Are asic miners really as effective as heaters for the winter?

[CryptoPanda]

The popular opinion seems to be that all the power than an asic miner consumes ends as heat, so they are as effective for heating as a heater.
So, if you are going to pay for that electricity anyway, better put it through a miner, so you offset some of the cost with the bitcoins it makes.

Is that really the case though? Are they as effective at producing warm as the conventional stuff and which ones? Since there are many types of home heating devices, each with different effeciency.

[DrG]

While they can provide heat, miners have 4 drawbacks:
1) usually no on/off switch
2) not child or pet friendly usually
3) not as cheap as natural gas in some areas for heating
4) Most importantly - hot PCBs and components give off VOCs that pollute the air - these are known carcinogens.  1 miner running 24/7 probably is no worse than new carpet.  Having a farm running in a house with no fresh air could cause permanent detrimental health effects.

[finlof]

depending on where you live gas heat may be more efficient.  but if you are using space heaters then it's basically the same.  as suggested the miners convert almost 100% of the electricity used to heat.  so if you have a miner that uses 1000w it is basically the same as a 1000w space heater, except it also mines bitcoin while on.  if you need something that is temperature controlled and only heats the room up to a certain temp i am sure someone will create a rasp-pi image that will interface with certain miners and turn on/off or change clock speeds/turn off modules to do just that.  i also dream of a miner-heated water heater.

[btckold24]

I have an s2 and 2x s1 in my office and its very warm in there. I will not need a heater thats for sure and have to use fans and open windows in the summer

[DrG]

While they can provide heat, miners have 4 drawbacks:
1) usually no on/off switch
2) not child or pet friendly usually
3) not as cheap as natural gas in some areas for heating
4) Most importantly - hot PCBs and components give off VOCs that pollute the air - these are known carcinogens.  1 miner running 24/7 probably is no worse than new carpet.  Having a farm running in a house with no fresh air could cause permanent detrimental health effects.

4) can be solved by an air purifer if you are concerned about VOCs.

Home air purifiers will not filter out the dangerous VOCs.  They can ionize and capture free ionized elemental particles - they will not filter out VOCs.  You would need a scrubber like those found in respirators or activated filters.

The only solution to this is constantly bringing in clean outside air.  The self contained oil based space heaters don't emit much outside of their metal housing.

[philipma1957]

While they can provide heat, miners have 4 drawbacks:
1) usually no on/off switch
2) not child or pet friendly usually
3) not as cheap as natural gas in some areas for heating
4) Most importantly - hot PCBs and components give off VOCs that pollute the air - these are known carcinogens.  1 miner running 24/7 probably is no worse than new carpet.  Having a farm running in a house with no fresh air could cause permanent detrimental health effects.

4) can be solved by an air purifer if you are concerned about VOCs.

Home air purifiers will not filter out the dangerous VOCs.  They can ionize and capture free ionized elemental particles - they will not filter out VOCs.  You would need a scrubber like those found in respirators or activated filters.

The only solution to this is constantly bringing in clean outside air.  The self contained oil based space heaters don't emit much outside of their metal housing.

you are not correct. most air filters won't do the job .   but as a life long asthmatic   these will do everything there is.

http://www.iqair.com/home-air-purifiers/gcmultigas/

http://www.iqair.com/support/replacementfilters


I also have not 1 not 2 but 3 of them.  better then using the inhalers .  swapping out the 3 units  filters cost me about 1k a year.

ionizers are not for asthmatics as they are very irritating  for us.

I watch a demo of a guy in a sealed room with a can of tear gas setoff and a gas mask.  they rolled this into the room and in 5 minutes the room cleared from the tear gas.  this and another company  blue something are far and above normal home use air filters.

[DrG]

While they can provide heat, miners have 4 drawbacks:
1) usually no on/off switch
2) not child or pet friendly usually
3) not as cheap as natural gas in some areas for heating
4) Most importantly - hot PCBs and components give off VOCs that pollute the air - these are known carcinogens.  1 miner running 24/7 probably is no worse than new carpet.  Having a farm running in a house with no fresh air could cause permanent detrimental health effects.

4) can be solved by an air purifer if you are concerned about VOCs.

Home air purifiers will not filter out the dangerous VOCs.  They can ionize and capture free ionized elemental particles - they will not filter out VOCs.  You would need a scrubber like those found in respirators or activated filters.

The only solution to this is constantly bringing in clean outside air.  The self contained oil based space heaters don't emit much outside of their metal housing.

you are not correct. most air filters won't do the job .   but as a life long asthmatic   these will do everything there is.

http://www.iqair.com/home-air-purifiers/gcmultigas/

http://www.iqair.com/support/replacementfilters


I also have not 1 not 2 but 3 of them.  better then using the inhalers .  swapping out the 3 units  filters cost me about 1k a year.

ionizers are not for asthmatics as they are very irritating  for us.

