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I have been trying to run miners that I obtained from Whatsminer

They require 220V - 240V power source. Since I live in the United States, I have tried 110 to 220 V step up converters. I have tried 3 different converters, and each one overloads. The miners will run for a short period of time, then overload the converter and the converter will shut down.

Does anyone have suggestions on what I can do to get my miners running? Surely there must be other people in the Western hemisphere that have gotten these to work at home...

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Does anyone have suggestions on what I can do to get my miners running?

  • US split-phase homes are likely to already have a 220V outlet somewhere for high-powered appliances (laundry washers, etc). You need to be sure the miner's PSU is designed for split-phase and not single-phase because the earthing/ground arrangements differ.

  • An electrician can create a new 220V circuit and run new wires through your walls to 220V outlets in a suitable location.

  • A higher powered converter (say 5000 W) might work if you have a very high current outlet that can deliver an amount of power greater than the power rating of your miner plus the power losses inherent in any converter. For example an Antminer S19 needs 3250W, if we add 25% (a random guess) for power losses in the converter that means your supply needs to provide 3250 * 1.25 / 110 = 37 amps. Most outlets in US homes will be 15 or 20 amp outlets but you might have a 30 amp outlet for a clothes dryer or electric stove. There is a 50 amp NEMA outlet but I imagine it would be rare. This might be what you'd need for an S19 but I have no experience of that. Again a professional electrician can solve this for you.

Surely there must be other people in the Western hemisphere that have gotten these to work at home

In my part of the Western hemisphere all home power outlets are 230V and can at least power a 3.1kW - 3.4Kw appliance. 7-10kw appliances are common but are usually hardwired (non pluggable) by an electrician. Your problem doesn't exist here to the same extent.


As you have discovered, Mining bitcoin is really a light-industrial enterprise for which most US homes are unsuited. Many US homeowners would need to contact their electric supply company and get a higher power supply to their home. They also need to pay an electrician to do something like wire up a new high-powered circuit from the main panel to a subsidiary panel at the appliance location. Similar to running a hobby machine shop in the garage with an assortment of second hand industrial lathes and milling machines, welders, plasma-cutters etc.

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  • Most houses in North America only have 100 amp service anyway, which is totally unsuitable to be loading a single leg of for a miner.
    – Claris
    Dec 11, 2020 at 11:08
  • @Anonymous: Good points - answer updated a little. Dec 11, 2020 at 11:13

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