A few degrees of heat shouldn’t bring operations to a halt, but if you’re managing a data room, server closet, or healthcare IT space, it can. Downtime is frustrating, expensive, and completely avoidable if your cooling system is built for the job. So, what is a Computer Room Air Conditioning unit, and why do high-reliability facilities need one?

This article breaks it down: how CRAC units work, why standard HVAC can’t compete, and how Lee Company delivers proven cooling solutions.

What Is a CRAC Unit?

A Computer Room Air Conditioning unit (CRAC unit) is a precision cooling system built specifically to protect electronics (not people).

Unlike standard commercial HVAC systems, which cycle based on room comfort, CRAC units maintain a tightly controlled environment 24/7 to support servers, routers, and other high-sensitivity equipment.

Here’s how a typical CRAC unit works:

• Pulls in hot air generated by equipment
• Passes it over a refrigeration coil to cool it
• Recirculates the conditioned air back into the space

This constant loop keeps heat and humidity in check, which is critical in server rooms and data centers where even small temperature shifts can cause hardware failures or data loss.

Precision cooling is no longer optional in many environments. The adoption of Computer Room Air Conditioning and Computer Room Air Handling (CRAH) systems in U.S. data centers rose 64% over the past three years, reflecting the growing demand for smarter commercial HVAC solutions that prioritize uptime. The increase likely reflects rising demands on IT systems, including cloud computing and AI workloads, that can’t afford heat-related failures.

If your cooling strategy still relies on comfort-based HVAC, ask yourself: Can your equipment and business afford that risk?

How CRAC Units Differ from Standard HVAC

We’ve already touched on the key distinction: HVAC systems are made for people. CRAC units are made for equipment.

Traditional HVAC systems aim to keep employees and customers comfortable, often with wide temperature ranges and cycling patterns. A standard system might shut off when the temperature dips slightly, or when the building is empty at night. That makes sense for humans, but it’s risky for sensitive electronics.

CRAC units take a different approach. Their job is to protect performance, not comfort. They are engineered for:

Tight temperature and humidity tolerances
Nonstop uptime, even when the building is “empty”
Built-in redundancy and environmental alerts
Compatibility with raised floors and hot/cold aisle configurations
Precision cooling helps your equipment last longer and protects against catastrophic failure. Still depending on the same HVAC that cools your lobby? If your system cycles off, what’s protecting your infrastructure?

These questions become even more important when you consider the load. CRAC systems can account for 40-50% of a data center’s total electricity consumption. That’s why energy-efficient design and controls are so critical in server room cooling. It’s essential for keeping your systems online without bleeding your budget.

Who Needs a CRAC Unit?

If your operation relies on electronics running smoothly around the clock, a CRAC unit is essential.

Downtime can cost as much as $9,000 per minute in large organizations, and in many cases, cooling failures are a root cause. A few degrees of change or a spike in humidity can trigger server crashes, corrupt data, or halt production.

CRAC units are purpose-built for spaces where equipment uptime is mission-critical, including:

• Data centers and server rooms
• Healthcare IT or imaging suites
• Telecom and broadcast hubs
• Government or defense operations
• Industrial automation or control systems

These systems can’t afford to “rest” just because the building is closed for the night. A properly designed CRAC solution helps maximize building uptime by delivering round-the-clock environmental control where it matters most.

Some spaces (standard offices, small retail environments, etc.) may not require this level of precision. Still, it’s worth asking: What happens if your cooling system goes down overnight or during a long weekend?

If the answer involves infrastructure risk, revenue loss, or safety concerns, it may be time to reassess your current setup. We can help you make the right call.

Benefits of CRAC Units

We’ve already highlighted the core advantages of CRAC units throughout this article, but let’s break them down more comprehensively.

If you’re weighing the return on investment of CRAC vs. HVAC, here’s what the decision really comes down to:

Reliable 24/7 Temperature Control

CRAC units are engineered to operate nonstop, regardless of business hours or season. They maintain stable conditions even when the building is “empty,” ensuring critical environments stay protected no matter what’s happening outside the server room.

