Zinc Whiskers: The Hidden Threat Lurking in Your Data Centre
Many IT and facilities managers assume zinc whiskers are a problem of the past. But if your data centre uses raised floor tiles, cable trays, or other zinc-coated hardware, you could be housing a serious – and invisible – threat.
Zinc whiskers in data centres continue to cause unexpected equipment failures, costly downtime, and long-term contamination. They often go undiagnosed, making professional data centre cleaning and proactive risk management more important than ever.
In this article, we’ll explore what zinc whiskers are, why they matter, and how Australian IT Services can help you identify, manage, and mitigate this hidden hazard – without needing to remove or replace existing infrastructure.
What Are Zinc Whiskers and Why Should You Care?
Zinc whiskers are microscopic, hair-like filaments that grow from electroplated zinc surfaces. They typically appear on the underside of raised access floor tiles, cable trays, and structural components commonly found in older – and sometimes even new – data centre environments.
Over time, these fine metallic strands can detach and become airborne, infiltrating your most sensitive IT equipment. Despite being invisible to the naked eye, their impact can be devastating.
Zinc whiskers can cause:
Short circuits and electrical arcing
Power supply or hard disk failures
Data corruption and loss
Intermittent system resets and unexplained outages
Long-term contamination of clean environments
Standard air filters won’t capture zinc whiskers. And because their effects are hard to trace, many failures are written off as random hardware issues – with zinc whiskers remaining the hidden culprit.
How Do Zinc Whiskers Get into Data Centres?
The problem begins with zinc electroplating – a common manufacturing process used to prevent corrosion on steel. When these coated materials are used in raised floors, supports, and cable trays, they can begin to grow whiskers due to physical stress or changes in temperature and humidity.
These whiskers can:
Detach from surfaces due to vibration or airflow
Travel through cooling systems or settle on circuit boards
Bridge conductive elements and cause short circuits
If your facility has not been assessed for zinc whiskers in recent years, now is the time to take a closer look – particularly if it was built before the widespread awareness of zinc whisker contamination.
How to Identify Zinc Whiskers
The first step in protecting your infrastructure is knowing what to look for. Unfortunately, zinc whiskers are not easily seen with the naked eye. In fact, many raised floor systems appear clean on the surface, while hiding contamination underneath.
To reliably detect zinc whiskers, you need:
Trained professionals who understand how and where to inspect
Specialised lighting and magnification tools
Controlled inspection procedures to avoid disturbing or dislodging whiskers during the process
Australian IT Services offers detailed zinc whisker inspections Australia-wide. Our technicians are trained to identify early-stage whisker growth and assess contamination risks across your facility.
Our Approach: Zinc Whisker Management Without Disruption
We understand that removing and replacing infrastructure is not always feasible. That’s why we’ve developed an advanced, non-disruptive approach to managing zinc whiskers in active environments.
Our zinc whisker contamination control programs include:
1. Zinc Whisker Health Checks
We use proven, non-invasive methods to assess floor tiles, cable trays, and racks for whisker growth, even during business hours.
2. ISO-Compliant Data Centre Cleaning
Our professional data centre cleaners conduct deep cleans of above-floor, high-level, and sub-floor areas using antistatic tools and HEPA filtration.
3. Targeted Contamination Control Plans
We tailor our cleaning and maintenance schedules to your operational needs, minimising disruption and ensuring ongoing risk reduction.
4. Live Equipment Rack Cleaning (‘Clean-Care’)
Our technicians clean around live systems using patented cleaning agents safe for sensitive electronics – reducing the need for shutdowns.
5. Compliance Reporting & Monitoring
We provide detailed post-clean reports and offer ongoing inspections to help you maintain a safe, high-performance data centre.
Why Choose Australian IT Services?
With over 25 years of experience in critical environments, Australian IT Services is the trusted name in professional data centre cleaning and technical contamination control.
We service clients including major banks, universities, hospitals, councils, and multinationals across Australia.
Our certified team offers:
Nationwide coverage
Security-cleared, uniformed Technical Cleaners
Patented antistatic surfactants
After-hours availability to reduce downtime
Compliance with ISO standards and WHS best practice
When it comes to zinc whiskers, prevention is far more cost-effective than repair. Don’t wait for unexplained equipment failure to uncover the risk.
Best Practice: Proactively Manage Zinc Whiskers
Good data centre hygiene is about more than aesthetics – it’s about protecting performance, uptime, and your bottom line. If you suspect zinc whiskers may be present in your facility, here’s what we recommend:
Schedule a professional zinc whisker inspection to identify contamination risks
Implement routine cleaning of both visible surfaces and sub-floor cavities
Introduce ongoing monitoring and reporting to manage risk long-term
Australian IT Services works closely with your internal IT or facilities team to build sustainable maintenance protocols that align with your equipment warranty, compliance standards, and operational requirements.
Request a Free Zinc Whisker Inspection
Concerned about zinc whiskers in your data centre? Australian IT Services offers free site inspections to help you assess your environment and discuss the best contamination control strategy for your business.
Don’t let an invisible threat compromise your uptime, your data, or your reputation.
Contact us today to book a no-obligation consultation with one of our certified data centre cleaning professionals across metro Australia.
