Power Distribution Guide for Home Mining
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Anyone Can Mine at Home
Getting started with mining is a daunting task especially when faced with considerations of electricity costs, power distribution, heat management, noise management, and mining pool selection to name a few. Of these considerations, electrical power distribution is the most dangerous and least understood.
We hope to provide anyone who wants to mine at home with the electrical knowledge required to get started as quickly and as safely as possible.
This guide is organized into two sections.
Section #1: Quick Start Guide includes a recommendation for the electrical setup and covers the basic checks required for getting miners up and running.
Section #2: Frequently Asked Questions include answers to common questions, such as "What are the benefits of PDUs?". Sneak Peak: Real-time mining rewards displayed on a SynLink PDU (Learn More)
Power Distribution Guide for Home Mining
Section #1: Quick Start Guide
Electrical Setup Recommendation
If you have the choice, we recommend mining on 20A or 30A rated, 240V circuits with matching receptacles. If you don't have this available and installing circuits isn't an option, don't worry! Some ASIC miners can run on 120V, which is standard for most homes in North America (FAQ Q3: Can I mine on a standard 120V wall outlet?).
Our preferred setup is 240V/20A circuits. This setup requires double-pole circuit breakers (20A rated), 12 AWG wires, and duplex outlets with NEMA 6-20R receptacles.
Duplex NEMA 6-20R
If the panel is short on space, go with 240V/30A circuits. This setup requires double-pole circuit breakers (30A rated), 10 AWG wires, L6-30R receptacles, and UL listed PDUs equipped with L6-30P plugs (FAQ Q8: Why are PDUs necessary for 30A+ circuits?).
NEMA L6-30R (Twist Lock)
The tradeoffs between 20A or 30A circuits are further discussed in FAQ Q4.
Whether you go with our recommendations or not, the following quick start guide will help you make sure each component in your electrical setup will be operating within safe limits. We will walk through examples and point out considerations that need to be made along the way.
Step #1. Calculate the max current demand for each miner.
Work in terms of current (amps) when planning installation of new miners. This simplifies capacity planning because all circuit breakers, electrical wire, outlet receptacles, power distribution units, and power cords are rated in amps.
Start by referencing the user manual for your ASIC miner to find the maximum power consumption in Watts. Then convert Watts to Amps to calculate the worst case current demand. The Watts to Amps conversion depends on the Voltage supplied to the miner.
Current (Amps) = Power (Watts) / Voltage (Volts)
The most common residential voltages in North America are ~120V and ~240V (FAQ Q2: What is the difference between 110V, 115V, 120V, 220V, 230V, 240V?). A miner consuming 1200W will draw 10A on 120V and only 5A on 240V. Higher voltages can provide the same power with less current, allowing more miners to be powered on the same circuit.
Note, some new gen miners require two power inputs. The current draw is shared across the two inputs. For example, if the total current demand of a dual input miner is 14A, each input will only draw approximately 7A of current.
Resources
Antminer Specs Link : Click on your miner and search "Power consumption" or "power on wall" to get the max watts.
WhatsMiner Guides Link : Download the Operation Guide for your miner and search "Power:" to get the max watts. Typically located on the first few pages.
Examples
Example #1
Single power input Antminer S9 with 14T hash rate.
Max Power (Watts) @ 14T = 1400W + 12% = 1568W
Current Demand @ 240V = 1568W / 240V = 6.5A
Current Demand @ 120V = 1568W / 120V = 13.1A
Example #2
Dual power input Antminer S19 with 95T hash rate.
Max Power (Watts) @ 95T = 3250 + 5% = 3412.5W
Current Demand @ 240V = 3412.5W / 240V = 14.2A, 7.1A per input
Step #2. Double check the circuit(s).
Double check the breaker(s).
It is important to ensure the current demand from your miners do not overload any components on the circuits where they will be installed. To check this, we need to know the circuit's derated current capacity by applying the 80% rule.
Circuit Derated Capacity = Circuit Current Rating * 80%
Per the National Electric Code (NEC), a circuit can be loaded to a maximum of 80% of its current rating for continuous loads. A continuous load is defined as a load where the maximum current is expected to continue for three hours or more, such as your miners.
Circuits are rated based on the maximum ampere rating of the overcurrent protection device (OCPD), typically the circuit breaker. Therefore, the derated capacity of a circuit is simply 80% of the current rating of the circuit breaker. A circuit with a 20 amp breaker has a capacity of 16 amps, and a circuit with a 30 amp breaker has a capacity of 24 amps.
