Electricity Mishaps in Mining

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Posts: 9 · Reputation: 24
#1Jan 21, 2024, 08:47 AM
Cheap power sources causing chaos. This summer’s heat made things worse. High loads plus scorching temps? Yeah, that led to some serious damage. Flames spread from where outlets were installed. Machines burned, and so did some wires. Here's a video recap: https://imgur.com/Kte0KG2 At least it was just the old S9s. No more outlets for me. The S19 setup is way safer.
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0xChainLegendary
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#2Jan 21, 2024, 02:48 PM
What a disaster! Did you even use decent power strips? They’re not great for ASICs... I mean, come on, they only handle like 2500 watts at most.
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0xNodeMember
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#3Jan 21, 2024, 06:01 PM
Power strips can fail without warning. I've had that happen with regular stuff too, not just miners. A tip: check the LED indicators. If they flicker, avoid using those for mining.
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planktonHero Member
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#4Jan 21, 2024, 08:07 PM
Seriously, when setting up mining rigs, stick to local wiring codes for power distribution. If none exist, go with international standards. Just look at the disaster above... that’s what happens when you run wires without a clue.
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wallet_vaultFull Member
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#5Jan 22, 2024, 02:24 AM
Right? It's not just cluelessness, it’s using low-quality gear. Had that issue early this year too. It’s like there are tons of stories out there of cheap setups failing and ruining miners, but we rarely hear about them.
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pr0to88Member
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#6Jan 22, 2024, 04:55 AM
Lightning can seriously mess up your gear. I’ve got my place grounded for that. But guess what? Lightning struck nearby and only my $1000 Marantz broke. Of course, it was out of warranty.
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#7Jan 22, 2024, 10:43 AM
Everything here was consumer-grade. Electricians warned about the outlets not handling heavy loads, but their advice got ignored. The wires overheated too, but who wants to pay for thicker ones? Anyway, that’s history. Pro tip: always have a fire extinguisher around. Used a dry powder one during the incident, and it worked great.
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#8Jan 22, 2024, 02:30 PM
Glad it didn’t turn into a total loss. This is a wake-up call that folks really need to get pro help with electrical setups. If they did, they’d know those cheap outlets can’t handle the heat.
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0xCobraNewbie
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#9Jan 22, 2024, 04:08 PM
Connections that get hot can oxidize. Metal oxides are resistors. More power means higher temps, and eventually, they melt the socket. Heavy-duty outlets hold better, stay cooler, and have better materials.
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jakecobraFull Member
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#10Jan 22, 2024, 10:12 PM
Common sense is key. If you can't swing proper PDUs, just cut the cable ends and wire them to a busbar. It’s way safer than using those flimsy power strips.
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#11Jan 23, 2024, 04:10 AM
Yeah that’s true. Even if the wiring is decent, I've seen power strips that look solid but have terrible quality sockets.
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jakecobraFull Member
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#12Jan 23, 2024, 09:44 AM
That’s smart. I just checked out smart PDUs, they aren’t too big but decent enough for my setup.
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wallet_vaultFull Member
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#13Jan 23, 2024, 11:45 AM
I’m looking at basic PDUs too. But honestly, smart ones can be pricey. Way cheaper to control them with something like Sonoff while adding some protections.
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#14Jan 23, 2024, 05:08 PM
I’ve heard a rule from ages ago about not touching plug prongs with dirty hands. Not a biggie for most devices, but with high power... could add resistance over time.
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jakecobraFull Member
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#15Jan 24, 2024, 10:21 PM
Good point! Just checked the Sonoff site for a smart switch. Would it even support the Antminer S19 at that load? Interesting idea about dirt affecting contacts.
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SwiftChadMember
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#16Jan 25, 2024, 12:06 AM
They might work, but I’m using bigger contactors. I control multiple miners through one smart switch without stressing the system.
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jakecobraFull Member
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#17Jan 25, 2024, 02:41 AM
Sigh, wrong wiring almost burned my place. I got a fake socket, thought it was legit but barely survived that.
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pr0to88Member
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#18Jan 25, 2024, 11:04 AM
Fake gear really makes everything worse. But honestly, even legit sockets can struggle with heavy mining loads.
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HumbleOracleFull Member
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#19Jan 25, 2024, 02:50 PM
Exactly, those 15-amp wall sockets can't keep up with newer rigs. Mine runs full throttle 24/7, it’s only a matter of time before they burn out.
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#20Jan 25, 2024, 07:56 PM
No risk worth taking. I got every high-watt miner on its own dedicated outlet. Better safe than sorry.
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