Home installation: prep and the safety checklist
A mining rig at home is a always-on, multi-kilowatt appliance. Placement, power, and airflow decide whether it is boring infrastructure or a fire report waiting to be written.
2026-10-19·updated 2026-10-19·4 min·pow.family research#safety#installation
01
Before delivery day
- Placement decided: non-combustible surface, clearances per manual, away from curtains/paper/storage.
- Circuit verified: dedicated, correctly rated, outlet in good condition — no daisy-chained power strips, no extension cords for continuous load.
- Network planned: wired preferred; Wi-Fi works but adds a failure layer to your uptime.
- Shutdown path known: how to stop it gracefully (see monitoring & restarts) and who does it if you travel.
- Household informed: the noise, the heat, the electricity line item — surprise is the enemy of home mining.
02
The running checklist
- Smoke detector in the room — test it on install day.
- Surge protection at the panel and/or outlet; grounding verified by the electrician.
- Cables dressed and strain-relieved; nothing under a rug, nothing pinched by furniture.
- Weekly look-listen-sniff: new fan noises, hot connectors (warm is fine, hot is not), burning smell = shut down now.
- Kids/pets: physical barrier; intake grilles and cables are exactly at toddler height.
- Insurance & lease: a multi-kW business appliance may need a word with your insurer or landlord before, not after.
03
See it live on pow.family
Our quick-starts note real rig placements and observed noise/heat from fleet tests — useful calibration before committing a room.

