. First time she's had cameras. She's seen my little setup and was impressed and intrigued. Today we...

ipcamtalk.com

How To Cool a Network Closet

Fellas. I have my BI PC and all gear stuffed on the top shelf of a closet. The airflow is poor as the gear is near the ceiling well above the top of the closet door so it's basically an upside down cup with regards to heat: it builds up. I can go thru the walls to vent this, so I'm thinking...

ipcamtalk.com

wall mounted version .. ( when I posted this link.. does not have the finished picture.. you may need to search for it.. )

Wall Mount Network Closet Panel Layout

Here is what I am thinking. Any thoughts to improve? This is my first one and I have never punched down before or created by own Ethernet cables. I am thinking I can probably easily use 12 of my 16 port switch down here with at least (3) APs, (6) Cameras, and (3) network drops to rooms (office...

ipcamtalk.com

 

[Mark_M]

Anyone tried venting to outside?
Say a vent hose from the cupboard to a vent under an eve. Or even a vent in the roof?


Personally I'm looking for a concealed vent location. I can think of venting into another room using the large gap around a downlight. That saves having an ugly vent somewhere in the house.
Or I could tie into the bathroom ventilation hose, but that leaves the risk of moisture from the bathroom backflowing into the cupboard.

 

[TonyR]

Or I could tie into the bathroom ventilation hose, but that leaves the risk of moisture from the bathroom backflowing into the cupboard.

Wouldn't that flow the OTHER way in the "Land down under"?

Sorry...just couldn't help myself.

 

[Mark_M]

Wouldn't that flow the OTHER way in the "Land down under"?

Admin can tell my IP address is the next country down .

 

[sebastiantombs]

The only way to effectively vent a closed space like a closet/cupboard is to provide an in-way for fresh air and an exhaust route for "used" air. A vent at the bottom of the door will let in cooler air while a vent at the top will allow the hottest air to escape first. If you want to vent outside I'd use an under soffit or eave vent and an inline duct fan. Even 60-100 CFM will make a significant difference.

 

[Mark_M]

A vent at the bottom of the door will let in cooler air while a vent at the top will allow the hottest air to escape first.

I have an NVR and UPS in a cupboard, I reckon it reaches about 23°C [73°F]. In summer it can get a lot more...
With the door open 10mm [1/3 inch?] it stays at ambient temperature.

I'm sure there's enough of a gap at the bottom of the door to let air in, trouble is hot air gets trapped at the top.
I was thinking to add a small vent in the ceiling and use a fan to blow the air somewhere else. I've got a nice quiet spiral cage fan from a dead Bosch Autodome which I'll use. Just 12v, I don't want to get into 240v mains wiring.

Trouble is where to put the hot air to. I don't want to be drilling more holes around the place. Ideally I could just place a vent between this cupboard to another cupboard behind and let it passively dissipate heat into a larger area.

I'll get into the roof at some point and actually do something rather than thinking about it.

 

[looney2ns]

I have an NVR and UPS in a cupboard, I reckon it reaches about 23°C [73°F]. In summer it can get a lot more...
With the door open 10mm [1/3 inch?] it stays at ambient temperature.

I'm sure there's enough of a gap at the bottom of the door to let air in, trouble is hot air gets trapped at the top.
I was thinking to add a small vent in the ceiling and use a fan to blow the air somewhere else. I've got a nice quiet spiral cage fan from a dead Bosch Autodome which I'll use. Just 12v, I don't want to get into 240v mains wiring.

Trouble is where to put the hot air to. I don't want to be drilling more holes around the place. Ideally I could just place a vent between this cupboard to another cupboard behind and let it passively dissipate heat into a larger area.

I'll get into the roof at some point and actually do something rather than thinking about it.

If you are concerned about energy tightness of your house, I would avoid making a hole in the ceiling Or venting outdoors. The air you move outdoors, has to come back into the house in some manner, affecting the energy efficiency of the house.
Either replace the door with a louvered door, or run a small fan that blows air out into the room from the closet.
I use a 80mm computer fan to vent my equipment closet, it vents directly into the return air duct of the HVAC.

 

[mat200]

FYI - venting:

Unless you are running major BTUs, venting a small data "closet" from the closet to inside your house should work well enough to keep the temp cool w/o significant heat going into the home.

Of course, if you bought some monster rack with older used pizza servers running older CPUs and 15rpm HDDs .. well that would be a different story..

 

[flynreelow]

check out AC Infinity. They make great stuff.

https://www.amazon.com/AC-Infinity-Register-Thermostat-Control/dp/B0792QR5YT/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=AC+Infinity&qid=1631398235&s=hi&sr=1-2

 

[Mark_M]

If you are concerned about energy tightness of your house, I would avoid making a hole in the ceiling Or venting outdoors. The air you move outdoors, has to come back into the house in some manner, affecting the energy efficiency of the house.
Either replace the door with a louvered door, or run a small fan that blows air out into the room from the closet.
I use a 80mm computer fan to vent my equipment closet, it vents directly into the return air duct of the HVAC.

I'm not concerned about energy tightness of the house. Just getting this hot air out of the cupboard. The house has decent natural ventilation on it's own.

Issue I have with anything drilled into the door is noise... I chose this cupboard in the house because it was the coolest during summer, downside is this is near sleeping areas. I can already hear the fan of the NVR at night with the door closed.
My house doesn't have any Aircon or whole house ventilation ducted systems (bathroom extraction ventilation is the only ducts). Ever since new insulation was installed the house stays at a constant temperature year round.

So far the only ideas for areas in the house with gaps/holes already is the hallway next to the cupboard. The downlights there have a massive gap around them directly into the roof space.

Unless you are running major BTUs, venting a small data "closet" from the closet to inside your house should work well enough to keep the temp cool w/o significant heat going into the home.

Of course, if you bought some monster rack with older used pizza servers running older CPUs and 15rpm HDDs .. well that would be a different story..

Inside is a 16ch Dahua NVR, UPS and HDMI over Ethernet transmitter. I already know I should get a better HDMI over/Eth because this one is fairly old and runs very warm. It's about the size of a smoke alarm if you want scale for how tiny new ones are.
At some point when I get the damn TVs to work with it, I'll have the TV modulator running 24/7 too.

check out AC Infinity. They make great stuff.

https://www.amazon.com/AC-Infinity-Register-Thermostat-Control/dp/B0792QR5YT/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=AC+Infinity&qid=1631398235&s=hi&sr=1-2

That's too big sorry.