I watch a demo of a guy in a sealed room with a can of tear gas setoff and a gas mask.  they rolled this into the room and in 5 minutes the room cleared from the tear gas.  this and another company  blue something are far and above normal home use air filters.

That's because those are scrubbers!  Those are not the typical $200 home air filters that people buy from Holmes, Oreck or seen on HSN. They are using not only activated charcoal but also potassium permanganate.

I put on a hazmat suit for LA County every 2 months and I also have class 1 asthma. I know my VOCs since I have to update the MSDS for the hospital's emergency response.  I had to update it when we do construction and they're using blowtorches or welding equipment, doing ductwork or opening the walls.

I posted about VOCs multiple times since 2011 when I started mining and began worry about them.  After lots of research and contacting people in the field I have come to the realization there is nothing you can do about some of the VOCs other than ventilation.  Anything that is fat soluable will enter and capture into your body just as fast as it is trapped by the filter.

Check out this - look at page 29.  4 of those cannot be filtered even with conventional scrubbers http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDEQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.arb.ca.gov%2Fresearch%2Fseminars%2Fmckone%2Fmckone.pdf&ei=4WX9U-yqAoiEiwLb_YGwDw&usg=AFQjCNEHfbHpx-BzUSRjdcMVva4z7wg5Bg&sig2=wQgsF8EMrsLpbn9P6tMZyQ&bvm=bv.74035653,d.cGE

[BTCmaster3]

The popular opinion seems to be that all the power than an asic miner consumes ends as heat, so they are as effective for heating as a heater.
So, if you are going to pay for that electricity anyway, better put it through a miner, so you offset some of the cost with the bitcoins it makes.

Is that really the case though? Are they as effective at producing warm as the conventional stuff and which ones? Since there are many types of home heating devices, each with different effeciency.

Yes, I believe it is as effective as heaters unless you are using gas or wood.

[CryptoPanda]

Ok, so we have use for those spare miners that would stop being profitable quite soon.

But what about AC? I suppose ACs are much more effecient in warming up a room compared to conventional heater?

[TheJohn]

Ok, so we have use for those spare miners that would stop being profitable quite soon.

But what about AC? I suppose ACs are much more effecient in warming up a room compared to conventional heater?

The BTU heat generated should be the same since they consume the same energy.

[DrG]

While they can provide heat, miners have 4 drawbacks:
1) usually no on/off switch
2) not child or pet friendly usually
3) not as cheap as natural gas in some areas for heating
4) Most importantly - hot PCBs and components give off VOCs that pollute the air - these are known carcinogens.  1 miner running 24/7 probably is no worse than new carpet.  Having a farm running in a house with no fresh air could cause permanent detrimental health effects.

4) can be solved by an air purifer if you are concerned about VOCs.

Home air purifiers will not filter out the dangerous VOCs.  They can ionize and capture free ionized elemental particles - they will not filter out VOCs.  You would need a scrubber like those found in respirators or activated filters.

The only solution to this is constantly bringing in clean outside air.  The self contained oil based space heaters don't emit much outside of their metal housing.

This claims to do it, http://www.airocide.com/airocide-air-purifier/
"Eliminate virtually 100% of your home’s Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)." I don't know how true it is but thats what they claim.

Haha, what a load of crap.  $800 and $400 of that is spent on looks.  You can tell from the website it's advertising to the same people who buy Bose or Beats audio.

"fumes from household chemicals (VOCs) and slows them down, dispersing them across a densely packed matrix of hollow glass tubes. As they contact this catalytic surface they are broken down at a molecular level – the catalyst strips away their carbon atoms until the organics are destroyed"

I would like to know what manner of magic they're using to do this.  Anyone who has taken basic organic chemistry knows this can't happen.  Yeah like this thing is going to destroy benzene and toluene.

I think we found the BFL of air purifiers.

[DrG]

Just found this and read it beginning to end.  Judging from their CEO being a former bankster, I guess I wasn't too far off calling them the BFL of air purifiers.

http://www.air-purifier-power.com/airocidereview.html

[t3xasdolly]

While they can provide heat, miners have 4 drawbacks:
1) usually no on/off switch
2) not child or pet friendly usually
3) not as cheap as natural gas in some areas for heating
4) Most importantly - hot PCBs and components give off VOCs that pollute the air - these are known carcinogens.  1 miner running 24/7 probably is no worse than new carpet.  Having a farm running in a house with no fresh air could cause permanent detrimental health effects.

4) can be solved by an air purifer if you are concerned about VOCs.

Home air purifiers will not filter out the dangerous VOCs.  They can ionize and capture free ionized elemental particles - they will not filter out VOCs.  You would need a scrubber like those found in respirators or activated filters.

The only solution to this is constantly bringing in clean outside air.  The self contained oil based space heaters don't emit much outside of their metal housing.

