What special cleaning services do computer rooms require?
Maintaining a clean computer room is an essential practice. Computers and their peripherals are susceptible to damage from environmental contamination. The most common of these is dust – an excessive amount of dust will reduce the heat transfer of electronic components and ultimately shorten the life span of equipment.
The two primary areas of concern are above and below the raised floor.
Above the raised floor
The area above the raised floor should be cleaned regularly. Server racks, peripherals and related media storage devices should all be cleaned of dust accumulation on a regular basis. This is particularly important at the rear panels where local area network (LAN) connections are made, and equipment exhaust fans and heat dissipation surfaces are located.
Strangely enough, these critical areas are perhaps the most often overlooked in regular cleaning and dust removal. It doesn’t matter how often cleaning staff wipe down the front and top of the various peripherals and work counters if they fail to clean these areas as well.
It is essential these areas be cleaned and dusted using techniques and equipment that are designed to properly clean without reintroducing contaminants back into the computer room.
These specialized processes remain the best way to minimize the risk of equipment failure and potential fire hazard resulting from equipment overheating.
Below the raised floor
Ductwork and surrounding areas where power and LAN cables are placed represent prime dust accumulation points and require periodic cleaning throughout the year. While it is true HVAC systems do a decent job of controlling dust, the most harmful dust size– 0.3 microns and smaller – for computer components can circumvent many air filtration systems. As a result, filters need to be changed regularly and the areas surrounding the HVAC components, along with raised floor airflow panels and ductwork, should be cleaned regularly.
The same principles that apply for above the raised floor should also be adhered to when cleaning below the raised floor. It’s important to reduce dust with specialized equipment that removes contaminants from the premises.
Hiring professionals that have a specialty in computer room cleaning can help reduce the risks of computer equipment failure resulting from environmental contamination and overheating.
Gavin Bajin is director of business services at ServiceMaster Canada. He and his team support 70 franchises delivering janitorial and specialty cleaning services from coast to coast. Gavin can be reached at commercial@servicemaster.ca.
