We’ve already endured a brutal summer here in Texas –  and if history tells us anything, the heat will only get worse (if that’s even possible). As you keep replacing the water cooler in your building and cranking up the air conditioning, consider that extreme temperatures can cause more than discomfort for your employees; they can also damage your IT hardware. Here are some timely tips to help your computer gear beat the summertime heat, courtesy of your Austin business technical support experts at Gravity Systems.

Keep those fans working. Computers that generate significant internal heat come with fans to help move that heated air out of the units, preventing temperature extremes that might otherwise cause performance issues or hardware damage. You can confirm whether a computer fan is working  by turning the computer off, opening the case, and then turning the computer back on. Dust can easily blog airflow and interfere with computer fans’ effectiveness, so give your hardware a thorough seasonal cleaning.

Allow plenty of room for airflow. Those fans can’t do much to protect your computers against excessive heat if they don’t have any access to moving air. Make sure you’ve left a couple of inches of free space around hardware components so they can enjoy proper ventilation.

Install smart thermostats. Computer equipment works most efficiently within a humidity range of 35 to 80 percent and temperatures of 77 degrees Fahrenheit or below. If you want to monitor these ranges more precisely, install smart thermostats in your tech closets or workspaces. If those areas run hot and/or humid, you may need to schedule HVAC work or even relocate your equipment.

If your computers run into trouble during the dog days of summer, contact our technicians. We’ll diagnose the problem, make any necessary fixes, and advise you on healthy computer hygiene.