Temperature

[i]

I guess my first question should be, what temperature do other people keep their dwellings at during winter? What's your thermostat set to right now?

And, is it possible to keep a computer system too cold?


I'm bored and running short on challenges, so this winter I've decided to try and keep the thermostat for my place set at 56 F (13 C). So far so good.

However, it's occurred to me that my computers are running in the kitchen next to one of the worst insulated and thus coldest windows. It's presumably a few degrees colder in the particular spot they happen to be running.

Right now, I have a 60mm fan blowing air across the top of my Seagate 10K Cheetah, and a 40mm fan blowing air across the bottom. These days the drive just holds my OS and doesn't get much intense usage. There are also two general 80mm fans inside the case. Is it possible that I am over cooling the drive, given that the air those HDD fans are drawing in is probably about 46 F (8 C)? Is it possible to over-cool a drive or other parts of computer?

 

[timwhit]

I keep the house I rent at 70 F degrees. But, since it was built in 1906 and the windows are most likely that old as well it gets a little drafty. So whenever you are near a wall or window it is substantially colder than the middle of the house.

I doubt that your drives will have a problem unless temperatures drop into the 30s F. You could check that Seagate data sheets to see the temperature range they recommend that you run the drive in.

 

[jtr1962]

I don't see that cold temperatures are a problem. The only time cold may be an issue is when you bring something into a warmer environment and have condensation. If the device remains in a cold environment then this isn't a problem.

I think disk drives are speced to operate down to 0°C(32°F). The only reason they may encounter problems at lower temperatures is due to the lubricants starting to thicken, especially FDB models which depend solely upon lubricant for operation, unlike ball-bearing units.

As for the rest of the PC, I think it would happily operate even at -40°C or less. Past a point differential contraction of the die and epoxy case may cause bonding wires to come loose, but this is well below even the outdoor temperatures of most places in the continental US. I use two small DC ball-bearing fans on the cold sink in my thermoelectric freezer. These are 60 mm fans similar to what might be found on a processor heat sink. I believe they are only speced down to 0°C. I've had them happily running when the freezer air temperature drops under -50°C(-58°F) with no problems whatsoever.

BTW, I keep where I live at anywhere from the low 60s to about 75°F, depending upon my activity level. I like the room warmer when I'm sleeping or otherwise not very active. Outdoors I can't stand it much above 60°F. I prefer 30s, 40s or 50s for cycling or walking.

 

[Buck]

ATA drives have an operating temperature limitation of 5C to 55C (41F to 131F) and a non-operating range of -40C to 65C (-40F to 149F). I'm not sure what the exact limitations are for your SCSI drives. ATA drives are usually limited to a maximum operating thermal gradient of 20C/hour and a maximum operating humidity gradient of 20%/hour. The humidity range is 5-95% RH-non-condensing at 33C (maximum wet bulb).

 

[Buck]

Anyway, in my new house, the temperature has not dropped below 69F and has not gone above 72F -- I'm not using the heater. The outside temperature has ranged from 40F at night to 75F during the day. These new-fangled attached homes are really well protected from the elements.

 

[Howell]

For the first two years in my old apt I did not turn on the heat. The computers don't seem to have suffered. I regularly had to wear gloves (fingerless) or my fingers would get too numb and typos would abound.

I install a computerized thermostat in my new place. It sets itself to 60 10PM-5AM for sleeping, 68 5AM-7AM, 60 7AM-4PM while I'm at work and 68 4PM-10PM. It has a different schedule for the weekend.

 

[i]

I install a computerized thermostat in my new place.

Wish I had one of those. They make such perfect sense, as most people aren't home all day - or at least not awake all day.

I've said before here somewhere that I wish home thermostats had USB connectors of them ... that way I could get my computer to do the work. I would think that'd be a pretty cheap way of controlling home temperature on an hourly (or whatever) basis. Not to mention I could check the setting at home when I'm at work.

