Never underestimate the risk of water leakage in a data centre

Data plays a vital role in our world today, on which our digital economy and our highly connected society depend. Data centres, which form the backbone of this information flow, must remain operational without any faults. Downtime, even just a short period, is not an option when continuous service is required for our company's critical functions.

Water leak in the data centre is one of the biggest threats – but often underestimated - could lead to equipment failure and downtime in a data centre. Even worse, when water intrusion enters technical areas, such as inverter, UPS, or battery room, could cause short circuit of this equipment. It is not alarmist to say that water leaks could cause a destructive fire.

Water leaking from a defective pipe

The causes of water and dangerous liquid leakage in a data centre and its consequences

A leakage, water, acid or hydrocarbon, within a data centre building can be caused by many factors. A few examples, not exclusive naturally, are listed in the below table.

Water drops run down the glass wall of a data centre server room

Critical equipment/areas	Causes of the leak	Consequences
Data halls/server rooms	Coolant leak from water-cooled server rack Coolant/water leak from CRAC unis Liquid leak from the raised floor or from adjacent rooms	Server rack failure Downtime, outage
CRAC units	Condensation Coolant leaks from the air conditioning system Water leaks from clogged pipes, a drainage tray or a clogged back drain path of the unit	CRAC unit failure Whole CRAC system failure Overheating of the data centre Flood
Generator set	Diesel/fuel leak from defective valves or clogged pipes Leak from defect generator set Leak from the adjacent area in the basement	Generator sets failure Backup power supply failure
Chilled/hot water supply and return pipes	Leak from clogged pipes Leak from valves	Relevant equipment disruption Downtime, outage
Pantries and related plumbing	Toilet leak	Relevant equipment disruption Downtime, outage
Sprinkler system	leak due to the improper discharge of water from the sprinkler system leak from pump and reservoir for sprinkler system	Sprinkler system failure Mission-critical IT infrastructures failure
UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply)	Leak from adjacent area/external ingresses	UPS failure, outage Short-circuit, fire
Inverter, HV/LV switch rooms, plant rooms	Leak from adjacent area/external ingresses	Inverter failure, outage Short-circuit, fire
Batteries	Acid leak from the battery Leak from adjacent area/external ingresses	Battery failure, Emergency power supply failure Short-circuit, fire

Besides the colossal cost due to equipment failure, downtime caused by a leak in a critical area of a data centre, the worst-case scenario could be loss of customers and the company's reputation.

Fortunately, the problem can be tackled. With the help of a reliable water leak detection system, leaks can be detected before they cause serious problems.

Secure your data centre against dangerous water leaks with TTK leak detection solutions

TTK continuously monitors all types of leaks in a data centre building, whether it is a water leak from CRAC units, a diesel leak from generator sets, or an acid leak from batteries.

Based on addressable and patented sensing cables and digital cutting-edge leak monitoring panels, TTK offers a range of smart leak detection systems – combining water, hydrocarbon and acids leak detection solutions for data centre building application. It can early detect and precisely locate all types of leaks, automatically turn off the leak source via a solenoid valve if configured, send a report to the BMS and alert both onsite and remote operators. All these actions are intended to prevent or minimize business downtime.

Leak detection unit for data centre

Addressable sensing cables for different types of liquids:

To learn more about TTK solutions for data centres.

Conclusion

“Prevention is better than cure”, multiple protections and redundancy in data centres aim to avoid downtime and maximize business continuity. Do not underestimate the risk and importance of protecting your data centre from liquid leakage, be prepared and opt for a reliable and intelligent system from TTK.

If you would like to know more or discuss your specific needs, our sales engineers remain at your disposal to offer you the most suitable solution. Contact us.

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Never underestimate the risk of water leakage in a data centre