With the rapid growth of AI technology and cloud storage, the global demand for data centres is increasing drastically. As these facilities expand, even a short data centre shutdown can cause major operational and financial setbacks. Whether data centre cooling systems rely on air cooling or liquid cooling, maintaining high water purity is important to ensuring optimal performance, reliability and efficiency.
Contaminants that make their way into cooling tanks, misting systems, or distribution lines can quickly cause blockages, corrosion, or equipment failure, leading to costly downtime. Clean, well-filtered water is therefore not just a maintenance consideration, but an incredibly vital part of data centre reliability.
Air Data Centre Cooling Systems
Protecting Nozzles and Misting Performance
Air-cooled data centres often rely on evaporative or adiabatic cooling, where fine water mist is introduced to reduce air temperature before entering the data hall. Before this mist is created, water is stored in a supply tank and then distributed through a network of pipes and nozzles.
Without correct filtration, suspended particles, scale, or biological growth can:
- Clog nozzles, disrupting mist patterns and reducing cooling efficiency
- Cause uneven humidification, leading to hot spots and air imbalance
- Promote bacterial growth, which may cause systems to not work properly
Installing high-performance pre-filtration systems at the tank outlet ensures only clean water reaches the nozzles. This reduces maintenance frequency, keeping misting systems consistent, and preventing unplanned interruptions to cooling performance.
Liquid Data Centre Cooling Systems
Keeping Loops Clean and Efficient
Liquid cooling is rapidly growing in use for high-density data centres. These systems rely on closed water loops to transfer heat directly from servers. Any particulate or microbial contamination in these loops can seriously affect thermal conductivity and system reliability.
Filtration helps to:
- Prevent particulate build-up in narrow channels and heat exchangers
- Reduce corrosion and extend the lifespan of system components
- Maintain stable thermal transfer, ensuring equipment runs efficiently
Strategically placed filters, on recirculation loops and top-up lines for example, protect important infrastructure and optimise long-term performance.
Why the Tank Matters
In both air and liquid cooling systems, the water storage or buffer tank plays a key part in the process. It’s here that contaminants such as sediment, pipe debris, and biological matter can accumulate before the water is distributed throughout the system.
Installing the right filtration setup at this stage, including sediment pre-filters, carbon filters, or microbial control cartridges, ensures the water entering the misting or cooling loop is consistently clean. This step helps avoid costly issues such as:
- Clogged pipework and spray nozzles
- Reduced cooling efficiency
- Increased energy consumption
- Unexpected downtime for maintenance or cleaning
The Benefits of Clean Cooling Water
By maintaining high water quality throughout the system, data centres can expect:
- Improved reliability and reduced risk of equipment failure
- Lower maintenance costs and fewer system shutdowns
- Enhanced energy efficiency, as clean systems operate more effectively
- Longer equipment life, reducing replacement and repair spend
We work with data centres to supply tailored filtration and water treatment solutions for both air and liquid cooling. From tank to pre-filtration and particulate removal, our solutions help prevent clogging, protect assets, and keep operations running without interruption.