In North American residential homes with "Split-Phase" electrical service, single pole breakers are required to protect 120V circuits and double pole breakers are required to protect 240V circuits. A single pole breaker takes up one slot in a panel and a double pole breaker takes up two.
To identify a circuit breaker's current rating, look for the marking on the handle. For example, a 20A rated breaker will have the number '20' clearly printed on the handle of the breaker.
Single Pole (Left) and Double Pole (Right) Circuit Breaker
Check #1:
Current Demand < 80% Circuit Breaker Current Rating
Make sure the total current demand from all miners on the same circuit do not exceed 80% of the circuit breaker rating.
Double check the wires.
The higher the amperage rating of the circuit, the larger the electrical wires must be to avoid excess heat that can melt the wire insulation and cause a fire.
Wire is sized by the American Wire Gauge (AWG) system. The smaller the gauge number, the larger the wire diameter. For standard non-metallic (NM) wire, reference the following table:
Wire Size | Wire Current Rating |
14 AWG | 15 Amps |
12 AWG | 20 Amps |
10 AWG | 30 Amps |
8 AWG | 40 Amps |
6 AWG | 55 Amps |
Double check the wires on your circuits are properly sized. If the circuit was installed by a licensed electrician, then this should have been considered for you, however, don't trust, verify. The wire size can be found printed on the wire insulation.
Check #2:
Wire Current Rating ≥ Circuit Breaker Current Rating
Make sure the wires' current rating is greater than or equal to the current rating of the circuit breaker.
Double check the receptacle(s).
For circuits with only one receptacle, electrical code states the current rating of the receptacle must not be less than the current rating of the circuit breaker. The reason is simple, devices designed to plug in to 20A receptacles depend on the upstream breakers to trip at 20A, not 30A.
Check #3:
Receptacle Current Rating ≥ Circuit Breaker Current Rating
Make sure the receptacle current rating is not less than the current rating of the circuit breaker.
There is an exception for circuits with two or more receptacles. These circuits must comply with NEC Table 210.21(B)(3):
Exception: circuits with 20A breakers can have outlet receptacles with lower 15A ratings. In these setups each receptacle will have a derated capacity of only 12A while the circuit, as a whole, will have a larger derated capacity of 16A.
Check #4:
Current Demand < 80% Receptacle Current Rating
Make sure the total current demand from miners on the same receptacle do not exceed 80% of the receptacle's current rating.
Reference table for common receptacle types and current ratings.
NEMA |
Voltage |
Current |
Derating |
5-15R * |
120 VAC | 15A | 12A |
5-20R |
120 VAC | 20A | 16A |
6-20R |
240 VAC | 20A | 16A |
L6-20R |
240 VAC | 20A | 16A |
L6-30R |
240 VAC | 30A | 24A |
10-30R *** |
240 VAC | 30A | 24A |
14-30R ** |
120/240 VAC | 30A | 24A |
14-50R ** |
120/240 VAC | 50A | 40A |
Examples
These examples assume miners will be connected to a dedicated circuit (highly recommended), i.e. no other home appliances or loads will be connected. If you plan to use a shared circuit, it is recommended to first measure or estimate the current demand for all connected devices or risk overloading circuits.
Example #3:
Question: How many Antminer S9s with 14T hash rate can be safely powered on a 20A/120V circuit with NEMA 5-15R receptacles?
Answer: None.
Current demand for the Antminer S9 calculated in Example #1: 13.1A @ 120V.
Although the total current demand of a single S9 at 13.1A is below the 16A derated capacity of the circuit, it exceeds the 12A derated capacity of the NEMA 5-15R receptacle.
A workaround would be to reduce the Antminer S9 hashrate which reduces the current demand. Alternatively run it on a 20A/120V circuit with a NEMA 5-20R receptacle with a 16A derated capacity.
Example #4:
Question: How many Antminer S9s with 14T hash rate can be safely powered on a 30A/240V circuit with a NEMA L6-30R receptacle?
Answer: Up to three.
Current demand for the Antminer S9 calculated in Example #1: 6.5A @ 240V.
Calculation: 6.5A * 3 = 19.5A. This is within the derated 24A capacity for both the circuit and receptacle.
Example #5:
Question: How many Antminer S19s with a 95T hash rate can be safely powered on a 20A/240V circuit with NEMA 6-20R receptacles?
Answer: One.
Current demand for the Antminer S19 calculated in Example #2: 14.2A @ 240V.
