How to Improve Airflow Management to Reduce Hot Spots in Data Centers
Hot spots in data centers are more than just uncomfortable zones — they threaten equipment performance, shorten hardware lifespan, and increase energy costs. Effective airflow management is a cornerstone of sustainable data center operations. When you control how air moves through your facility, you prevent temperature imbalances, improve cooling efficiency, and protect critical systems from thermal stress. 1. Understand Your Current Airflow Before making changes, assess how air moves within the room. Use tools like thermal maps, smoke tests, and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to identify hot spots and areas of recirculation. Understanding existing patterns allows targeted changes rather than guesswork. 2. Implement Hot Aisle / Cold Aisle Containment One of the most effective strategies is separating cold intake air from hot exhaust air with containment systems. Cold aisle containment directs cool air straight to server intakes, while hot aisle containment captures exhaust heat, pr...