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In the UK, a spell of hot weather always generates a surge in support calls from businesses asking how they can keep their office computers cool and their staff productive. Overheating is one of the most common causes of unexpected downtime for companies during the summer months.
With each machine and person generating hundreds of watts of heat, it can soon become impossible to work — both for your team and your equipment. The hotter it gets, the more heat your business computers produce and the slower they run. Modern machines throttle their CPU speed to protect themselves when they get too warm, meaning your staff will feel uncomfortable and your business systems will slow down at exactly the wrong moment.
Our Tips To Keep Your Business Computers Cool During The Summer
To help you keep your company’s computers running smoothly during the summer months, our IT support team has put together these practical tips for business owners and office managers.
Consider a portable air conditioning unit
If your business premises don’t have fixed air conditioning, a portable air conditioning unit is one of the most effective investments you can make during a heat wave. Position it near your workstations and it will bring the ambient temperature down quickly, reducing the strain on all your business computers and making the working environment far more comfortable for your team.
Use laptop cooling trays or fan stands
A laptop cooling tray with built-in fans is a simple and inexpensive way to keep company laptops running cooler. They sit under the device, improve airflow from below and can make a real difference in a warm office environment. They’re especially effective where desk surfaces retain heat throughout the day.
Close blinds and keep equipment out of direct sunlight
Allowing sunlight directly into your office raises the air temperature and adds direct heat to your equipment. Keep blinds closed during the hottest parts of the day and position workstations away from windows. Circulating air with desk fans will also help keep temperatures manageable across the office.
Get your office heating turned off!
It sounds obvious, but a number of businesses we visit have their heating running all year round — sometimes on full overnight and at weekends when the building is completely empty. Have your facilities or office manager track down the thermostat controls and get it switched off for the summer. Also check for fan heaters running under desks — they’re a fire risk as well as a significant heat source.
If your business has air conditioning, have it serviced regularly and keep an eye out for leaks before they cause damage to your electrics.
Turn off all unused business equipment
If it’s not actively being used, turn it off. Unused monitors, docking stations, printers, network switches and anything else with a power supply all contribute to the ambient heat in your office. Every device your team can safely switch off helps bring the room temperature down.
We can configure your business computers to be powered on remotely when needed, so there’s no need to leave them running around the clock just in case.
Make sure everything is powered down overnight and at weekends
When your office is empty, ensure anything that doesn’t need to be on is switched off. Installing timer switches on water heaters, coolers and other warm equipment can save your staff time and ensure it actually happens consistently.
Clear any clutter from around your business computers
Removing bags, box files, paperwork and general office clutter away from PC base units — particularly from the side vents, back and front — makes a significant difference to a machine’s ability to stay cool. Blocked vents are one of the most common causes of overheating we see when visiting client offices.
Keep company laptops on a clean, firm surface
Business laptops perform best when they are cool. Placing them on soft surfaces completely blocks the underside vents. Ensure your team keeps laptops on a hard, flat surface — ideally a cooling stand — and that the area around the machine is kept clear so the fans can operate properly.
Reduce software load across your business systems
The harder your CPUs are working, the more heat they generate. Review and remove unnecessary software across your business fleet, disable unnecessary start-up programs, and ensure you don’t have multiple security tools running simultaneously — this is more common than you’d think in business environments and adds significant unnecessary load. We can audit and optimise your company systems as part of our managed IT service.
Get your business computers professionally valeted
Over time, dust builds up inside office machines and clogs the fans, reducing their ability to cool internal components. Our team cleans out fans, advises on and installs memory upgrades, and re-seats CPU fans with fresh cooling paste. In a typical office environment this should be done annually. If your office has open areas or your team use laptops heavily, fans can become clogged far more quickly.
Give us a call on 020 8099 5540 to book a valet for all your office PCs. It’s far more cost-effective than replacing machines.
For more information speak to our business IT support team and find out how we can keep your company’s systems running smoothly all year round.
