I'll be building a house next year, and I'll be building a home office in it, so I can work (waaay) remotely. The office will have a network wiring closet (security/data/voice/video/audio/satellite/etc feeds) and a small computer room (servers, experimental designs, etc.).

Question: presuming I go with a geothermal heating system, I'd want to duct the waste heat from these areas back to be siphoned off by the central unit for water heating.

However, I'm also concerned about ending up with poisonous fumes being circulated through my house on the chance that one of the subsystems decides it's time to start puting out acrid fumes and smelly black smoke. In that case, I would be better off having these areas connected to the HRV/ERV system and have the air exhausted outside.

What do people normally do in this situation?

Normally,

People don't have servers and experimental systems in their house!

But, if toxic smoke is a concern, an erv isn't going to do much.

Have you considered going with a separate system completely, with fresh air dampers in the part of your home that will house these dangerous items? If I were you, I'd check THROUGHLY your local zoning and fire ordinances before trying to do this, especially if you have nearby neighbors who could be effected by the possibility of releasing tetraethyldeath into their air.

Are you a "mad scientist"?
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One doesn't have to be a mad scientist to be concerned about such things

One computer running 24/7 generates enough heat to keep the entire basement in my house warm enough so it doesn't need any extra heating.

As for fumes, that's kinda science fiction - I've been watching many computers running nonstop since circa 1992, never seen/heard about one actually burning - but your mileage may vary. Not too many people believe my horror story about the fire sprinkler gone amok, causing high four figures in damage - in a "luxury" apartment that's been built just a few months before that.

Cables are a different thing though, you may end up having spent less on plenum rated cable than on special measures related to the fumes extraction.

One thing I would do in my house when I get my hands on it is an equalizer in the computer room (that's the exhaust you're talking about).

And if you're in a hot climate, mini-split seems to be your choice.
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Why is it smokey in here? Why are there flames coming from that computer?Quotes from the people working in our office.
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Like I said, your mileage may vary You can never be too paranoid.
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--vt

Loo into a heat pump style water heater for all this extra heat generated by the computers. Then put fire dampers in the ducts going into the computer room. These can be installed heat activated, and I'm sure you can find fire dampers that are electromagnetic that can be activated by a smoke detector. Of course all this is a mute point if you're not in a fireproof/explosion proof room with all this equipment. Possibly a bunker under the house, works nice in the event of a tornado, and nuclear attack too! Check with the Air Force, they seem to have built a nice one around Omaha. If paranoia is in your plans, plan to be paranoid and go all the way. A 30KW generator and massive stores of freeze dried food and stored water will be a nice touch.
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Rottendog

At some point in most peoples lives they come to the understanding that some things are best left as is.

You guys are great!

No, I'm not a mad scientist. I'm just a physicist who's lost his way and is now a computer engineer/architect/geek. I'm making arrangements with my company to work for them remotely, since there's really not a lot I do these days that can't be handled via email/instant messaging/videoconference/phone, and my rural site is fortunate enough to have adequate access to internet connections.

So, there are the occasional solder fumes, as I generate some new device (or hack some more on the ol' home control system, or build a remote lighting controller for church, etc.) I've not been worried about those in the past, but I do in a super tight house.

Then, I HAVE seen perfectly innocent machines go up in smoke, and it wasn't even my fault...I've seen innocent looking white smoke from power supplies, nasty black smoke from plastic fires inside cases, etc. and I really don't want that stuff getting into the rest of the house and asphyxiating the family or causing strange mutant growths on my kids' backs, causing havoc and asking for lunch money too.

I like the idea of the fire dampers tied into the fire/smoke alarm system; I hadn't thought about that.

I was planning to put a separate HVAC zone of the house system for my office area, but y'all are recommending a seperate unit? With all the heat my office will be generating, I WAS hoping to run the water heaters with it...

I thought about asking NORAD to build another facility in Omaha, Arkansas, since they already have one in Omaha, Nebraska, and it would be neat to have the same names, but I'm just a civilian, so I didn't qualify for the bunker. I thought I'd have a little bit of pull since my brother-in-law is a major in the Air Force, but he's "in the field" right now....

Anyway, great suggestions! Thanks!

I'm not really paranoid...just want to avoid problems I've encountered in my work experience...

quote:

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Originally posted by vt
One doesn't have to be a mad scientist to be concerned about such things

One computer running 24/7 generates enough heat to keep the entire basement in my house warm enough so it doesn't need any extra heating.

As for fumes, that's kinda science fiction - I've been watching many computers running nonstop since circa 1992, never seen/heard about one actually burning - but your mileage may vary. Not too many people believe my horror story about the fire sprinkler gone amok, causing high four figures in damage - in a "luxury" apartment that's been built just a few months before that.

Cables are a different thing though, you may end up having spent less on plenum rated cable than on special measures related to the fumes extraction.

One thing I would do in my house when I get my hands on it is an equalizer in the computer room (that's the exhaust you're talking about).

And if you're in a hot climate, mini-split seems to be your choice.

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Pogo:

Yes, it is a standard PC with, I believe, 300 watt power supply. Plus monitor, plus a few of other 24/7 gadgets connected, plus the other computer that works a few hours a day, plus people that heat the area, plus 300 watt light - and so the total heat production is enough.

There is no heat source other than that.

To be fair, I have to mention that the other room in the basement doesn't need any cooling in the summer either - it just seems to be balanced just right all around the year.


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--vt

Like the dog said heat pump water heater. Cools the room and heats water. Small little 1/2 ton system sits on top of the tank. When the room gets too warm take a long hot shower. the room will be cooler.
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