Just when we thought our datacenter had seen it all—floods, power outages, and unexpected shutdowns—fate decided to throw us yet another curveball. This time, our adventure begins not with water, but with its absence, and the unwelcome heat it brought with it.

On a day that boasted perfect weather, making any excuse to step outside welcome, an alert from the datacenter reached the local fire department. Yes, the very same datacenter that had previously enjoyed an impromptu dousing. The issue at hand? An air conditioning unit sending out SOS signals, unable to keep the growing warmth at bay.

Arriving at the scene, the cooling unit’s display panel hinted at a problem with the water supply. Picture this: a datacenter designed like a giant walk-in cooler you might find in a restaurant, encased within a slightly larger room, leaving the external piping virtually inaccessible. A quick visual inspection revealed no obvious leaks or damage—everything seemed in order, at least at first glance.

With no clear culprit, thoughts turned to calling the cooling system’s installer, suspecting the unit itself had failed. However, a curious sight next door caught my attention—diving gear being moved around in the adjacent room. Now, diving gear in a datacenter setting is intriguing enough to merit investigation, especially for someone with ties to the fire department.

Engaging in casual conversation and a bit of exploration revealed that the space was being remodeled to store equipment. A scattered assortment of plumbing supplies hinted at recent work. Could there be a connection to our cooling woes?

Returning to the cooler, I took a closer look at the wall shared with the newly occupied room. There, at the base, was evidence of a recent modification—a hole that had been drilled through. Piecing together the visual clues, it seemed a water line running from this point might have been redirected or removed during the renovations.

With the pieces of the puzzle falling into place, it was time to gather more information. Had there been a sink and plumbing here recently? And more importantly, was the renovation responsible for our air conditioning’s distress signal?

This latest chapter in the datacenter saga underscores a valuable lesson: sometimes, the heat of the problem isn’t just in the malfunctioning equipment but in the unexpected places our renovations touch.

In the serene aftermath of our datacenter’s unexpected baptism, confidence was high. The building had been rejuvenated, our equipment upgraded. Surely, we had weathered the worst. Yet, as fate would have it, Murphy wasn’t quite done with us. Tucked neatly in his pocket was another curveball, ready to be thrown our way.

A few months down the line, just as the memory of indoor rain started to fade, the weekend peace was shattered. A distress call about a leak—this time in the restaurant, and yes, once again from the ceiling. Déjà vu? Possibly. A new adventure? Definitely.

With a sense of duty (and perhaps a lack of better plans), we headed to the scene. The first floor greeted us with an avant-garde installation: a suspended ceiling transformed into a rainforest shower, courtesy of its acoustically designed tiles. Each perforation, intended to dampen sound, now served as a miniature fountain, creating a not-so-soothing symphony of drips.

Not willing to leave any stone unturned, or any server rack unsoaked, we ventured to the ground floor. The mission was to inspect a SER (Server Equipment Room), home to vital network connections and gear. True to Murphy’s script, the leak had elegantly positioned itself above a cable tray leading downwards. And in a twist of genius (or perhaps a lapse in judgment), a power outlet for one of the racks had been installed directly on the floor. Because, of course, water and electricity are known to mix so well.

Adding a twist to the tale, the source of our latest indoor weather phenomenon was none other than a coffee machine on the third floor. Not just any coffee machine, but a newly installed beacon of hope for caffeine lovers. In a turn of events that not even the most caffeinated prophet could have foreseen, a water hose connected to this herald of morning cheer decided to part ways, unleashing a flood with a preference for downward mobility.

As we stood there, pondering the odds, it became clear: in the world of IT and renovations, expect the unexpected. And maybe, just maybe, keep an umbrella handy—not just for the weather outside, but for the indoor showers too.