Delotas Cleaning Solutions

Data Centre
CleanRoom
Air Particle Testing
& HVAC Cleaning
Data Centre Cleaning

Data Centres should have Air Particle Validation Class 8 Certification to

ISO 14644-1 (2015) standards
Downtime some costs
• IT downtime is costing businesses an average of £3.6 million every year,
as research finds technical faults cost businesses an average of £4,300,
or £258,000 per hour.

• What’s more, a staggering 545 hours of staff productivity are lost

annually because of IT outages. Based on the UK’s average hourly wage
of £13.75, this translates into an average of £7,235 per employee
annually.

• According to data, companies spend an average of 200 minutes to

resolve an incidence of IT downtime. In money terms, we’re talking an
average of £860,000 in lost revenue thanks to computer downtime
The effects of Particle Contamination

• Mechanical Effects: Such as the obstruction of cooling airflow,

interference with moving parts, abrasion interference, interconnect
interference and deformation of surfaces.

• Chemical Effects: Dust settling on printed circuit boards can lead to

component corrosion and/or the electrical short circuiting of closely
spaced features.

• Electrical Effects: including impedance changes and electronic

conductor bridging.
A critical system failure

One way of particle contamination causing a critical

system failure is when it lands on a circuit board
across 2 points, which then becomes..
POSITIVELY CHARGED
The current will then arc across the dust particle and
cause a closed circuit at the 2 points which could
cause critical system failure.
Having your Data Centre cleaned regularly can help
avoid issues like these.
Standards to work towards

• ISO 14644 -1 (2015).

• ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air

Conditioning Engineers).

• European standards BS EN 15780.

• B&ES TR/19 HVCA.

• CTCB (Clean Room Testing and Certification board).

Standards applied

• A Data Centre should meet ISO 14644-1 (2015) STANDARDS and ASHRAE
recommended standards which support the airborne particulate classes stated in
ISO 14644-1 (2015).
• ASHRAE recommend that Data Centres should be a minimum of ISO 14644-1
(2015) class 8
• To be compliant, ASHRAE recommend Data Centres should be cleaned at least
once a year and effective contamination prevention procedures must be
implemented for the life of the Data Centre.
• When cleaning a Data Centre, it is imperative that the HVAC system is cleaned as
this is the main source of contamination. The standards to be met here are the
British Standard European Norm 15780 and British and European Standards TR19
Heating and Ventilating Contractors’ Association.
• The CTCB Clean Room Testing and Certification Board is a certified standard for
the qualification in Air Particle Validation for cleanrooms to ISO 14644-1 (2015)
Maximum Air Particles allowed
Class Number of Particles per Cubic Meter by Micro meter Size
0.1 micron 0.2 micron 0.3 micron 0.5 micron 1 micron 5 micron
Class 1 10 2
Class 2 100 24 10 4
Class 3 1,000 237 102 35 8
Class 4 10,000 2,370 1,020 352 83
Class 5 100,000 23,700 10,200 3,520 832 29
Class 6 1,000,00 237,000 102,000 35,200 8,320 293
Class 7 352,000 83,200 2,930
Class 8 3,520,000 832,000 29,300
Class 9 35,200,000 8,320,000 293,000

This chart shows the maximum particles allowed in each relevant class of cleanroom to
comply with ISO 14644-1 (2015)
As stated, a Data Center should be minimum class 8 and this chart shows the maximum
allowable particulates per cubic meter in red for class 8
HVAC cleaning frequency

Low Medium High

AHU 24 Months 12 Months 12 Months

Filters 12 Months 12 Months 6 Months

Humidifiers 12 Months 6 Months 6 Months

Ductwork 48 Months 24 Months 12 Months

Air Terminal 48 Months 24 Months 12 Months

Devices
HVAC low medium & high

• The recommended inspection for HVAC systems are categorised into

Low, Medium and High:
• Low – Rooms with only intermediate occupancy, e.g. storage.
Medium – Office, Hotels, Restaurant, Schools, Theatres.
High – Laboratories, Cleanrooms, Treatment Areas in Hospital.
• Data Centres fall under the High category.
• Although I have recommended the minimum inspections and cleans, it
can be more beneficial to, not only have a yearly clean, but also regular
cleaning of high contamination areas on a more frequent basis such as
floor tiles and vents.
• Some airflow optimisation operatives do their Planned Preventative
Maintenance every 3 months after the tile vents have been cleaned at
Financial DCs.
The 4 fundamental rules for Data Center’s

1. Prevent the introduction of contaminants into the room by using

effective filters; ensure equipment is cleaned before being taken in and
that operatives are dressed correctly.

