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Used a thermal camera vs manual temp checks for server room hotspots | Computer Technicians - Chatter Central

Used a thermal camera vs manual temp checks for server room hotspots

I was troubleshooting an overheating rack in a client's office downtown last month. They had me using a handheld thermometer to check intake temps one by one. After 45 minutes of climbing and squatting, I borrowed their Flir camera for 10 seconds. The camera showed me exactly where the cold aisle was failing near the floor vents. Has anyone else found these things worth the investment for bigger jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_holly5mo ago

Tbh is a 10 second scan really saving you that much time over a manual check? Unless you're doing this every week, it sounds like overkill for a one off fix.

benclark5mo ago

So youre telling me that someone with a server room big enough to need a thermal camera cant just run their hand over the front of the rack and feel the heat? Honestly, if you have more than a few racks, you should already know which ones run hot from experience. That metal detector analogy doesnt really work either because digging every square foot of the yard is a huge waste, but a manual check is just walking down the aisle and touching things. Ngl, this feels like justifying a gadget more than solving a real problem. Unless youre managing a data center with 50 racks, a 200 dollar thermal camera is just another tool thatll sit in a drawer after one use.

felix_hayes645mo ago

Whoa, hold on there! I think you're underselling it a bit. The real time saver isn't just the 10 seconds, it's knowing exactly where to look. With a manual check, you're basically guessing at the hot spots until you find one. A thermal camera shows you the whole picture at once, so you don't waste time checking perfectly fine spots. It's like using a metal detector instead of digging every square foot of the yard. For bigger server rooms with multiple racks, that kind of info can save you hours of wandering around.

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