 

[Buck]

Honeywell makes a relatively inexpensive programmable thermostat. It is limited to two time intervals, and the same program would be used on every day of the week. So, for example, you could set the evening temperature (10pm to 6am) to 55F and then set a day-time temperature (6am to 10pm) at 65F. Whenever you want to manually override the system, you just push the up or down arrows on the thermostat to the desired temperature.

Have you looked into x10 equipment for PC interfaced climate control systems?

 

[Handruin]

I leave my thermostat at around 68 degrees F. My computer room is constantly 78 or higher, regardless of the thermostat setting. I live in the middle floor so I get some heat (and smells) from below me.

I like it cooler in my apartment, especially when I sleep.

 

[Buck]

Here is what I was talking about from Honeywell.

 

[Mercutio]

I like being under blankets.
In my old apartment, I didn't realize that my heat didn't work until January. I woke up one morning and it was 40F inside 'cause I had left a bunch of windows open during a sudden temperature drop.

 

[Buck]

Blankets are nice untill you need to use the toilet. Heated toilet seat, ah, that would be nice.

For USB controlled home automation, check out what SmartHome has.

 

[i]

Thanks for the links Buck. I will see what options are out there.

 

[ddrueding]

Here the temp never goes below 65F if the systems are running, but it will go above 100F if I leave the blinds open, the door closed, and the systems running (the window is about 5'x5' and double-paned, greenhouse affect is amazing). No problems.

I do have systems running in non-enviro enclosures at a few places (along roads, around heavy machinery, etc.) And I'm sure these get to below 0F and above 120F. I build the systems with great cooling and MBM logs are stored on the server. I know they are running out of spec, but no probs so far.

 

[Buck]

Good to know ddr. I've heard of similar experiences, with drives being used in environments out of specification. However, I do know of drives not working in desktop systems above 10,000 feet in South America. Strange place to use a PC, but I suppose the drug lords need to surf the web too.

 

[Pradeep]

A little article on how to update your thermostat.

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/arts_lifestyle/arts_lifestyle/homedepot11142003.htm

http://content.honeywell.com/yourhome/ptc-thermostats/CT3600.htm

Something like that for less than $90 would be ideal, gives you plenty of flexibility for weekends etc. Backlight is nice when you want to adjust without turning the room light on.

I have the home set at about 70-74 when we are there, depending on the wife's mood Sleeping hours I take it down to 68. Last month's propane (heat and hot water) bill was about $150, at $1.68 per gallon, which makes me wish for an Aussie summer pretty bad.

 

[Howell]

This is what I installed.

Hunter Model: 44110
Bought at Lowes

 

[ddrueding]

Good to know ddr. I've heard of similar experiences, with drives being used in environments out of specification. However, I do know of drives not working in desktop systems above 10,000 feet in South America. Strange place to use a PC, but I suppose the drug lords need to surf the web too.

When I was hiking in the Himalayas they had a system rigged to the sat-phone uplink. IIRC it was at about 15000ft (Anapurna range), it was for requesting medivac from altitude sickness It looked like a stock white box.

 

[LunarMist]

The place is 22-25°C year around. I might set the controls up or down a few degrees if away overnight and up to ±10°C if in Europe, South America, Asia or Africa. Life is too short to suffer in discomfort, especially with a touch of the arthritis. :wink:

 

[Tannin]

What's a thermostat?

 

[fool]

18 c. Cos I like it , also I'm sure I once heard that that was the average room temp when the recommendation to drink red wine at room temp was made. (though now that I think about it that’s probably hogwash). Oh well, I still like it cool.

Oh and buck, get yourself a wooden toilet seat.

 

[Buck]

Oh and buck, get yourself a wooden toilet seat.

[mind wanders] Ouch, splinters. [/mind wandering]

 

[fool]

sandpaper isn't just for lapping heatsinks you know.
Not only will you not get splinters but when moved to move ones bowels in inclement conditions, you wont get that horrible feeling of being about to lose a layer of skin should you so much as twitch.

 

[Buck]

Thanks for the tip fool, I'll keep that in mind. Now that I've lost some weight, I don't have to worry as much if the wood seat will break or not.

 

[CougTek]

Now that I've lost some weight,...

Congrats!

 

[Buck]

Thanks.