Reduced Risk of Equipment Failure

Server downtime, imaging disruptions, or production line hiccups all have one thing in common: they are often traced back to inconsistent environmental conditions.

By keeping temperature and humidity within tight tolerances, CRAC units help prevent these disruptions.

Extended Hardware Lifespan

Heat shortens the lifespan of sensitive electronics. CRAC systems provide stable thermal conditions, which helps your hardware last longer and minimizes costly premature replacements. That’s long-term protection for your capital investments.

Lower Energy Consumption Through Advanced Controls

Modern CRAC and CRAH systems use variable-speed fans and airflow optimization to match cooling output to real-time load. That means better HVAC energy efficiency:

• Up to 50% peak energy demand reduction
• 60-80% fan power savings
• Overall efficiency improvements of up to 60%

Even Google’s data centers have achieved a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) as low as 1.09, compared to industry averages of 1.2 to 1.3, primarily due to innovative cooling solutions.

Early Fault Detection and Alerts

Integrated alerts can flag subtle shifts in humidity or rising discharge temps before they trigger full-blown outages. These systems give you more visibility, more time to react, and fewer surprises.

Seamless Smart Building Integration

Most CRAC systems integrate directly into your building automation setup, giving facilities managers complete oversight of temperature, airflow, and energy use right from the dashboard.

If your facility operates under strict uptime, compliance, or performance standards, these are the difference between staying ahead or getting left behind.

Signs You Might Need One

Some facilities know from day one that they need precision cooling. Others don’t realize it until problems start piling up.

If your facility checks any of these boxes, your current system may be falling short:

• Your commercial HVAC system shuts off at night, and you’re seeing temperature spikes in the morning
• Server rooms feel warm or humid, even when the thermostat says otherwise
• You’ve had unexplained system crashes, slowdowns, or hardware issues
• Your IT footprint is growing, but your cooling strategy hasn’t caught up
• You’ve spotted condensation near racks, switches, or UPS units

These are early indicators that your environment is putting equipment at risk. And when equipment fails, the impact is technical and financial.

Over 60% of IT professionals report that outages cost at least $100,000 per hour, and one in three say those costs exceed $500,000. That kind of loss can’t be shrugged off. Is it worth waiting until something breaks?

Lee Company Precision Cooling Case Studies

We’ve helped organizations across the Southeast stabilize critical environments, prevent equipment failure, and modernize outdated cooling systems.

At Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital, we replaced aging Data Air units serving equipment rooms for cardiac catheterization labs. These rooms support sensitive diagnostic systems where even minor temperature fluctuations could impact equipment reliability or delay procedures. Our team ran 250 feet of chilled water lines and completed the switch with zero disruption to patient care, working nights and weekends to avoid downtime at the hospital.

At a regional injection molding facility, we tackled a different type of cooling challenge: a repeatedly failing air compressor caused by water-side fouling. The solution was a skid-mounted, closed-loop heat exchanger system designed for performance, protection, and easy service.

The parallels are clear:

• Critical equipment failing due to poor environmental control
• A tailored system designed to protect performance and reduce downtime
• Long-term gains in reliability and operational efficiency

Whether you’re cooling a data center or industrial compressor, the takeaway is the same: Uncontrolled conditions will cost you. Tailored solutions prevent them.

Get Expert Help from the Southeast’s Precision Cooling Specialists

Not every building needs the same cooling strategy, but some systems need more protection than they’re getting.

For over 80 years, we’ve helped facilities across Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and Kentucky design smarter infrastructure that not only meets specifications but also stays reliable under pressure.

Whether you’re running healthcare imaging suites, industrial automation, or data rooms packed with servers, our team helps you build the right approach from the ground up.

We handle everything in-house — from system diagnostics to design, build, and installation — so you’re not left guessing what’s next.

And with support from our Smart Buildings Group, you’ll get predictive monitoring tools that help you spot problems early and avoid the ripple effects of failure.

Here’s what a cooling assessment from Lee Company includes:

• A detailed review of your current HVAC or CRAC setup
• Infrastructure risk analysis tied to your specific equipment
• Load and growth planning to help you stay ahead

Still wondering if your current system can keep up? We’ll show you. Schedule your assessment today!