Total current demand of a single S19 at 14.2A is below the 16A derated capacity of the circuit and receptacle.
Step #3. Plug in the miner(s).
The last step is connecting the miners to the outlet receptacles.
The following table lists the two most common input connector types on ASIC miners and the corresponding mating connectors.
Connector (IEC) | Miner Input (IEC) | Current Rating | Diagram |
C13 | C14 | 15A (12A Derated) | |
C19 | C20 | 20A (16A Derated) |
ASIC miner power supplies are designed with International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) connectors for international compatibility while the circuit receptacles are National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) connectors primarily for use in North America.
The connection from IEC to NEMA can be made with a simple power cord or with a power distribution unit (PDU). For 30A circuits, PDUs are necessary for safe operation (FAQ Q8). For 20A circuits, PDUs are not required but should be considered for the benefits discussed in FAQ Q6.
Using Power Cord(s) Only
The most basic approach is a properly sized power cord with a NEMA plug on one end and an IEC connector on the other.
NEMA 6-15P to IEC C13 Power Cord
The table lists recommended power cords for connecting miners directly to circuits rated 20A or less. Match the outer columns to your setup to find the power cords that you need.
Outlet Receptacle (NEMA) |
Power Cord Type (NEMA to IEC) |
Miner Input Type (IEC) |
NEMA 5-15R | Type: NEMA 5-15P to C13 Gauge: 14 AWG Rating: 15A (12A Derated) |
C14 |
NEMA 5-20R
|
Type: NEMA 5-15P to C13 Gauge: 14 AWG Rating: 15A (12A Derated) |
C14 |
Type: NEMA 5-20P to C13 Gauge: 14 AWG Rating: 15A (12A Derated) |
C14 | |
NEMA 6-20R
|
Type: NEMA 6-15P to C13 Gauge: 14 AWG Rating: 15A (12A Derated) |
C14 |
Type: NEMA 6-20P to C19 Gauge: 12 AWG Rating: 20A (16A Derated) |
C20 | |
NEMA L6-20R
|
Type: NEMA 6-20P to C13 Gauge: 14 AWG Rating: 15A (12A Derated) |
C14 |
Type: NEMA 6-20P to C19 Gauge: 12 AWG Rating: 20A (16A Derated) |
C20 |
Using a PDU
See FAQ Q6 to learn more about the benefits of PDUs.
To simplify PDU selection, there are two main considerations for compatibility with your setup.
- PDU Input Plug Type
- PDU Receptacle Types
1. Select a PDU equipped with a matching NEMA plug to connect to the NEMA outlet receptacle installed on the circuit. To find the matching plug, simply replace the 'R' with a 'P' in the NEMA type. For example, the matching plug for a NEMA 6-20R receptacle is a NEMA 6-20P.
2. If your miner has a C20 input, the PDU should have C19 receptacles. If your miner has C14 input, the PDU should have C13 receptacles. Then the connection from the PDU to the miners can be made with standard C14 to C13 or C20 to C19 power cords.
SynLink PDU Example Setup
Examples
Example #6:
Question: How do you plug in three Antminer S9's that draw 6.5A each @ 240V into a L6-30R outlet receptacle?
Answer:
Use a PDU with a L6-30P input plug.
Note: UL Listed PDUs with 30A plugs will have built-in branch circuit breakers with a lower current rating to protect the lower current rated IEC receptacles (C13 or C19).
Make sure the current demand from the miners behind any of these branch breakers do not exceed the 80% rule.
On a 30A PDU with a L6-30P and two 20A built-in branch circuit breakers, two S9's can plug into one branch circuit and the final S9 can plug into the other branch circuit. The first branch circuit breaker will have a current draw of 13A, the second branch circuit breaker will have a current draw of 6.5A, and the total current draw at the L6-30P plug will be 19.5A. The 80% rule is respected for both branch breakers and everything upstream.
Example #7:
Question: How do you plug in one Antminer S19 that draws 14.2A @ 240V into a duplex 6-20R outlet?
Answer:
Option #1: Use dedicated power cords (i.e. 6-20P to C13,14AWG) to connect each input of the miner to a receptacle on the duplex 6-20R.
Option #2: Use a PDU with a NEMA 6-20P plug and IEC C13 receptacles. Then use dedicated power cords (i.e. C14 to C13, 14AWG) to connect each input of the miner to a receptacle on the PDU.
Section #2: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1. What is Voltage, Current, and Power?
