Electrical equipment turns almost all of its input power into heat, so a server room’s cooling load can be calculated directly from its wattage. This guide turns that wattage into a BTU figure and a sensible spot-cooler size.
Because IT and electrical equipment convert input power almost entirely to heat, the load is simply the equipment wattage. Convert it to cooling units with the factor:
Example: a 3 kW rack draws 3,000 W. 3,000 × 3.412 = 10,236 BTU/h. That is the heat the cooler must remove before any extra gains.
The raw equipment load is only the start. Add 20-30 % for solar gain through windows, lighting, people in the room and duct losses, then round up to the nearest available capacity.
| Installation | Typical IT / electrical load | Suggested capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Wall-mounted comms cabinet | 0.5 - 1.5 kW | 4,000 - 7,000 BTU |
| Small rack (1-3 racks) | 2 - 4 kW | 12,000 - 18,000 BTU |
| Server room / switchgear room | 5 - 8 kW | 24,000 - 30,000 BTU |
Where a split system cannot be installed — rented premises, a cabinet added after the room was built, or standby capacity for equipment that cannot go offline — a portable spot cooler is the fastest way to remove heat. No outdoor condenser, no refrigerant pipework, running the same day.
Point the supply louvre at the equipment intake, or use a cold-air duct kit to reach the front of a rack. Keep return air away from the cold supply to avoid short-cycling, and blank unused rack space so cold air is not lost.
For round-the-clock duty specify a condensate pump or gravity drain so the unit does not stop on a full tank. The models used here are built for long duty, but filters should be cleaned at the interval in the manual.
Send us the capacity, market and volume you have in mind and we will reply with models, MOQ and lead time.
Multiply the equipment wattage by 3.412 to get BTU/h. A 3 kW rack therefore needs roughly 10,200 BTU/h before any extra margin for solar gain or people.
Add 20-30 % for windows, lighting, occupants and duct losses, then round up to the nearest available capacity. A 3 kW rack typically lands at a 12,000-14,000 BTU unit.
For small and mid-size loads, yes. A spot cooler handles a comms cabinet or small rack room well; beyond roughly 8-10 kW a dedicated precision system is the right answer and the portable becomes standby.
The internal tank is fine for short jobs. For continuous operation choose the condensate pump or gravity-drain option so the unit does not shut down when the tank fills.
Yes. A cold-air duct kit delivers air from the supply louvre directly to the front of the rack, which is far more effective than cooling the whole room.
Send us a brief - target market, capacity range and volumes - and we will come back with the platforms that fit and the tooling or artwork that each one needs.
