Residential Hobbyist Miners: power concerns?

[rhj12345]

Every time I add a new piece I monitor it and all associated connections very closely for at least the first few hours.  You can do everything right and still get a bad board, etc.
Watch your connections.  Don't over split!
Heat is your #1 enemy.  If something is running abnormally hot there is a reason for it!  It will not just go away!

You are a smart person! I am the same way when it comes to mining.

1 Had a qualified Electrician add 6 20 amp circuits in my garage. Cost was $1100, really only $600 as I built his website for $500.
2 Added north and south wall vents for airflow. With added fans the heat dropped by almost half.
3 All 19 S1 units are on a restaurant type metal rack, great for airflow. Every unit has an extra fan for overclocking.
4 Every unit I get in is tested for 24 hours and sits on a metal plate for that testing duration, before being added to the farm.
5 I use CGRemote software so I can see temps anytime I want and it will send me an email if any units go offline.
6 My wife knows where all of the breakers are and how to shut down the power to the whole house if I am not home.

For most this is a hobby, but we don't need to burn down our house doing it.

Safety first!!!

Hope this helps.
Rob

You replied right before I did... great post.  You added extra circuits - a similar suggestion to what DeathAndTaxes made earlier.  19 S1s... nice garage setup

Thanks! Really hoping to NOT see any issues with heat as this will be my first summer with my full ant farm. I don't want to add air conditioning to my garage so I added an exhaust fan and vent to the east side gable, another fan above the ant farm rack and exhausting heat to that exhaust fan. Another fan on the floor pointed up to push the air past the front of the rack (all ant's exhaust to the front) up and out the gable fan. With the other two fans bringing in cool air from the north always shaded side and exhausting air to the south always sunny side, I hope to mitigate any problems and run 24/7. Best thing about a garage setup is when I am here I just open the garage door and everything stays nice and cool without turning on the fans.

I do have a question for anybody. My units run between a low of 26c to a high of 62 c. Most stay around 58 c. I experienced a shutdown of a few when they hit 72 c. After adding fans and vents; none ever go that high.

Question: What temp do most of you on average see as a good operating temperature for your S1's?

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[KaChingCoinDev]

Hobbyist mining altcoins.

Had 4 rigs of about 1400kh each, sold 1 and down to 3 rigs. Lost a ton of $ due to Scrypt ASIC

Isn't it still profitable with GPU mining x11 due to the power saving? I am currently mining on groest

Barely, I used to make 0.01 BTC a day per rig after electric, even mining X11, I am at 0.003 BTC a day. Each rig cost $1000, so not really

[Aureum_Coffee]

Question: What temp do most of you on average see as a good operating temperature for your S1's?

The highest I've ever seen on the S1 Miner status is 58.  So that's a good operating temperature for me.

[philipma1957]

I will chime in.  I was an audio freak. So in the 1990's I put in lots of wiring in my home. (Who knew)

I live in Howell NJ USA.  My home was built during the Vietnam War around 1971.  The USA had a copper shortage and some homes in and about the country were built with aluminum wiring not copper.  This turned out to be a big fire hazard and many home owners had to retro fit the wire to copper or use special (magic for lack of a better word) outlets that secured the aluminum wire to the out correctly.

  New Jersey has the best state laws for wiring you own home..  No electrician is needed or required  as long as it is your home that you live in.  Just go to your town hall and pull the permits.

So I pulled the permits and pulled every fucking piece of shit aluminum wire out of the house. I replaced every wire with copper  and I put in 6 extra circuits for home theater and gear in the shop.

I was afraid to do any 220 wiring so only my central ac is 220.  It was the only copper wire in the house.

I did call in an electrician to pull the 100 amp service and upgrade to a 150amp service.

All my circuits use 10 gauge not 12 gauge. Over fucking kill  but when you do all the labor yourself well before copper got expensive why not.

So my garage has 6 separate circuits .  One is for the furnace /ac fan. One is for the ac compressor the only 220.

  The other 4 can all be 20amp  120 volt since they are 10 gauge, but they are all 15amp breakers.

I can run  4 x 1440 = 5760 watts 24/7/365 no issues or worries.   About wire overload.  I do push to 4500 watts in the winter.  When it is hot I go down to  2400 or 2000 watts.

Right now 6 ants pulling 2400 watts hashing 1.2th  seventh one comes today.  A 12 piece gridseed & 30gh btc  in  usb sticks  pulls 180 watts.
  so 2600 plus 400 when I setup my seventh will have me at 3000 watts.


