Server Room Sound/Noise Reduction

Posted by TinderSubThrowAway@reddit | sysadmin | View on Reddit | 27 comments

We have a small server room, and it's all standard sheetrock on the walls. We have less than 2 feet behind the racks and only 4 feet in front, just enough to be able to rack a server. Our switch fans are pretty loud, and you can hear them outside the door pretty easily. Has anyone done anything cheap to reduce the noise bouncing a little bit? Packing blankets on the walls? Styrofoam insulation? Anything? I wear ear protection in there only because I have hearing damage already, I don't think it would cause more but it is annoying, just trying to see if there is a way to reduce it some, I know it annoys the people who have offices right near it.

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27 Comments

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Big_Emu_Shield@reddit

Styrofoam is the go-to but it's pricey. Blankets would be fine as a cheap solution. You could also do egg cartons for a really ghetto solution.

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Crafty_Individual_47@reddit

sturofoam burns like gasoline. Industrial noise blocking panels are usually made out of glass wool

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Big_Emu_Shield@reddit

Really?! I did not know that even though I installed them a bunch of times. HUH. Do I have fucking glass in my lungs now?

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Crafty_Individual_47@reddit

Don’t know what you have been installing but there are building regulations that you cannot add materials that count towards fire load. Especially in server rooms where you arent even allowed to store cardboard boxes, so panels being used are usually fiberglass with coating.

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Big_Emu_Shield@reddit

I'm uh. I'm gonna NOT post or talk about what I used but I think I might need to speak to someone. I checked the website of the manufacturer and they said they're fine for server rooms but that doesn't necessarily mean anything in a legal or building code kind of sense.

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TheBasilisker@reddit

Ghetto solutions sound good till your fire inspector wants to know your location.

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GinAndKeystrokes@reddit

But hey, eggs.

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FlickKnocker@reddit

Think of sound like water: if it's not sealed, it'll leak through. I would look at a tighter seal on the doors. If there isn't a firewall between the rooms and it's just open dropped ceiling, I would look at Safe n' Sound fluffy insulation in there with drywall. Also, why are the fans going full tilt? Maybe you need to space them better in the rack so they're not cooking each other?

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TinderSubThrowAway@reddit (OP)

They aren’t going full tilt, they run at about 50%, i just have 6 48 port Arista in a small room. There is firewall in the ceiling and it’s a solid wood door with a rubber flap covering the 1/4 gap at the bottom.

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FlickKnocker@reddit

If you put a towel under the door, does it cut down the sound transfer?

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TinderSubThrowAway@reddit (OP)

No, unfortunately not.

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FlickKnocker@reddit

Broadband panels made out of rockwool insulation would help with taming that frequency within the room, ie reflections, but something else is amiss in the construction of that room if sound is transferring elsewhere than the door.

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TinderSubThrowAway@reddit (OP)

I think it is echoing around the room and the sound comes out the door through vibration I think.

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TxJprs@reddit

Sound damping panels are pretty cheap on Amazon.

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tankerkiller125real@reddit

We put rockwool into the walls between the 2x4s for sound deadening between the server room and my office, and server room and conference room. And then for the door we replaced it with an extremely heavy fire door, with sound panels attached to the back of it. If you have a cheap hollow wooden door though you might be able to use the "large crack" spray foam, put a hole in the side and push the foam in. The sound levels went down a lot, however it was also a somewhat pricey option (although nowhere near as expensive as a proper sound proofing quote we got). As always, check local building codes, talk to fire people, etc. etc.

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slugshead@reddit

What was the cost difference for the actual quote? Putting the rockwool between your 2x4's is literally halfway there. The next step would simply be a layer of tecsound and another plasterboard sheet (pick the 12.5mm moisture resistant plasterboard). Only thing you're missing is resilient bars.

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tankerkiller125real@reddit

There was a bunch of other BS that we got quoted such as "sound proofing electrical boxes" and a bunch of other little things. Not to mention the labor costs, and all that stuff. Even after factoring in our own labor costs the overall project price was around $8K cheaper than having a contractor do it.

