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Reliable temperature control is vital to the smooth running of any data centre. With servers operating 24/7, overheating is a constant risk and effective cooling is essential to prevent downtime, hardware damage, or data loss.
For periods of planned maintenance, system upgrades, or unplanned outages, temporary packaged chillers offer a flexible, high-capacity solution. Whether you’re supporting your existing system or managing a full-scale switchover, these units provide stable, efficient temperature control across your environment.
1. Why Temperature Control Matters in Data Centres
Without proper temperature control, servers and IT hardware are at risk of thermal stress. Even minor increases in temperature can reduce performance and lifespan, while severe overheating may lead to failure or shutdown. We will be covering this in more depth in a future blog post.
Critical components such as CPUs, power supplies and memory modules are particularly vulnerable. Keeping them at optimal operating temperatures helps avoid disruption and extends the life of your infrastructure.
Temporary packaged chillers offer a scalable and dependable way to manage thermal load, especially when permanent systems are offline or under pressure.
2. What Are Temporary Packaged Chillers?
Packaged chillers are self-contained cooling units that deliver chilled water to fan coil units or air handling systems. That chilled air is then distributed to maintain a consistent temperature across server rooms, data halls, and comms spaces. These units include all key components of the cooling system, such as the compressor, condenser, evaporator, and controls.
Rapid Energy’s temporary chillers range from 4kW to 760kW, providing flexible options to suit everything from small comms rooms to large-scale data centres.
These systems are:
- Quick to deploy
- Easy to integrate
- Designed for consistent, site-wide temperature control
3. Tips for Using Temporary Packaged Chillers in Data Centres
Tip #1: Get Your Chiller Capacity Right During the Survey Phase
The more heat that needs to be extracted, the higher the chiller capacity required. An undersized system may struggle to maintain consistent temperature control, while an oversized unit can waste energy and increase costs.
Tip #2: Match the Chiller to Your Site Condition
Consider the physical layout, access to power and water, and server density:
- Small Server Rooms – Units from 4kW to 50kW can provide effective cooling for more compact setups.
- Large Data Centres – Our 200kW to 760kW units offer robust, high-volume temperature control for bigger, more demanding environments.
Our cooling calculator and technical engineers can help you work this out.
Tip #3: Position Equipment Strategically
To maximise efficiency:
- Ensure good airflow around the unit
- Keep pipe runs short and efficient
- Position buffer tanks and pump sets where they won’t restrict access
Rapid Energy supplies fully integrated systems with buffer vessels and low temperature pump packages to ensure reliable and stable temperature control across your space.
Tip #4: Don’t Neglect Maintenance
Even during short-term hire, regular maintenance is essential. Poorly maintained units can reduce cooling effectiveness and compromise temperature control.
Routine tasks include:
- Cleaning filters and coils
- Checking connections and pressures
- Monitoring water flow and refrigerant levels
Our team provides round-the-clock support to keep your system performing at its best throughout the hire period.
Tip #5: Always Plan for Contingencies
In mission-critical environments, downtime isn’t an option. Having a standby chiller or rapid deployment agreement in place ensures your temperature control isn’t compromised in the event of failure or unexpected load increases.
Rapid Energy can mobilise and install temporary chillers on the same day, depending on your location and site conditions.
4. Why Choose Rapid Energy?
We understand how vital consistent temperature control is in a data centre, especially having supported multiple data centres with their cooling needs. Explore one of our data centre case studies to see how we deliver fast, reliable, and effective cooling solutions when it matters most.
We offer:
- Packaged chillers from 4kW to 760kW
- Nationwide same-day delivery options
- Complete design, installation, and decommissioning
- Technical support 24/7
Our systems are scalable and fully supported so your data centre stays cool, even under pressure.
5. Conclusion
Maintaining the right temperature control is essential to protect your IT infrastructure and keep your operations running. Temporary packaged chillers provide a powerful and adaptable solution for data centres of all sizes whether it’s for emergency cover, seasonal demand, or planned servicing.
Rapid Energy can help you plan and deploy the right cooling system quickly and with confidence – backed by expert advice and full support.
FAQ
Q: How do I know what chiller size I need?
A: We calculate your cooling load during the site survey to recommend the correct capacity. The bigger the heat output, the higher the chiller capacity needed.
Q: Can these chillers cope with high server densities?
A: Yes. Our chillers up to 760kW are specifically chosen for their ability to manage high-density and mission-critical environments.
Q: Do you offer installation and removal?
A: Absolutely! We provide full delivery, installation, commissioning, and removal as part of our turnkey service.
