You aren't going to be able to place your machines outside very easily, or cost effectively I should say.
You can weatherproof a small area like a cabinet, but then where is all that heat going to go? If you find a way to vent the heat, how do you keep morning dew from condensing and shorting your expensive parts? Can you ever be sure beyond a reasonable doubt that your setup can stand up to any weather? Rain falling horizontally? Sleet or hail for a few hours?
I think you just need to mount your equipment in better hardware inside, then find a way to vent the heat outside when it is beneficial. I really like all the heat my miners make right now, when it's 30 outside! The most important part ever is to not stress any one electrical connection too much. Not using powered risers is a common way, as well as using a mess of molex to pci-e mini-fit connector adapters. Make sure the wiring in your wall can handle what you ask of it (do you have 20 or 15A breakers?) and make dang good and sure you use the proper gauge cable between the wall outlet and power supplies. Don't overload one breaker, and if you need to use another make sure the extension cord is a large enough gauge considering the extra length.
The noise? I learn to live with it for now. Sound of money being printed!
I really like the extruded aluminum cases, but I make my own. They are expensive, but when you consider what weatherproofing a rig costs is it really that bad? I wouldn't keep a rig in anything flammable, like a milk crate. (ever tried to put plastic out once it's burning?)
I'll also second the "too much airflow" thing. After a certain point you just make turbulence, and turbulence makes noise. Not a huge difference, but it is there. My rigs cooled by a box fan do better at the #2 setting than #1 or #3 for example.
Topic: Building Rig & Avoiding Fire - page 2. (Read 4281 times)
Hello Everyone,
Before going into detail.. please note that i'm mining Scrypt Currencies but I believe this topic relates to all mining rigs, regardless of currecy.... hence why i'm posting it to bitcointalk.org
I used to mine for BTC almost a year ago when it was feasible to have a couple rigs running. I live in a small apartment where there is no electricity bill (heck ya!). My rigs were just set up in my living room. I eventually stopped mining because it was too noisey, it got really hot during the summer and eventually it was no longer feasible.
I'm now mining Scrypt Curreny through middlecoin.com. I have two rigs pumping out 2.8 M/Hash. I want to get up too 5 M/Hash which is feasible with all my hardware, but two things have always been on my mind ever since mining for BTC. Heat and fire! Right now, my two rigs are simply layed out under a WOODEN table (with those anti-static bags below the mobo). The mobo's are raised slightly for air circulation. All GPU's are plugged directly into the mobo, no risers are being used at this time. The table/rigs are being fed cold, dry, canadian winter air... which is perfect. All GPU's run well under 75 degree's, dependning on the outside air temp.
Recently I've come accross some threads regarding Rig fires https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/crate-rig-fire-194513 .... which people have blamed the lack of powered risers and poor mobo's. Regardless, it's something i'm concerned about. What i've been meaning to do is move my rigs into a large cabinet outside on my balcony. I'm wondering if anyone has placed their rigs outside and protected it from the elements without incident... if so... how? Initially I was thinking about buying a used wooden cabinet and then retrofitting it to take a couple mobo's. It would be setup so that the GPU's would vent to the outside while a couple fans would pump cold air in. Then I was thinking about buying a used server rack (network cabinet) and weather proofing it... I like this idea better because its not wood. But i'm not sure how hard it is to set up PSU's, mobo's and GPU's into a server rack.
Anyways... i'm just curious if anyone has suggestions on how to make this work? What route shall I go? Maybe it's not a great idea? Weatherproofing? Any insight....
Thanks
Before going into detail.. please note that i'm mining Scrypt Currencies but I believe this topic relates to all mining rigs, regardless of currecy.... hence why i'm posting it to bitcointalk.org
I used to mine for BTC almost a year ago when it was feasible to have a couple rigs running. I live in a small apartment where there is no electricity bill (heck ya!). My rigs were just set up in my living room. I eventually stopped mining because it was too noisey, it got really hot during the summer and eventually it was no longer feasible.
I'm now mining Scrypt Curreny through middlecoin.com. I have two rigs pumping out 2.8 M/Hash. I want to get up too 5 M/Hash which is feasible with all my hardware, but two things have always been on my mind ever since mining for BTC. Heat and fire! Right now, my two rigs are simply layed out under a WOODEN table (with those anti-static bags below the mobo). The mobo's are raised slightly for air circulation. All GPU's are plugged directly into the mobo, no risers are being used at this time. The table/rigs are being fed cold, dry, canadian winter air... which is perfect. All GPU's run well under 75 degree's, dependning on the outside air temp.
Recently I've come accross some threads regarding Rig fires https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/crate-rig-fire-194513 .... which people have blamed the lack of powered risers and poor mobo's. Regardless, it's something i'm concerned about. What i've been meaning to do is move my rigs into a large cabinet outside on my balcony. I'm wondering if anyone has placed their rigs outside and protected it from the elements without incident... if so... how? Initially I was thinking about buying a used wooden cabinet and then retrofitting it to take a couple mobo's. It would be setup so that the GPU's would vent to the outside while a couple fans would pump cold air in. Then I was thinking about buying a used server rack (network cabinet) and weather proofing it... I like this idea better because its not wood. But i'm not sure how hard it is to set up PSU's, mobo's and GPU's into a server rack.
