Don't Let Cheap Cords Keep You Up at Night

Uptime, SLAs, five-nines availability, and safety are enough to keep any IT professional up at night. Yet, the weakest link in their meticulously engineered environment might be one of the most basic—it could be an overlooked, low-cost power cord, quietly waiting to fail.

Overlooked Component

Power cords are often dismissed as simple, low-priority items, yet they play a critical role in data center operations.

Risk of Cheap Alternatives

• Procurement decisions driven by cost-cutting lead to the use of substandard power cords.
• Cheap cords may have poor insulation, heat resistance, or durability, increasing the risk of failure.

Consequences of Power Cord Failure

• Failure can escalate from downtime to catastrophic events like fires.
• Fires caused by faulty cords can disrupt operations, damage infrastructure, and threaten safety.

Cost Implications

• Data center outages cost an estimated $5,600 per minute.
• Ripple effects include operational disruptions, reputational damage, and costly repairs.

Historical Incidents

• At least 22 major data center fires occurred between 2014 and 2023. While the risk of fire from a power cord is low, faulty wiring can be a source of ignition. [1] [2]
• Fire incidents highlight the critical need for attention to even minor components.

Engineering for Resiliency

• Data center resiliency depends on thousands of components.
• A single weak link, such as a substandard power cord, undermines this carefully designed system.

Proactive Decisions

• Choosing high-quality components, including power cords, prevents larger failures.
• Small, thoughtful decisions in procurement enhance overall safety and uptime.

Critical Takeaway

The strength of a data center lies in attention to detail. Power cords, though simple, can make the difference between smooth operations and disaster.