Bitcoin Forum

This is a Public Service Announcement.

Please do not install ASIC miners in your house without consulting electricians.

Sure, if you have the low hash units like the Jalapenos, Blades, Cubes, etc, you don't have to talk to your local electrician, unless you have more than 10 of these units.

All the new, upcoming miners require kilo-watts of power. Take the example of the Terraminer: it requires you to pull power from 2 separate circuits and will probably require you to upgrade from 15 Amp to 20 Amp. KNC Neptunes require similar power draw and upgrade.

How many people are going to install these potential fire hazard without proper care and understanding? Quite a lot, I'm afraid.

Put your mininer in a garage or shed so the fire cant spread?

Ha, that's not a serious suggestion is it?

it is a serious suggestion , the fire cant spread across concreate can it , it will just burn on the spot and not ignite nothing else, thats if it does get to that stage

Most garages around where I live are made of wood just like a house.

I understand what this OP is saying.  I have 1 usb miner, 2 Jalapenos, 2 BF singles,  1 Linux PC, 1 Windows XP PC, 3 200 Gh/s Avalon Clones, 2 lcd monitors, 1 6 port 10/100 lan switch, 1 24 port 10/100 lan switch  this is all powered on 3 30 amp 110v circuits.  I have 2 more 200 gh/s Avalon clones to get running and these will require connecting to a fourth 30 amp 110v circuit.

I am at my safe limit for that part of my house that is supplied by a 200 amp main.  I am now planning to add another 200 amp service and main with wiring in conduit to my office/work space dedicated to this and additional mining equipment.  I am actually looking at the availability of 3 phase power for the future.

I am a retied RF Engineer (radio engineer) and this type of work fits well with my former occupation.  I worked with large power loads from racks of equipment and high voltage.  Most homes have 15 to 20 amp breakers for the 110v circuits, with only 100 or 150 amp mains.  You should not loads these past 80% capacity as the wiring in the wall can and does get hot causing a fire!

As he stated use caution and consult an electrician if you are not sure on the electrical loading.

Mtnminer

I was watching the news on TV a few days ago, and there was a segment on how it is so much harder to fight fire when the weather's icy cold.

Anyway, it got me thinking. With all the miners ordering these new fangled ASIC hardware at home, there's bound to be at least a few idiots, with dollars signs dancing in their eyes, who cram as many units as they can for maximum profit. They don't plan for electrical load, blinded by greed. Electrical overload happens and fire will consume these idiots' houses.

Authority will catch on to this and will start to put their foot down, banning bitcoin mining at home.

Mark my word, this too shall pass.

The more the better I say  :P

The problem is not with the units, but how you get power to them.

Using underspecified wiring as the OP is suggesting will lead to the wires heating up and in the worst case, melting/shorting/catching fire. And where are these wires coming from? Unless you've a nuclear power station under your shed, they're coming from your house.

Wires without access to air (in conduits, inside walls, etc) are the first to warm up and will be the first to fail.

Disclaimer: not an electrician but good old dad is.

I'm looking for partners for mine in France and don't do it anymore at home because we need more Asics and power supply

Lets add your power draw at 110V:

Singles 280W each x2 = 560W = 5A
Avalon Clone 900W each x5 4500W = 41A
PCs/Switch/LCDs/etc - all combined less than 500W = 5A

AMPS = WATTS/VOLTS

200A at 220V is the same as 400A at 110V.

So you are telling me you need a whole new service ran because you plan to use around 50A out of 400A available?  Do you have a wattmeter?  (my estimates are based off killa-watt readings)

For what its worth I am running ~60A (3TH) of ANTMiners, Bitfury, and Avalons combined on 200A 400A (@ 110v) house service, with five 20A circuits added to the garage.  No problem man no need to worry about adding 15% load to my panel   ;)

Go to a 24 hour truckstop.. plug it there and sleep on a bench...  profit

Hopefully there will be 0 burnt houses!
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=355305.0


Lots of knowledgeable folks here, there are some resident gurus helping in my thread above if you need help.


Zedicus
 

Most people don't have garages.

EFA.


Here in civilisation, we have these cool new things called breakers.  Before that, we had fuses.  They're these things that go in a box where the electrickery comes in to the house, and they stop the wiring getting overloaded.

Perhaps you should investigate getting some?  ::)

I have a miner friend who almost burned down his house twice. One time the wire burned and fell on the yard setting the grass on fire. He finally had to get commercial wiring. 

I know that this may seem like scaremongering, but it is a legitimate concern: overloading and causing a fire is a horrible thing. However, in most cases, unless your house hasn't been retrofitted for a long time, you're probably safe; in essence, if you have a breaker your risk goes down significantly.

And as mentioned already; there is a lot of informed and experienced members on this forum, and that in and of itself cuts down risk significantly too.

Now if you're running a whole bunch of high-powered miners, that's a different story. But at that point, if you're investing that much money you'd be stupid to not do any research and the sort.

Edit: the correct word is your, not you're. Gah...

I guess 23.

it is very simple to put a 14.9A continuous load on a 15A breaker intended for residential purposes and still burn the wiring and the house down since wiring is only rated for 80% continuous loads...its a perfect storm actually.

actualy it is interesting opinion, should be resolved with future miners (maybe)

Why don't you guys just buy gas powered generators?

Why would anyone do that?  ::)

Why not?

Is that like the Fire Departments/local code enforcement banning indoor use of gas/charcoal grills for heating and yet every year tens of people die of CO poisoning. Stupid is as stupid does.

Ever done the math?

If that would ever happen in a modern building you should probably fire your electrician, if your breakers has the same maximum rating as your wiring you are doing it wrong.

Nah, the chances of burning your house is really low unless your house is like 20 years old..

When the 110V-part of the world burns due to mining, the 220-250V-part gonna win  :D

Why are you advising people to connect a dangerous number of miners in their home?

2-3 ASICs cannot burn your house. 40 Gigabyte videocards can  ;D

The max rating is less than the continuous rating.  Or you'd never be able to start your AC.

Depending on what else you have on the breaker 3 oc'd antminers on a single 15A breaker might burn your house down...4 for sure will.

I look through the pics thread and am aghast at what I see.  How do people think some of that is OK?

Let me clarify then, if your breaker has a rating higher than the continuous load rating of your wiring you are doing it wrong.


It's not sub 0,5S loads we are talking about.

Also, be careful with the PCI-E cables running from the power supplies to some of the ASIC miners. Some of the PC cables can run very hot, especially if you bundle them together in loom or tightly wrap them. Best bet is to move your equipment to somewhere safe and outside of a home.

I'm just thinking about it.

The cost would be half with the generator and with the hot side you can solve the cooling.

But it's a high investment, I'll wait a few months with that to see what will happen on the asic market.

Do you really think it will be worth trying ?

Here where I live yes.

Just need a good contract for commercial gas source. But it's not the small ball game. It's about 100-150 kw.... That means for example 300-350 antminers to run....

Ye but my whole point is that turning on something that causes a load spike for 0,5s will not burn up your wiring in this case.

Alright if I say it like this then, If your breaker allows for a high enough continuous load to damage your wiring, let alone start a fire you should probably redo your wiring or downgrade the breakers. Like if they allow for that one of the biggest damn points of even having them installed is removed, might as well go back the the early 1900s.

As long as you are not maxing out a cable you should be safe.

If they are going to invest that much to that i am sure they will know the basic and the cooler system

Check the fuse and electric box every few days and nothing would happen.