You can put the mining device to the tank with mineral oil. This way, any VOCs released should be in mineral oil only.

[DrG]

While they can provide heat, miners have 4 drawbacks:
1) usually no on/off switch
2) not child or pet friendly usually
3) not as cheap as natural gas in some areas for heating
4) Most importantly - hot PCBs and components give off VOCs that pollute the air - these are known carcinogens.  1 miner running 24/7 probably is no worse than new carpet.  Having a farm running in a house with no fresh air could cause permanent detrimental health effects.

4) can be solved by an air purifer if you are concerned about VOCs.

Home air purifiers will not filter out the dangerous VOCs.  They can ionize and capture free ionized elemental particles - they will not filter out VOCs.  You would need a scrubber like those found in respirators or activated filters.

The only solution to this is constantly bringing in clean outside air.  The self contained oil based space heaters don't emit much outside of their metal housing.

You can put the mining device to the tank with mineral oil. This way, any VOCs released should be in mineral oil only.

While the specific heat of mineral oil is high it would require pumps to circulate heat.

What would be a good way to use the latent heat would be to use a heat exchanger and transfer the heat via water or oil to the housing area where it is needed.  This would require a little energy but then the concerns about VOCs would be eliminated.

[Kimowa]

While they can provide heat, miners have 4 drawbacks:
1) usually no on/off switch
2) not child or pet friendly usually
3) not as cheap as natural gas in some areas for heating
4) Most importantly - hot PCBs and components give off VOCs that pollute the air - these are known carcinogens.  1 miner running 24/7 probably is no worse than new carpet.  Having a farm running in a house with no fresh air could cause permanent detrimental health effects.

4) can be solved by an air purifer if you are concerned about VOCs.

Home air purifiers will not filter out the dangerous VOCs.  They can ionize and capture free ionized elemental particles - they will not filter out VOCs.  You would need a scrubber like those found in respirators or activated filters.

The only solution to this is constantly bringing in clean outside air.  The self contained oil based space heaters don't emit much outside of their metal housing.

You can put the mining device to the tank with mineral oil. This way, any VOCs released should be in mineral oil only.

While the specific heat of mineral oil is high it would require pumps to circulate heat.

What would be a good way to use the latent heat would be to use a heat exchanger and transfer the heat via water or oil to the housing area where it is needed.  This would require a little energy but then the concerns about VOCs would be eliminated.

Sounds good, but that would incur a lot of renovation cost to modified the house.

[CryptoPanda]

It's decided then, this winter I'll be using 2 ants to keep it warm. Will see how it goes

[Radi777]

While they can provide heat, miners have 4 drawbacks:
1) usually no on/off switch
2) not child or pet friendly usually
3) not as cheap as natural gas in some areas for heating
4) Most importantly - hot PCBs and components give off VOCs that pollute the air - these are known carcinogens.  1 miner running 24/7 probably is no worse than new carpet.  Having a farm running in a house with no fresh air could cause permanent detrimental health effects.

4) can be solved by an air purifer if you are concerned about VOCs.

Home air purifiers will not filter out the dangerous VOCs.  They can ionize and capture free ionized elemental particles - they will not filter out VOCs.  You would need a scrubber like those found in respirators or activated filters.

The only solution to this is constantly bringing in clean outside air.  The self contained oil based space heaters don't emit much outside of their metal housing.

This claims to do it, http://www.airocide.com/airocide-air-purifier/
"Eliminate virtually 100% of your home’s Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)." I don't know how true it is but thats what they claim.

Haha, what a load of crap.  $800 and $400 of that is spent on looks.  You can tell from the website it's advertising to the same people who buy Bose or Beats audio.

"fumes from household chemicals (VOCs) and slows them down, dispersing them across a densely packed matrix of hollow glass tubes. As they contact this catalytic surface they are broken down at a molecular level – the catalyst strips away their carbon atoms until the organics are destroyed"

I would like to know what manner of magic they're using to do this.  Anyone who has taken basic organic chemistry knows this can't happen.  Yeah like this thing is going to destroy benzene and toluene.

I think we found the BFL of air purifiers.

Organic Chemistry is awesome!

[grn]

I would like to know what manner of magic they're using to do this.  Anyone who has taken basic organic chemistry knows this can't happen.  Yeah like this thing is going to destroy benzene and toluene.

I think we found the BFL of air purifiers.

Ozone would be the appropriate magic.

[DrG]

I would like to know what manner of magic they're using to do this.  Anyone who has taken basic organic chemistry knows this can't happen.  Yeah like this thing is going to destroy benzene and toluene.

I think we found the BFL of air purifiers.

Ozone would be the appropriate magic.

Ozone?  Really?  Care to explain what kind of reaction ozone would do to benzene?  It's an oxidation free radical, not a plasma cannon.

I can think of lots of catalyst more reactive than ozone.