We have noticed a shift in datacenter power delivery. Many of our customers are moving towards 208v power from 120v power. While the benefits of such a change are numerous, many folks don't realize how important having a 120v circuit really is.

With the growth of technology, most of the support infrastructure is keeping pace. That said *most* items in a datacenter environment have power supplies that can run in either 120v or 208v settings. In fact of those that can operate in a wide range, most will do so automatically!

Now let us jump down the ladder...to the things that few people think about when deploying a datacenter. During a recent installation, Silverback was installing a slew of equipment, all into cabinets outfitted with dual 208v circuits. The customer had thought of everything, including getting the adaptors from a C14 power strip plug to a NEMA5-15R (standard household plug) so they could plug in their laptops.

Everything was going quite well, until the screwdriver battery died. Using a C14/NEMA5-15 adaptor, they plugged in the Milwaukee battery charger. Thirty seconds later after a loud pop and some smoke, all of the network equipment started to beep. The drill charger was only rated for 120v, not 208v. It popped the circuit breaker and took down an entire PDU.

With that little bit of excitement, we started checking the power bricks on other non-server hardware. The cordless phone, the DSL modem for the out of band (OOB) network, cell phone chargers, the label maker, all of these things were rated for 120v power.

The customer ordered a new circuit to be delivered a few days later, and the facility was nice enough to lend us an extension cord and PDU until then. You may not be so lucky. Make sure you are aware of the power settings required by your equipment, and ensure you have the proper power available.