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Crypto Miners Direct

Commercial guide

Bitcoin Mining Farm Equipment Checklist

Use this system-by-system checklist to specify every item a mining farm needs, with separate cooling lists for air, hydro and immersion sites.

Published October 1, 2026 · Reviewed by James Emerson

Aerial view of rows of mining containers on a gravel site
Hut 8's container-based mining site in Medicine Hat, Alberta, 2018. Shown as an example of a site layout; it is not our facility and Hut 8 has no connection with us.

A mining farm needs equipment in seven systems: power, cooling, mining hardware, network, monitoring and control, safety, and spares. This checklist names each item and the one thing you must specify when you ask for a quote. Power, network, monitoring and safety are the same for every site. Cooling and a few spares change with the cooling method, so those are listed separately for air, hydro and immersion.

Key points

  • Fix four inputs before you start: total kW, miner model and count, distribution voltage, and design ambient temperature. Every line below depends on them.
  • Specify each item by rating and compatibility, not by name. "A transformer" is not a specification. "kVA, primary and secondary voltage, losses" is.
  • Electrical items must be selected by a qualified electrical engineer and installed by licensed electricians to local code. Use this list to check scope, not to size equipment.
  • Spares are part of the build. A site without fans, power supplies and cables on the shelf loses hashrate to shipping time.

Inputs to fix first

Input Where it comes from
Total site kW and IT load Power contract and How Many Miners Fit in 1 MW?
Miner model, version and count Quotation, with the manufacturer's published power and input range
Distribution voltage and phase Miner input range and the transformer secondary
Design ambient temperature Local climate records, hottest period
Cooling method Air, hydro or immersion, set by the miner type

Power

Item What to specify
Utility connection and metering Contracted kW or kVA, supply voltage, metering point, fault level
Medium-voltage switchgear Rated voltage, short-circuit rating, protection relays
Transformers kVA, primary and secondary voltage, losses, earthing arrangement, quantity
Low-voltage main switchboard Busbar current rating, short-circuit rating, main breaker, metering
Feeder breakers Rating for continuous load, trip characteristics, coordination with upstream protection
Power cables and trays Conductor size for current and voltage drop, insulation rating, route
PDUs Input voltage and phase, breaker rating per outlet group, outlet type, metering
Miner power cords Connector at each end, conductor size, length
Earthing and bonding Earthing system, bonding of racks, containers and pipework
Surge protection Device type and location at each board
UPS for network and controls Load and runtime. Miners are not normally on a UPS
Power quality equipment Only if the utility requires power factor or harmonic correction

Cooling for air-cooled sites

Item What to specify
Intake louvres and filters Face area, filter class, pressure drop when dirty
Exhaust fans Airflow at design static pressure, motor power, speed control
Hot-side containment Sealing between cold and hot sides, no bypass gaps
Winter mixing dampers Return of warm air to keep intake above the miner's minimum operating temperature
Evaporative pads, if used Water supply and quality, pump, humidity limit
Ventilation controls Temperature and pressure setpoints, fan staging

Cooling for hydro sites

Item What to specify
Circulation pumps Flow and head with all miners connected, redundancy
Manifolds and quick couplings Connector size matching the miner, isolation per unit
Piping, valves and strainers Materials compatible with the coolant, pressure rating
Heat exchanger kW duty, approach temperature, if loops are separated
Dry cooler or cooling tower kW rejected at design ambient, supply temperature
Expansion vessel and relief valve Loop volume, pressure limit below the miner's maximum
Coolant and inhibitor Type and chemistry the miner manufacturer permits
Bypass or mixing valve Keeps inlet above the miner's minimum at cold start
Flow, pressure and temperature sensors Per loop and per rack, with alarms
Leak detection Sensor locations, automatic shutdown action

Cooling for immersion sites

Item What to specify
Tanks Slots, compatible miner models, lid and cable management
Dielectric fluid Type, flash point, volume for first fill and top-up
Fluid pumps and filtration Flow per miner, filter rating
Heat exchanger or distribution unit kW duty per tank, secondary loop flow
Dry cooler or cooling tower kW rejected at design ambient
Hoist and drip trays Lifting capacity, drain time, fluid recovery
Spill containment Volume, as required by local regulations
Level and temperature sensors Per tank, with alarms

See immersion systems and hydro cooling systems.

Mining hardware

Item What to specify
Miners Manufacturer, model, hashrate version, cooling type, condition, quantity
Power supplies, if separate Model matched to the miner, input range
Racks or shelving Load rating, slot dimensions, airflow path, service access
Containers, if used Rated kW, input voltage, miner compatibility, cooling capacity
Firmware Version, stock or third-party, update method

Network

Item What to specify
Internet uplinks Primary and backup route, independent where possible
Router and firewall VPN for remote access, no inbound access to miners
Switches A wired port per miner plus spares, uplink speed
Ethernet cabling Category, run lengths within the 100 m limit, labelling
Address plan Reserved addresses mapped to rack positions

Miners need little bandwidth. Bitmain's published specification for the Antminer S21 lists an RJ45 Ethernet 10/100M interface. See networking.

Monitoring and control

Item What to specify
Fleet management software Per-unit hashrate, temperature and fan data, bulk configuration, alerts
Power metering Per feeder and per PDU, logged
Environmental sensors Intake and exhaust temperature, humidity, differential pressure
Cooling plant controller Setpoints, alarm outputs, remote access
Alerting Who is notified, by what channel, at what threshold
CCTV and access control Coverage, recording retention, entry logging

Safety and fire

Item What to specify
Smoke and heat detection Coverage of electrical rooms, halls and containers
Fire extinguishers or suppression Type suitable for energised electrical equipment under the local fire code
Emergency stop Location, what it disconnects
Lockout and tagout equipment Locks and tags for every isolation point
Arc-flash labelling and protective equipment As determined by the electrical engineer's study
Hearing protection For air-cooled halls. Bitmain publishes 76 dB(A) for a single Antminer S21
Emergency lighting and exits Routes kept clear of cables and pallets
Spill kit For hydro and immersion sites
First aid Kit and trained person on shift

Never bypass a breaker, interlock or protective device to keep machines running.

Spares and tools

Set quantities from your fleet size, supplier lead times and the failure rate you observe. The right number is the one that covers the wait for a replacement.

Item What to specify
Cooling fans Exact fan model for each miner type (air sites)
Power supplies PSU model matched to each miner model
Hashboards Model and version matched to the miner
Control boards Compatible model
Signal cables and power cables Lengths and connectors as fitted
Hydro components Couplings, hoses, seals, a spare pump (hydro sites)
Filters Same class and size as installed (air sites)
Fluid Top-up stock (immersion sites)
Network spares A switch and patch leads
Repair tools Multimeter, clamp meter, thermal camera, blower

What changes by cooling method

System Air Hydro Immersion
Miner type Air-cooled Hydro Immersion
Typical distribution Single-phase to each miner Three-phase to each miner Per the miner's published input
Heat rejection Exhaust fans Dry cooler Dry cooler
Liquid handling None, unless evaporative Coolant loop Dielectric fluid and secondary loop
Filtration Air filters Coolant strainers Fluid filters
Fan spares Yes No miner fans No miner fans
Leak or spill provisions No Yes Yes
Hearing protection Yes At dry coolers At dry coolers

Confirm the distribution row against the published input range of your exact model. Bitmain, for example, publishes 220 to 277 V single-phase for the air-cooled Antminer S21 and 380 to 415 V three-phase for the Antminer S21 XP Hyd.