Does a dirty Data Center contribute to heat stress on server equipment?

The answer is absolutely yes! Dirt and dust is deposited over boards from the incoming cooling air and is deposited like a blanket over the boards. This dirt and dust can clog air passages under chips blocking vital cooling passages. This makes cooling the servers much more difficult and if this is already a hotspot or trouble area, then it further amplifies the heat load. The Uptime Institute states that for every 10 degree raise in temperature above recommended limits the MTBF (Mean time between failures) will be reduced by 50%.