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slugshead@reddit

I've not needed to soundproof a server room. But I've done a recording studio. It's a lot easier and takes up less space than you think. It also doesn't really break the bank. Bonus if you do this as it insulates the room massively. I used the system from this company - Most of it is off the shelf from any hardware store apart from the bars (You can get off-the-shelf ones by searching for resilient bars) https://www.soundproofingstore.co.uk/studio-soundproofing Swap your door out for an FD60 rated fire door too.

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The_Koplin@reddit

I know you said cheap so check your ventilation first! Option 1) Put an AC system in or do "hot aisle" confinement and vent etc. Basically lower the temp of the room to the 60's then set the fan profile on the equipment to "optimized" or whatever setting allows the fan speed to throttle slower. (two of our rooms use this method of sound abatement) Option 2) Buy a sound proof rack(10k+), I have one in my office literarily in my workspace and you can have a conversation at normal volume. [https://www.rackmountsolutions.net/42u-edge-3-soundproof-server-rack/](https://www.rackmountsolutions.net/42u-edge-3-soundproof-server-rack/) \~$9500 price Other companies like APC also make some and are cheaper, but the one linked is the one I have personal experience with. I did have to have our building super chop a vent hole to duct the unit outside. Option 3) Cover the walls, doors, and every other surface in some sort of sound deadening materials, acoustic tiles etc. There is a trade off as you will lose space, it will get hotter and you will have other challenges but its passive and usually cheaper then the other options. If you check your devices you may just be able to slow the fans down a bit as I find there are frequencies that people accept more then others. I have a delta T of about 20-25 degrees from front to back of the rack and I have the heat captured and vented outside or to another location rather then just recirculating inside the same room heating everything up. With this in mind you might just have a ventilation issue that is allowing the room to heat up and the fans are just moving that hot air around getting hotter makes it a feedback loop. Just my 2 cents.

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TinderSubThrowAway@reddit (OP)

We have a ductless in the room already, prob needs to be replaced but it keeps the room cool enough, we just don’t have the remote to set it so it runs 24/7, that’s a different problem though. Option 2 isn’t gonna happen. Option is what my post was asking about.

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Brufar_308@reddit

You could install [TECTUM](https://www.armstrongceilings.com/commercial/en/commercial-ceilings-walls/tectum-direct-attach-wall-panels.html) wall panels. They are designed for sound dampening and are fire rated unlike some other suggestions here. We used these in a theatre and recording studio I worked in, for sound control.

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DeptOfOne@reddit

I get it. My last office ***was*** the server room. So be careful here. Is this a company owned building or leased space? I ask because soundproofing may affect your building lease agreement. Also ***check your local Building code regulation***. That Foam pad might affect Sprinkler and/or Fire alarm operations.

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tankerkiller125real@reddit

>My last office ***was*** the server room If you're in the US this is more than likely an OSHA violation. Because yes, even you an office worker does fall under the purview of OSHA. And OSHA has noise limits. [https://www.osha.gov/noise/standards](https://www.osha.gov/noise/standards)

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TinderSubThrowAway@reddit (OP)

We own the building, and there is no sprinklers in the room, the room is only 8x12

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Server Room Sound/Noise Reduction

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27 Comments

Big_Emu_Shield@reddit

Crafty_Individual_47@reddit

Big_Emu_Shield@reddit

Crafty_Individual_47@reddit

Big_Emu_Shield@reddit

TheBasilisker@reddit

GinAndKeystrokes@reddit

FlickKnocker@reddit

TinderSubThrowAway@reddit (OP)

FlickKnocker@reddit

TinderSubThrowAway@reddit (OP)

FlickKnocker@reddit

TinderSubThrowAway@reddit (OP)

TxJprs@reddit

tankerkiller125real@reddit

slugshead@reddit

tankerkiller125real@reddit

slugshead@reddit

The_Koplin@reddit

TinderSubThrowAway@reddit (OP)

Brufar_308@reddit

DeptOfOne@reddit

tankerkiller125real@reddit

TinderSubThrowAway@reddit (OP)

stufforstuff@reddit

Otto-Korrect@reddit

MyAnnurismSpeakstoMe@reddit