ISO Standard 14644-1 relates to the maximum allowable airborne particulate in a clean room to ensure proper functionality. This ISO 14644-1 standard is the primary, worldwide standard for classifying the cleanliness of data centers. ASHRAE recommends that data centers be kept clean to ISO Class 8 (allowable limits for each classification below in table). In this link, ASHRAE’s whitepaper on Gaseous and Particulate Contamination Guidelines for Data Centers outlines the importance of maintaining these standards to avoid potential issues and contamination related equipment failures.
How does this relate to cleaning?
Proper Maintenance and ISO Standards
As the above referenced white paper mentions, there are many and varied sources of contamination that can affect data centers. Even with proper filtration and keeping these filters clean, in time, every data center will need to be properly cleaned to keep suspended or potentially suspended particulate to within acceptable ranges and reduce equipment related failures or degradation of components.
In ASRAE’s book, Particulate and Gaseous Contamination In Datacom Environments, 2nd Ed. you can find a more extensive discussion of this topic of particulate and gaseous contamination. There ASHRAE recommends a regular maintenance program for cleaning in order to maintain standards of cleanliness.
Qualified Data Center Cleaning Vendor
If a cleaning contractor is not qualified, they can actually do much more harm than good. Aside from questions regarding safety and avoidance of disruption to services (water, physical power and network connections), utilizing improper cleaning methods or equipment can actually take dust and particulate and cause these to become suspended in the circulating air and thus cause more damage to equipment.
Paragon has extensive experience and the proper equipment and chemicals needed to properly clean and maintain your critical infrastructure. While we can clean your facilities kitchen or restrooms, we specialize in data centers and train our employees and technicians in proper procedure.
Please contact us to see how we can support help your facility reduce particulate contamination and increase your equipment and facilities ROI.