2. Equipment must not give rise to contaminants; buffing machines for

example not only create static electricity, but also create and disperse
contamination throughout the room. As well as damage the integrity
of the anti-static floor tiles.

3. You must not allow contaminants to accumulate so regular cleaning

schedules should be implemented.

4. Existing contaminants should be eliminated quickly.

Sources of contamination
HVAC System

As air is brought into the Data Centre, it will draw in and circulate external
contaminants no matter how good your system is. This is the most common source
of contamination.
Such contaminants include: fossil fuels from vehicles and generated electricity,
sand, sea, salt, pollen dust, artificial fibres, etc.
Sources of contamination
Operatives

Entering a Data Centre can bring in contaminants through

doors, packaging, clothes, shoes, and the shedding of dead
skin.
Sources of contamination
Degradation

Plaster walls can deteriorate over time and metal floors can
degrade creating Zinc whiskers, increasing contamination
of the Data Centre.
The Data Center Clean

Delotas Hygienist cleaning Data Centre Floor, Data Centre uni-istruts and cabling,
Hvac technician cleaning a AHU. (Left to Right)
Supporting the 4 fundamental rules

1. All consumables must be new.

2. All equipment must be E.S.D. compliant.
3. All equipment and consumables must be cleaned before entering.
4. No cleaning liquids to be permitted in the Data Centre.
5. All employees should be dressed in full PPE.
6. When leaving, disposable P.P.E should be discarded and new P.P.E should
be worn.
7. Only HEPA/ULPA filters should be used in vacuums.
8. All areas of the Data Centre should be cleaned.
9. Do not vacuum from a distance.
10. Constant contamination checks must be made throughout the process.
Importance of wearing the correct PPE
The image on the right is one of our Hygienists wearing the appropriate PPE for cleaning a Data Centre.
The hygienists on the left are not dressed correctly and are potentially contaminating the Data Centre with skin cells, hair
particles and other debris. Nobody knows what else their clothes have been used for and therefore which particles are
subsequently being released.

Not appropriate
workwear
for a Data
Centre clean.

A DELOTAS
Technical
Hygienist in
appropriate PPE
Operative Particle Contamination Study
DASTEX completed a study into Human Particle Shedding during a standing and walking
situation with an individual wearing a cotton tracksuit.
Bearing this in mind, the test study showed that a person in
normal clothes released up to 35 million particles of up to
0.5 microns into the environment every minute whilst
moderately active. This would increase greatly when
operatives are physically performing strenuous tasks.
We will now therefore apply these figures to a Data Centre
Hygienist cleaning a Data Centre 420m2. This takes 4 days to
clean with a team of 6 Hygienists and ½ a day with 2
Hygienists working 8 hrs in the Data Centre itself.
If the 6 Hygienists are not wearing full PPE, this amounts to a
minimum of 210 Million possible particles being released
into the environment with of up to 0.5 microns every
minute. Multiply that by 6 Hygienists doing a hard day’s
work, there are a possible 100 billion 800 million particles
being released into the Data Centre environment each day.
Add this to the particles being brought in through HVAC Systems, equipment and degradation, which would significantly increas e the amount of
contamination.
We are looking at large amounts of particle contamination; some will be drawn from the Data Centre and some which will have c irculated and attached
themselves to your valuable equipment.
Only use ESD compliant equipment

• HEPA / ULPA filters.

