Liquid-cooled data centres separate cooling into two loops: the Facility Water System (FWS), which moves heat between the plant (chillers, dry coolers, heat-reuse connections) and the white space; and the Technology Cooling System (TCS), the clean loop that CDUs condition and circulate toward the IT hardware. Neumo UK supplies stainless steel pipework for both — hygienic-grade tube where purity rules, pressure-rated metric tube where scale rules.
The TCS loop: purity territory
The TCS carries conditioned coolant — treated water or a glycol mix — between CDUs and the racks. It’s the loop where fouling costs compute, so it justifies hygienic specification:
- ½”–8″ sanitary tube in 304/316L with controlled internal finish
- Clamp connections at serviceable equipment
- Butterfly valve isolation at branches and CDUs
- EN 10204 3.1 traceability throughout
The FWS loop: scale territory
The FWS is conventional building-services scale — larger bores, longer runs, PN16 flanged connections to plant. Our thin-wall metric tube system covers it in stainless:
- EN 10217-7 (PED-compliant) tube, with EN 10253-4 Type A fittings DN15–DN250 and larger
- EN 1092-1 collars and PN16 backing flanges
- Faster welding and lighter handling than nominal-bore pipe, with corrosion life polymer can’t match on warm heat-reuse circuits
One supplier, both loops
Splitting TCS and FWS across suppliers multiplies interfaces, certification formats and delivery risk. Neumo quotes both from one UK warehouse — a single certification pack, a single point of contact, and a stockholding built to absorb programme changes. New to the terminology? See our liquid cooling glossary.
Frequently asked questions
What temperature can the loops run?
Warm-water designs (supply 30–45 °C, return higher) are increasingly standard for free cooling and heat reuse — well inside stainless steel’s envelope with no de-rating.
Is the metric system suitable for glycol?
Yes; 304/316L is fully compatible with propylene-glycol coolants and their inhibitor packages.
Can you supply insulation-ready or prefab support?
Ask — for project work we support fabricators with kitting and manifold fabrication to requirement.
Talk to us about your project
Kevin Windsor — Product Manager, Data Centre Liquid Cooling
kw@neumo.co.uk · 01952 583 999