Precision cooling units have a long service life, so plenty of Australian data centres, server rooms, switch rooms and comms rooms are still running CRAC (computer room air conditioning) units from brands that have been rebadged, merged or discontinued. If your nameplate reads Atlas, Hiross, Liebert or Bluebox and your usual contractor has told you the unit is too old to support, you have not run out of options. Indigi Power and Cooling maintains, repairs and re-parts these legacy units, and can design a modern replacement when the economics finally tip that way.

A legacy CRAC unit that still holds temperature and humidity is worth keeping alive, because a full precision cooling replacement is a significant project. The risk is that a single unavailable compressor, fan, valve or controller board turns a repairable unit into an emergency. Indigi carries and cross-references spare parts across the major precision cooling platforms, so an ageing Liebert, Hiross, Atlas or Bluebox unit can usually be recommissioned rather than written off. Where a unit truly is beyond economic repair, we quote a staged replacement that keeps the room cool during changeover.

Legacy precision cooling brands we still service

Service, spare parts or replacement

Whatever the nameplate, there are three ways Indigi keeps a legacy precision cooling room reliable. Most sites use a combination: scheduled maintenance to hold the line, spare parts to fix faults, and a replacement plan for the units that are past economic repair.

The hardest part of supporting an obsolete CRAC unit is parts, not labour. When an original equipment part is discontinued, Indigi cross-references it to a current equivalent, because precision cooling platforms share many common components: EC fan motors, electronic expansion valves, temperature and humidity sensors, pressure transducers, contactors and humidifier cylinders are frequently interchangeable across brands and generations. Controller boards and compressors are the two items most likely to force a replacement decision, so we check their availability first when we assess a legacy unit. This is why a Liebert, Hiross, Atlas or Bluebox unit that one contractor calls unsupportable can often be returned to service by another that carries and cross-references stock. We also keep a record of the parts fitted to your units, so the next fault is quicker to resolve and you can budget for the components most likely to fail next.

When to service and when to replace a legacy CRAC unit

There is no single age at which a precision cooling unit must be retired, but the following signs suggest it is time to plan a replacement rather than keep repairing:

• Repeated faults on the same system, or two or more repairs in a year.
• A critical part, such as a compressor or controller, is genuinely unavailable with no cross-reference.
• The unit uses a phased-out refrigerant that is expensive or restricted to top up.
• Rising energy use compared with a modern EC-fan, variable-capacity unit.
• The room load has grown and the legacy unit can no longer hold ASHRAE conditions.
• No redundancy, so a single failure means an outage for the IT load.

If none of these apply, scheduled maintenance is almost always the cheaper path. Indigi assesses the unit, gives you an honest view of remaining life, and lets you decide. Use our CRAC topology selector and server room heat load calculator to scope a replacement, or read the CRAC unit maintenance services hub for what a service visit includes.

Legacy CRAC service across Australia

Indigi Power and Cooling services legacy precision cooling units from hubs in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, with national reach for scheduled maintenance and breakdown response.

Frequently asked questions

What is a CRAC unit?

CRAC stands for computer room air conditioner. It is a precision cooling unit that controls temperature and humidity in a data centre, server room or comms room to tight tolerances, typically the ASHRAE recommended range, far more accurately than comfort air conditioning. Atlas, Hiross, Liebert and Bluebox are all precision cooling brands.

Can you still service a discontinued Liebert or Hiross unit?

Yes. Indigi maintains and repairs legacy Liebert and Hiross precision cooling units even where the model is no longer on the Vertiv price list. We source or cross-reference parts such as fans, valves, sensors and controller boards, and only recommend replacement when a unit is genuinely beyond economic repair.

My precision cooling brand no longer exists. Can it be repaired?

Usually, yes. Brands like Atlas and Hiross were merged into larger ranges, and Bluebox parts can often be substituted with current equivalents. Precision cooling units share common components across platforms, so a skilled contractor can keep an orphaned unit running with cross-referenced parts.

Should I repair my old CRAC unit or replace it?

Repair is usually cheaper while parts are available and the unit still holds set point. Replace when faults repeat, a critical part is unavailable, the refrigerant is phased out, energy use is high, or the room load has outgrown the unit. Indigi assesses the unit and gives you an honest recommendation.

Do you supply spare parts for legacy precision cooling units?

Yes. We source original and cross-referenced spare parts for Liebert, Hiross, Atlas and Bluebox units, including compressors, EC fan motors, expansion valves, sensors, humidifier cylinders and controller boards. See our Liebert CRAC spare parts page for the precision cooling components we stock and source.

Can you replace a legacy CRAC unit without shutting the room down?

In most rooms, yes. Where there is spare cooling or space for a temporary unit, we stage the changeover so the IT load stays within ASHRAE conditions throughout. Indigi designs the replacement, plans the sequence and commissions the new unit before decommissioning the old one.

Related services

• CRAC unit maintenance services hub for what a service visit covers.
• Liebert CRAC spare parts and precision cooling components.
• DX CRAC servicing, CDW CRAC servicing and CHW CRAC maintenance.
• CRAC installation and commissioning for a modern replacement.
• Server room cooling and server room UPS and cooling.