I will lower that to 2000 watts when the heat is too much by undervolt and under clock.

 I only buy good psu's with long warranties.

Evga 1300 watt super nova with 10 year warranty
Seasonic 1000 plat with 7 year warranty
seasonic 1200 plat with 7 year warranty
seasonic 760 plat with 7 year warranty

my cheap psu is  this

 http://www.antec.com/product.php?id=704513&fid=11

Since I am going long term

fuck the loud cheap power hunger dell server shit shock hazard garbage purchased second hand on ebay

All my gear is shock resistant and safer.
 All my psu's have worth beyond mining.
All my psu's get better power ratings then the dell's


Now if you wire your gear with 220 volt  please ignore my rant about the dells as they do better with 220 volt power.

[Lucky7Gaming]

I live in Hopewell NJ and I have a 200 amp breaker box just for my basement that I can use for just mining.  Planning to get more antminers

[jonnybravo0311]

Alright... seriously, what is it with the inordinate amount of NJ dwellers here?  LOL... I'm also in Jersey (down south by Philly).

[fattypig]

Hobbyist mining altcoins.

Had 4 rigs of about 1400kh each, sold 1 and down to 3 rigs. Lost a ton of $ due to Scrypt ASIC

Isn't it still profitable with GPU mining x11 due to the power saving? I am currently mining on groest

Barely, I used to make 0.01 BTC a day per rig after electric, even mining X11, I am at 0.003 BTC a day. Each rig cost $1000, so not really

But you are still profitable right? I mean if you mine on scrypt you might loss instead due to the power charges...

[xjack]

Good topic, thanks OP.

I'm infrequently running a compressor and welder on 240v NEMA 6-50 in the garage, so I'm thinking of garaging my miners.

Can anyone comment on any problems or risks with this crazy scheme?

240v 40A at the panel -> 50Amp Nema 6-50 -> Adapter Cable -> NEMA L6-30 -> PDU (15Ax2)

Could/should I run a 110v stepdown transformer for the little stuff?

[aasl]

I feel it very unsafe to put a kilowatt-class electricity consumer at home. the elec current is too large. main-stream mining machines are not suitable for mining in house...

[DeathAndTaxes]

I'm infrequently running a compressor and welder on 240v NEMA 6-50 in the garage, so I'm thinking of garaging my miners.

You sure it is NEMA 6-50?  That outlet is pretty much obsolete.

Can anyone comment on any problems or risks with this crazy scheme?

240v 40A at the panel -> 50Amp Nema 6-50 -> Adapter Cable -> NEMA L6-30 -> PDU (15Ax2)

The NEC requires the breaker be sized to the outlet and circuit (so it should be a 50A breaker on a 50A circuit).

There would be no issue with doing that but you don't need an adapter.  The outlets are designed to be backwards compatible.  You can plug a 20, 30, or 50A plug into a 50A outlet.  They are just keyed to prevent the reverse (can't plug in a 30A plug into a 20A outlet).  Lastly usable power on PDU is going to be 24A not 30A as continual loads should be derated 20%.  Most PDU will have a 24A internal fuse/breaker.

Could/should I run a 110v stepdown transformer for the little stuff?

I would run the little stuff on 240V as well (just check power supply label to ensure it is universal 120V to 240V).

[xjack]

I'm infrequently running a compressor and welder on 240v NEMA 6-50 in the garage, so I'm thinking of garaging my miners.

You sure it is NEMA 6-50?  That outlet is pretty much obsolete.

Can anyone comment on any problems or risks with this crazy scheme?

240v 40A at the panel -> 50Amp Nema 6-50 -> Adapter Cable -> NEMA L6-30 -> PDU (15Ax2)

The NEC requires the breaker be sized to the outlet and circuit (so it should be a 50A breaker on a 50A circuit).

There would be no issue with doing that but you don't need an adapter.  The outlets are designed to be backwards compatible.  You can plug a 20, 30, or 50A plug into a 50A outlet.  They are just keyed to prevent the reverse (can't plug in a 30A plug into a 20A outlet).  Lastly usable power on PDU is going to be 24A not 30A as continual loads should be derated 20%.  Most PDU will have a 24A internal fuse/breaker.

Could/should I run a 110v stepdown transformer for the little stuff?

I would run the little stuff on 240V as well (just check power supply label to ensure it is universal 120V to 240V).