This overly simplistic watermill analogy has many technical issues but is a good starting point for a basic understanding.
Power (Watts) = Current (Amps) * Voltage (Volts)
If we wanted to use this water wheel to power an ASIC miner, the wheels needs to spin at a constant rotational speed to keep the miner turned on. To achieve a certain speed we have two options.
Method #1: Increase the water pressure (voltage) on the wheel. This can be done by elevating the water spout, leveraging gravity.
Method #2: Increase the amount of water (current) flowing on to the wheel.
Both methods achieve the same effect of increasing the rotational speed (power) of the wheel. In electrical terms, it is better to run higher voltages to reduce current. Lower current allows for smaller wires, more capacity for more miners with existing infrastructure, and increased power supply efficiency.
Q2. What's the difference between 110V, 115V, 120V, 220V, 230V, 240V?
You will often see these values being used to describe voltages in your home. We can categorize these into two groups...
- Group #1: 110V, 115V, 120V
- Group #2: 220V, 230V, 240V
The voltages in the same groups can be and are often used interchangeably. North American residential homes typically have "split-phase" electrical service from the transformer on the street. For split-phase service, the voltage measured from any "hot" wire to neutral (ground) is ~120V. The voltage measured from one hot wire to another hot wire on a different phase is ~240V.
The voltages are not constant and varies depending on a number of factors such as the number of loads connected, the time of day, etc. For example, if you were to measure the voltage at the input of an ASIC miner connected to a 240V outlet, there's a small chance you will see exactly 240V. This is not a problem because the ASIC miner power supplies are designed to support a wide range of voltages.
Q3. Can I mine on a standard 120V wall outlet?
Standard wall outlets (NEMA 5-15R) can be used if the ASIC miner's power supply supports 120V and the current demand is below 12A.
Power supply ratings are printed on the nameplate/label.
Example power supply nameplates:
120V Supported (Input: 100-140VAC and 200-240VAC)
120V NOT supported (Input: 200-240VAC only)
Pro Tip: If the miner consumes over 12A, configure the miner's firmware to set max power thresholds to reduce the current demand.
Caution: If using a standard wall outlet, is especially important to follow the steps in this guide since the electrical current is doubled at 120V compared to 240V.
Q4. Should I install a 20A, 30A, 40A, or 50A circuit?
It depends on a number of factors and there is no right answer. Some considerations you might make include how many miners you plan on running, the current demand from each miner, the total current demand from all miners, the proximity of the miners to the breaker panel, ability to leverage existing infrastructure, and overall system cost.
In general, 20A circuits are recommended when panel space isn't an issue for the amount of power needed.
Pros and cons for each w.r.t. home mining:
20A Circuits
Pros
- No PDU or sub-panel required. 20A breakers in the panel are sufficient to protect power cords and miners.
Cons
- Requires more panel space for more power.
- More circuits = more wires to run.
30A Circuits
Pros
- Efficient use of panel space. More power per breaker slot.
- 30A PDUs are very common.
Cons
- Requires 20A breakers downstream in a sub-panel or PDU for safe operation.
40A Circuits
Pros
- More efficient use of panel space. More power per breaker slot.
Cons
- Requires 20A breakers downstream in a sub-panel or PDU for safe operation.
- Single phase 40A PDUs very uncommon. 40A NEMA Plugs/Receptacles do not exist.
50A Circuits
Pros
- Most efficient use of panel space. More power per breaker slot.
- Fewer circuits = less wires to run.
Cons
- Requires 20A breakers downstream in a sub-panel or PDU for safe operation.
- Single phase 50A PDUs very uncommon and very expensive.
Q5. Can I use a dryer outlet for mining?
It is not recommended but if you still choose to do this, use a UL Listed PDU with built-in branch circuit breakers for reasons explained in FAQ Q8. Branch breakers should be UL Listed to UL-489.
Q6. What are the benefits of PDUs?
In its simplest form, a PDU is a device that can safely distribute power from one or more sources to one or more devices. At Synaccess, we classify our PDUs into two categories: Basic Metered and SynLink Smart.
Basic Metered PDUs
Basic Metered PDUs display real-time current consumption (amps) for each circuit on a built-in display and is accurate to 0.01A. These PDUs monitor current 24/7 and the display flashes to alert you when the 80% rule is exceeded on any circuit.
Metered PDU - 2x 20A circuits, 4x outlets/circuit
SynLink Smart PDUs
SynLink Smart PDUs provide the ultimate visibility and control of connected miners.
