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Hey, I need ideas. Keywords: DIY, IT cabinet, cooling. I hope I'll catch your eye :)

So I'm doing my apartment renovation. Complete renovation, 100% everything is remade. Soviets did a lot wrongs but one thing they did I like - storage compartments below ceiling (like double ceiling.. does it have a name in English? I often see them in garages). So I tore down the old compartment and created a bigger new one. I've moved some of my IT devices up there: router, switch, raspberry, etc. Now... it's okay while it's autumn-winter, it's bearable up there. I'm worried temperatures might get very high during summer.

Compartment is not that big, smth 1m x 2 m x 0.5 m.

Any ideas for cooling? I could set up a vent fan to circulate air but it's hardly a cooling. Also not very effective. A/C is not an option as the compartment is too far away from outter walls. Also A/C might be somewhat overkill :) 5 minutes ago I've remembered I had an in-car portable fridge-like thing that could keep drinks decently cooled during summer. I'm wondering whether it would work? Any ideas where could I get this cooling mechanism (what to even google for? :) )?

Is there anything better in the market? DIY? I'm not willing to spend a fortune for this idea (one more reason A/C is an overkill)

Comments
  • 3
    Evaporative cooling perhaps? It's quite large and bulky though, so not sure if it's viable in terms of weight, size and potentially the price. But other than periodic water replenishments (or other liquid that's less of a risk for electronics) it should be fully self-sustainable. Otherwise maybe look if you can make inlets to let the wind do the work for you? Be sure to add a net in front of it though to catch any stray particles. And maybe something to monitor the temperatures, with some kind of way to let you know when they get above a threshold (70-80°C perhaps).
  • 2
    You can insulate it using thermocol/styrofoam sheets/ any thermal insulator and install a few little cooling fans that can throw heat out from the compartment. Put some water in a large plate and some silica gel packets in the summer and you're probably gold.
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