Temperature and Humidity

• Maximum allowable temperature and humidity levels must be within the values mentioned in the data sheets.

• Optimum operating temperature and humidity are as follows:

  • Temperature range is from 64°F to 80°F (18°C to 27°C)

  • Humidity within 40% to 50% RH

• Always maintain absolute humidity levels less than 0.024 Kg of water vapor/Kg of dry air as per GR-63-CORE Table 4-4.

• We do not recommend installations where condensation may occur or where equipment is exposed to high humidity for long duration.

• Short term exposure: Equipment should not be exposed to higher humidity (greater than 85% RH) in line with GR-63-CORE.

Note	Short term exposure refers to a period of not more than 96 consecutive hours and a total of not more than 15 days in 1 year. (This number refers to a total of 360 hours in any given year, but no more than 15 occurrences during that 1-year period.)

• Ensure that thermometers and hygrometers are present in the installation site so that optimal temperature and humidity levels can be monitored and maintained for the proper functioning of Cisco data networking equipment. When taking measurements, keep the instrument 3 ft (1m) above the floor level and 3 ft (1m) away from equipment air inlet.

• Installation in highly corrosive areas is not recommended. Examples of highly corrosive areas include the following: near seas, rivers, and large water bodies where high humidity persist for long periods of time; highly polluted areas such as sites less than 10 meters from high traffics roadway; areas with high industrial pollutants.

Environmental Pollutants

• For better reliability of the equipment, the recommended limits for allowable solid pollutants concentration shall be within the limits mentioned below or as per GR-63-CORE Table 2-4.

  Type of Particles	Allowable Particulate matter concentration range
  PM2.5 + PM10	< 20 µg/m3

• Solid particulate concentration level measurements:

  • Solid pollutants such as dust concentration can be measured using instruments like PM2.5 and PM10 particle counters.

  • We recommend checking concentration of pollutants periodically:

  • General recommendation for clean installation sites: If the installationsite is clean and has low solid-particulate concentration levels over a 3-month period, we recommend checking the concentration level once per month.

  • Recommendation for installation sites prone to high particulate concentration levels: If the site location is listed below, we recommend checking the concentration levels once per week.

    • Near high automobile traffic areas or busy streets

    • Near construction areas

    • Near factories that emit smoke or other solid particulates

  • Commercially available instruments can be used to measure the particulate concertation level. When taking measurements, keep the instrument 3 ft (1m) above the floor level and 3 ft (1m) away from equipment air inlet.

• Necessary protection should be provided to ensure the equipment is not exposed to high concentration level of pollutants. Follow these guidelines for minimizing solid particulate concentration levels:

  • Minimize air leaks (unfiltered external air entering equipment room) by closing ventilations or air entry points that are not desired.

  • Use High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters for filtering suspended solid particles from the air. These filters can be part of the Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) of the rooms.

  • Alternatively, air purifies can be used to filter suspended solid particles from air. These can be placed at strategic locations in the room such that air is purified before entering equipment.

  • It is common for dust particles to settle on the floor. Depending on the temperature and velocity of the air, there is a probability that dust particles may get into the air and cause negative impact on the equipment. To prevent this, dust particles can be extracted using vacuum machines.

• Negative effect of high concentration of solid particle concentration level:

  • Presence of high concentration of solid pollutants could reduce the product life significantly as per GR-1274-CORE.

  • Product service life is inversely proportional to the dust concertation level, for example: product service life will be halved if the dust concentration level increases by two.

Altitude

• The chassis is intended to operate in the temperate and altitude range described in the data sheet.

• The allowable operating temperature of the equipment reduces at the rate of 34°F (1°C) per every 984 ft (300 m) increase in the altitude.

Air Filters

• The NCS 5500 modular chassis are designed to accommodate air filters. We recommend using air filters in normal operating conditions.

  Air filters are present in the door kit. The door kit must be ordered separately. To replace an existing air filter, you must order the air filter separately. For information on PIDs, see the (Optional) Install Air Filter, Cable Management Bracket, or Door Kit on a Chassis section.

• A periodic health check of the filter, every three months based on the level of dust in the environment, helps in avoiding over clogging of the filters and provide a better life. This product's filter is used as a single-use component. If the product is installed in a controlled environment, check and replace the filter every three months, otherwise replace the filter every month.

Best Practices

• For additional information on best practices, please refer to Guidelines and Best Practices for the Installation and Maintenance of Data Networking Equipment.