SynLink PDU - 20A circuit, 4x C13 outlets
Network connectivity and built-in sensors from the PDU input down to the individual outlet level enable the benefits further discussed below:
Mining Rewards on Display
Connect a SynLink PDU to your mining pool account and your mining rewards will update on the front panel LCD screen in real time. Reward amounts are shown in BTC and USD.
Expense Your Energy Bill
If reporting your home mining rewards as a business, you get the added benefit of writing off expenses like the portion of your home's energy bill used up by your miners.
SynLink PDUs monitor and report circuit-level energy consumption (KWH) for all connected miners. The information can be viewed on the PDU's self-hosted web application, SSH cli, or via HTTP REST API.
Auto-Detect and Recover Unresponsive Miners
SynLink PDUs detect when miners become unresponsive with a feature called AutoPing. AutoPing uses periodic network ping requests to determine when a miner becomes unresponsive. In the event that a ping request fails, the SynLink PDU can take immediate action, such as automatically power cycling the miner or sending an email alert.
Learn more about AutoPing - Device ad Network Monitor
Environment Monitoring
Extra sensors can be attached to SynLink PDUs for temperature and humidity environment monitoring. Additionally, the PDUs can be configured to monitor user-defined thresholds and take immediate action like turning off miners when those thresholds are exceeded.
Email and Text Alerts
Custom email alerts can be configured to be sent from the PDU. Alerts can be triggered from user-defined events on power measurements taken by the PDU. These measurements include voltage rms (VAC), current rms (A), active power (W), apparent power (VA), power factor (PF), line frequency (Hz), energy (KWH), temperature, humidity, and more.
SMS text alerts are available in the new 4G/LTE cellular SynLink PDUs.
Overcurrent Detection and Protection
SynLink PDUs can be configured to detect, report, and act on overcurrent detections. Overcurrent conditions can be detected at the PDU-level, circuit-level, and individual outlet-levels.
Additionally, PDUs rated higher than 20A include at least two branch circuit breakers (UL-489).
Scheduling Outlets ON/OFF
Define custom schedules for turning on/off miners. Especially useful for time-of-use (TOU) energy billing. Turn off miners during on-peak hours when electricity costs are high.
And Much More
Email [email protected] to learn about advanced features such as 4G/LTE connectivity, WiFi connectivity, 240V/120V Transformer PDUs, high-powered 80A single phase PDUs and more.
Q7. Do I need a PDU with surge protection?
Surge protection is not required for mining but is always a good idea to protect your investment.
Surge protectors are designed to prevent high voltage spikes from reaching and damaging electrical equipment. Voltage surges can jump to the thousands of volts and can damage the internal electronics of your miners.
Surge protection is not common in PDUs because it is typically taken care of upstream. For example in an upstream UPS. For home miners we recommend installing a single "whole-home surge protector" at the breaker panel level instead of at the PDU/device level. With this solution a single device at the panel will provide protection for the entire home. Consult with an electrician to find a surge protector compatible with your panel.
Q8. Why are PDUs necessary for mining on 30A+ circuits?
Most of today's ASIC miner power supplies are designed with inputs rated at 20A max. Subsequently, all internal electronics and power cords attached to these power supplies are designed to handle 20A max. For this reason, it is essential to have an an overcurrent protection device (OCPD) that will trip the circuit when the current exceeds 20A. The OCPD prevents components from exceeding current ratings and causing a potential safety hazard.
For home mining, the OCPD can be provided by one of the two ways:
- Main panel or sub-panel with 20A branch circuit breakers.
- UL Listed PDU with 20A branch circuit breakers.
UL Listed PDUs rated higher than 20A are required to have an OCPD. Additionally, the UL standard requires the OCPD must be of a specific type; branch circuit breakers that meet the more stringent UL-489 standard. Avoid unlisted PDUs and any PDUs rated 30A+ that are equipped with lower quality UL-1077 "supplementary" circuit breakers.
All Synaccess 30A+ UL Listed PDUs include OCPD with built-in 20A UL-489 circuit breakers.
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About Synaccess
Our team has earned the trust of a deep customer base for remotely switched and energy monitoring applications. Check out our latest product catalog and learn how you can leverage over 20 years of experience in smart power distribution technology.
Electricity is dangerous. When in doubt, reach out for a free consultation at +1 619-209-8077. Normal business hours are M-F 8AM-5PM Pacific. Or reach out to us at [email protected].
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