How to Protect Your Network Equipment During the UK Heatwave

This week, the UK is experiencing a significant heatwave, with temperatures reaching 34°C and above in many regions, from London to parts of the Midlands and the South East. This creates an often-overlooked risk for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): overheating of critical network equipment.

Unlike large data centres that invest heavily in cooling systems, most SMEs operate from office spaces, shops, or home offices that lack air conditioning, with network switches, firewalls, and servers tucked into small cabinets, under desks, or in store cupboards. These setups were never designed for extreme temperatures, yet they're critical to keeping businesses running.

Let’s look at why this matters, what immediate steps SMEs can take, and how to plan for a future where extreme weather may become more common.

Why Overheating is a Hidden Threat to SMEs

Network equipment generates heat under normal use. Switches, routers, servers, and storage devices all produce thermal energy, and in confined spaces, that heat builds up quickly. In the current weather conditions:

• A small unventilated cabinet can reach internal temperatures 10-15°C above ambient room temperature — meaning a 34°C office could hide a 45-50°C cabinet.

• This can cause equipment to throttle performance to protect itself, or worse, fail entirely, leading to outages.

• Overheating reduces hardware lifespan. Switches, servers, and power supplies exposed to sustained high heat often fail earlier than expected.

A 2023 Uptime Institute report found that 45% of IT outages in small businesses stemmed from preventable issues like power and cooling problems — a statistic that should act as a wake-up call in this weather.

Immediate Steps SMEs Can Take Today

Here’s what businesses can do now to protect their network equipment during this heatwave:

1. Improve Ventilation Where Equipment Sits

• Open cupboard doors and server cabinet panels (if safe to do so) to allow heat to escape.

• Position portable desk fans to move air across the equipment and away from enclosures.

• Clear any clutter (boxes, files, packaging) around equipment that could block airflow.

2. Use Temporary Cooling Solutions

• Portable air conditioning units can help, but they must vent hot air outside — ensure the exhaust hose exits through a window or vent.

• In their absence, even placing bowls of ice or cold water in front of fans can slightly improve cooling in small rooms.

3. Power Down Non-Essential Devices

• Identify equipment not essential for daily operations and switch it off during peak heat. Every watt of power used contributes to heat output.

4. Monitor Temperatures

• Even basic temperature probes or digital thermometers placed near equipment can provide early warning. Many affordable smart plugs or power bars offer thermal monitoring via app.

5. Plan Maintenance Smartly

• Avoid firmware updates, backups, or large data migrations during the hottest part of the day. These increase load on systems already under thermal stress.

Longer-Term Measures to Consider

This heatwave highlights the need for SMEs to review how they house and manage IT equipment:

Rehouse Equipment Where Possible

If your switch or server cabinet is next to a south-facing window or heat source, look for an alternative location — an interior room, or at least somewhere shaded and ventilated.

Add Passive Cooling Aids

Install cabinet fans, mesh panels, or vented doors on server cabinets. These are low-cost upgrades that can drastically improve airflow.

Explore Low-Power Hardware

When you next refresh network or server hardware, consider modern energy-efficient models. These generate less heat — reducing both your cooling problem and your electricity bills.

Consider Managed or Cloud Services

In some cases, it may make sense to migrate certain systems — like file storage or email servers — to cloud platforms. This reduces reliance on hardware that generates heat on-site.

Why This Matters for Business Continuity

For SMEs, an afternoon outage because of a failed switch or server isn’t just inconvenient — it can mean lost sales, reputational damage, and cost in emergency repairs.

And with UK summers trending hotter in recent years (the Met Office notes that 2022 and 2023 were among the hottest on record), preparing for heat is no longer optional.

Final Tips

✅ Keep equipment clean — dust buildup acts as insulation, making overheating more likely.

✅ Label power cables and devices clearly so if something does fail, it’s easy to shut it down or swap it out without delay.

✅ Communicate with your IT provider or support company — make sure they’re aware of your setup and can advise on improvements specific to your site.