My homemade server rack door filter caught fire last night

I built a 12U rack in my basement last month and used a foam air filter from a hardware store to keep dust out of the intake fans. The foam got soaked with humidity and the fan motor overheated, melting the filter and dripping plastic onto my switch. Has anyone else had a filter fail like this or found a safer kind to use?

2 comments

2 Comments

elliotadams20d ago

You're probably overthinking this. Hardware store foam filters work fine for plenty of people who don't have humidity problems in their basement. The real issue isn't the filter type, it's the location. Put a dehumidifier down there and your foam filter won't soak up moisture. Or just clean it more often. My buddy runs a similar setup with the same white filter foam from Home Depot, and his rack has been going strong for two years straight without a single meltdown. Maybe your fan motor was already on its way out and the filter just got blamed for the accident.

michaelchen20d ago

Wow, guess that's one way to find out your server needs a fire extinguisher more than a filter.