Anyways... i'm just curious if anyone has suggestions on how to make this work? What route shall I go? Maybe it's not a great idea? Weatherproofing? Any insight....
Thanks
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm...................
Worried about fire and using such a flammable material as WOOD to house your rigs?
No; do not do that!
A server rack would be fine but you'll have to leave it as open as possible. You may even need to install a small window unit air condtioner if your rigs start to heat up the place.
Always and let me repeat that, ALWAYS use powered risers!
Period.
End of story.
Finis.
Keep a slow airflow going across your rigs; too much airflow and the rigs won't cool, too little and they will overheat.
Don't put anything outside as weather does terrible things to computer equipment but if it's cold there are ways to bring in outside air for cooling purposes.
Keep your rigs away from anything flammable and keep a CO2 fireextinguisher handy. Dry chemical extinguishers will ruin the entire rig if you hve to use one but CO2 will just put out the fire while cooling off the remains at the same time.
This advice based on my own personal experience.
My $.02.
condensation is bad for computers, avoid placing equipment outside. Perhaps consider doing watercooling which will avoid all the loud noise as well as provide an excellent cooling solution.
Hello Everyone,
Before going into detail.. please note that i'm mining Scrypt Currencies but I believe this topic relates to all mining rigs, regardless of currecy.... hence why i'm posting it to bitcointalk.org
I used to mine for BTC almost a year ago when it was feasible to have a couple rigs running. I live in a small apartment where there is no electricity bill (heck ya!). My rigs were just set up in my living room. I eventually stopped mining because it was too noisey, it got really hot during the summer and eventually it was no longer feasible.
I'm now mining Scrypt Curreny through middlecoin.com. I have two rigs pumping out 2.8 M/Hash. I want to get up too 5 M/Hash which is feasible with all my hardware, but two things have always been on my mind ever since mining for BTC. Heat and fire! Right now, my two rigs are simply layed out under a WOODEN table (with those anti-static bags below the mobo). The mobo's are raised slightly for air circulation. All GPU's are plugged directly into the mobo, no risers are being used at this time. The table/rigs are being fed cold, dry, canadian winter air... which is perfect. All GPU's run well under 75 degree's, dependning on the outside air temp.
Recently I've come accross some threads regarding Rig fires https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/crate-rig-fire-194513 .... which people have blamed the lack of powered risers and poor mobo's. Regardless, it's something i'm concerned about. What i've been meaning to do is move my rigs into a large cabinet outside on my balcony. I'm wondering if anyone has placed their rigs outside and protected it from the elements without incident... if so... how? Initially I was thinking about buying a used wooden cabinet and then retrofitting it to take a couple mobo's. It would be setup so that the GPU's would vent to the outside while a couple fans would pump cold air in. Then I was thinking about buying a used server rack (network cabinet) and weather proofing it... I like this idea better because its not wood. But i'm not sure how hard it is to set up PSU's, mobo's and GPU's into a server rack.
Anyways... i'm just curious if anyone has suggestions on how to make this work? What route shall I go? Maybe it's not a great idea? Weatherproofing? Any insight....
Thanks
Before going into detail.. please note that i'm mining Scrypt Currencies but I believe this topic relates to all mining rigs, regardless of currecy.... hence why i'm posting it to bitcointalk.org
I used to mine for BTC almost a year ago when it was feasible to have a couple rigs running. I live in a small apartment where there is no electricity bill (heck ya!). My rigs were just set up in my living room. I eventually stopped mining because it was too noisey, it got really hot during the summer and eventually it was no longer feasible.
I'm now mining Scrypt Curreny through middlecoin.com. I have two rigs pumping out 2.8 M/Hash. I want to get up too 5 M/Hash which is feasible with all my hardware, but two things have always been on my mind ever since mining for BTC. Heat and fire! Right now, my two rigs are simply layed out under a WOODEN table (with those anti-static bags below the mobo). The mobo's are raised slightly for air circulation. All GPU's are plugged directly into the mobo, no risers are being used at this time. The table/rigs are being fed cold, dry, canadian winter air... which is perfect. All GPU's run well under 75 degree's, dependning on the outside air temp.
Recently I've come accross some threads regarding Rig fires https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/crate-rig-fire-194513 .... which people have blamed the lack of powered risers and poor mobo's. Regardless, it's something i'm concerned about. What i've been meaning to do is move my rigs into a large cabinet outside on my balcony. I'm wondering if anyone has placed their rigs outside and protected it from the elements without incident... if so... how? Initially I was thinking about buying a used wooden cabinet and then retrofitting it to take a couple mobo's. It would be setup so that the GPU's would vent to the outside while a couple fans would pump cold air in. Then I was thinking about buying a used server rack (network cabinet) and weather proofing it... I like this idea better because its not wood. But i'm not sure how hard it is to set up PSU's, mobo's and GPU's into a server rack.
Anyways... i'm just curious if anyone has suggestions on how to make this work? What route shall I go? Maybe it's not a great idea? Weatherproofing? Any insight....
Thanks
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