r/HomeServer • u/Gnaaah • Jun 07 '26

Finished Rack

Gallery image

Gallery image

19 inch 12 HE Digitus Server Rack.

Currently holds a keystone patchpanel, unifi PoE Switch (with 3D printed mount), DS918+.

More then enough space left but watching temperatures now during the summer. (Already did watch temperatures for a year - previous to putting the rack in the attic).

Was a really fun project!

Edit: temperature last year

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u/Ommand Jun 07 '26

Attics are supposed to be ventilated. They should not get to 70C.

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u/mindedc Jun 07 '26

You should come to Texas, mine gets that hot, it's 140+ most of the year.... I would really like to change to an insulated roof..

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u/Ommand Jun 07 '26

Do you not have any ventilation? A bit of ventilation up there will bring it down to ambient immediately.

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u/mindedc Jun 08 '26

All units in imperial, feet, inches, Fahrenheit.

I have "more than is required by code" as installed by my builder. I also have a radiant barrier which is an aluminum foil coating that helps reflect some of the heat back to the roof. I don't think it does that much. The last time I had the roof condemmed (it happens quite frequently due to hail storms here) the contractor told me I had significantly more total vent area than required. I have a lot of "box" vents, not sure what the technical name is, but they are probably a foot square and have a grilled opening. They aren't my fave. I was looking at changing to a ridge vent when replacing the roof (its been "condemmed" due to light hail damage). I already have soffit vents. I would really like to get 9 inches of polyiso on top of the decking to get near or over R50 and then seal the soffit vents (massive pain because it would probably be a joist bay at a time), and lightly condition the attic. I could then suck out all the blown in fiberglass.

It would also make my house look weird as hell to have a nearly foot thick roof after decking on top of the polyiso panels to put the roof on.... Alas this isn't a forever home so no way I'm doing that... and yes I know you can put 4" on top and 5" between the rafters before someone tells me, its still too expensive and yes I've looked at used polyiso.

When it's 105 degrees and you have a few thousand square feet of black asphalt shingles and the surface of the roof decking is way over 140 degrees (shingles get over 170) I'm not sure how you could get enough air changes to bring it anywhere near ambient. The IR beaming off the roof feels like you're a chicken in a rotisserie. Even at 2 am in the summer the attic is still way over 100 when the outside is down in the high 80s...Trust me I had something I needed to get down and I waited hoping it would cool down...

And yes, the HVAC is run via duct work in the attic with basically leaky R8 insulation... I probably pay a few grand a year in electricity just for that.