Our contractors could not get an accurate reading on the integrity tests in the server rooms, they state this is due to the air con being active – blowing through the room - All fire stopping has been carried out by other competent contractors who state that all gaps have been closed etc. The integrity test contractors are suggesting further tests are carried out with our I.T department present in the room to monitor the temperatures if the air con is switched off in order that it can be reinstated if necessary The IT department is adamant that the air con does not get switched off, and are stating that 30 minutes is to long to run without cooling in place, and the systems could crash. If that is how they wish to play it, in my opinion, they should accept the risk of not testing the room based on the fire stopping reports, and then place the risk of room failure on the risk register as an acceptable risk and take ownership of the situation. Do colleagues have any further input they could add to this? Thanks SBH

Can’t they calculate the pressure losses? The air conditioning will be extracting at a set rate and the blower pumping in at a set rate. It’s not my field but try talking to a HVAC engineer. Alternatively hire some recirculation air conditioning units and switch off the extraction units.