• E.S.D compliant vacuum cleaners.
• Fibreglass step ladders.
• Fibreglass mop with sealed reservoir.
• Fibreglass towers.
• Fibreglass extension poles.
• Floor lifters.
Use only suitable consumables

• Lint-free cloths.
• Anti-static foam spray.
• Tack cloths.
• Lint-free floor mops.
• Lint-free glass wipes.
• Anti-static floor Polish.
Use the correct vacuum filters

• Only use approved and numbered filters in vacuums.

• Delotas use ULPA Filters 99.99% efficiency at 0.12 microns meeting the
‘H14’ filtration standards.

• The minimum filters to be used are HEPA Filters 99.97, efficient at 0.3
microns.

• Warning: HEPA Flow Bags are 74.70% efficiency at 0.3 microns,

releasing up to 26% of all particles back into the environment you are
cleaning. These should never be used in Data Centre cleaning.
Most effective cleaning method
10 step process
1. Take an initial Air Particle Test to compare with after the clean is carried
out.
2. HVAC cleaned from external to inside the Data Centre.
3. The underfloor void including all fixtures, fittings, sides and bottom of
floor tiles.
4. Ceiling, if there is a ceiling void, should be cleaned first followed by the
ceiling.
5. Fixture and fittings, including uni-struts and its insides, electric bars,
trunking, wiring and every accessible part of these down to server
units.
6. Walls, their fixtures and fittings.
7. Server units to floor.
8. Floor surface cleaned.
9. Floor surface polished.
10.Air particle test.
Results of a Delotas Clean
Location 191 Location 191
5. 0 micron (Airborne Normalized) 5. 0 micron (Airborne Normalized)
(p/m^3) (p/m^3)
454. 0 50. 4
7769. 2 1463. 0
10089. 9 554. 9
15235. 8 454. 0
8425. 1 100. 9
706. 3 353. 1
11300. 7 0. 0
857. 6 0. 0
655. 8 454. 0
807. 2 353. 1
3027. 0 201. 8
252. 2 252. 2
605. 4 151. 3
454. 0 50. 4
252. 2 50. 4
554. 9 50. 4
50. 4 0. 0
100. 9 0. 0
1109. 9 151. 3
1160. 3 0. 0
908. 1 151. 3
807. 2 50. 4
252. 2 0. 0
Average 2862. 5 Average 212. 8
Maximum 15235. 8 Maximum 1463. 0
Minimum 50. 4 Minimum 0. 0
Standard Deviation 4376. 3
Standard Deviation 320. 9

These are the before and after results from a Delotas clean performed recently, focusing on just the 5 micron readings for cl ean room
class 8 validation.
Findings show: the highest particle reading as a percentage of allowable particles decreased from 51.99% to 4.99 %
- The maximum particle reading improved by 90.4%
- The average reading improved by 92.5%
- The minimum particle reading improved 100%
Removal of contamination

Here are images of contamination removed from various Data Centres.

The left hand image shows the build up of dust underneath server units. The middle photograph depicts
debris removed from underneath a Data Centre floor and cloths from cleaning wires underneath a Data
Centre floor. The right hand picture shows a dirty and clean cloth.
Benefits of a Delotas Data Center Clean

• Compliance with your insurance • Allows for better air circulation.

policy.
• Compliance with Manufacturer’s • Helps maintain hardware
Warranty. reliability.

• Ensures your Data Centre is • Removes dust build-up and

ISO 14644-1(2015) compliant. contamination.
• Cost certainty against your assets • Reduces the risk of static
over the financial year. discharge.
• Reduces the risk of critical • Saves on energy costs.
equipment failure.
Cleaning company service levels

• Cleaning completed to ISO 14644-1 • ESD compliant equipment &

(2015) standards. consumables.

• HVAC cleaned to B&ES TR19 & BS EN • Enhanced Trained Hygienists.

15780 Standards.

• Air Particle Tests are offered as • Full PPE dress code.

standard.
• Particle Testing confirming ISO 14644- • Quality Performance
1 (2015) standards are met. monitoring.
• Only HEPA or ULPA Filters used in • 100% Client Satisfaction.
vacuums.
Delotas contact details

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