Thanks for your input, confirms my understanding of this.

Definitely a 6-50.  I had it done that way since the outlet was cheaper and then I didn't have to change the ends on the compressor or welder.  Compressor is 25amp startup, Welder is 30 and only one outlet so no running them together.

I don't know why the electrician put in 40A.  Maybe he was trying to keep it safe for what I planned on running?

Probably will do a used AP7911, total draw about 15Amps (across both channels, of course).

Thanks for the info on plug ends, I'm looking at some EV charging adapters since I can't plug an L6 into the 6-50. 

I'm in a catch-22, I can't lose the 6-50 because the L6-30 receptacle and plug ends are $60, the nicely molded EV adapter is $25. LOL

May need to drop a 110 in there or find some new power adapters for the couple small devices.

[DeathAndTaxes]

Ah I didn't catch that it was a straight plug, I just assumed it was a locking connector.  You could always cut the L6-30 plug off the end of the PDU and replace it with a non locking 6-30.  Personally with that kind of amperage I don't like the idea of a non-locking connector.  If something pulls the cable out under load, you got enough current for an arc.  Still it isn't a violation of the code to use straight plug connectors,  locking connectors are only required for high voltage.  The straight connectors are also down current compatible (i.e. 30A plug will fit 50A outlet). 

If you are willing to bend code compliance there are other options but I am not sure if they would be any cheaper.

[xjack]

Ah I didn't catch that it was a straight plug, I just assumed it was a locking connector.  You could always cut the L6-30 plug off the end of the PDU and replace it with a non locking 6-30.  Personally with that kind of amperage I don't like the idea of a non-locking connector.  If something pulls the cable out under load, you got enough current for an arc.  Still it isn't a violation of the code to use straight plug connectors,  locking connectors are only required for high voltage.  The straight connectors are also down current compatible (i.e. 30A plug will fit 50A outlet). 

If you are willing to bend code compliance there are other options but I am not sure if they would be any cheaper.

Not willing to risk safety or have to change something later to sell the place.  I'll secure all connections sufficiently.  Thanks for your your info!

[jodybay]

the mining set up whom im currently hosting is on my other room its 3 s1 plugged on 3 different psu i need to put a breaker circuit about 60 amp so its safe i guess there is no ther electricity over there only the aircon and the some mini exhaust fan

[aasl]

how much is the maximum elec current in household?

[jodybay]

how much is the maximum elec current in household?

i think its depend on how many electric appliances are running in your house

[aasl]

how much is the maximum elec current in household?

i think its depend on how many electric appliances are running in your house

there should be an upper limit for maximum usage, right?

[jodybay]

how much is the maximum elec current in household?

i think its depend on how many electric appliances are running in your house

there should be an upper limit for maximum usage, right?

yes of course there is

[DeathAndTaxes]

how much is the maximum elec current in household?

i think its depend on how many electric appliances are running in your house

there should be an upper limit for maximum usage, right?

The limit for the entire house is based on the service (connection to the utility) that you have.  In the US this can vary a lot.  Generally older homes and smaller homes it is lower and for newer homes especially larger newer homes it is higher.  It can range anywhere from 75A to 200A.  Today most newly constructed homes are setup with 100A to 150A.  This is often not that easy to find.  You may be able to find it on the outside meter.  If your circuit breaker panel has a master breaker then the rating on the master breaker may let you know the service.  I say may because often these can be mismatched.  I have seen 200A breakers on a 150A service connection (that is a code violation btw and dangerous) and I have also seen cheaper builders which install a 100A panel when the utility dropped a 150A service connection because a 100A panel is $12 cheaper than a 150A one (this is not a code violation but it is horribly cheap).  If your panel has no master breaker (usually at the top center of panel) and it isn't indicated on the meter you can call your utility.

Obviously this is the max current for the entire house.  Your usable current for mining will be that minus whatever your house uses on peak load.  You can simulate it by turning on the AC, lights, and other appliances.  Then check how fast the utility meter "spins" to determine the total house load (current).  You could also use a multimeter to check the current across the main lugs on the breaker panel.  The later should not be done unless you know what you are doing and have the proper equipment.  Electricity can kill without warning.

[aasl]

how much is the maximum elec current in household?

i think its depend on how many electric appliances are running in your house

there should be an upper limit for maximum usage, right?

yes of course there is

and the amount is? I am curious how much mining rigs can put in the house