Home Mining Guide
Replace your electric heater with a Bitcoin miner.
Same heat. But it earns money.
Why Mine at Home?
Every electric heater converts 100% of electricity into heat — that's thermodynamics.
A Bitcoin miner does the exact same thing. 100% of the electricity becomes heat.
The difference? While your heater just burns money, a miner earns Bitcoin while producing the same heat.
In Norway, where electric heating is the norm, this is a particularly powerful strategy:
• Norwegian electricity is among the cheapest in Europe
• Cold winters mean 6–8 months of heating demand
• Clean hydropower means your mining is carbon-neutral
• No additional energy cost — you were going to heat anyway
The result: Your heating bill stays the same, but now part of it comes back as Bitcoin.
How It Works
1. Replace, don't add
You're not adding electricity usage. You're redirecting the heat you already need through a miner first.
2. The miner does computation
As the miner processes SHA-256 hashes, the chips generate heat — just like any processor under load. This heat radiates into your room.
3. You get paid for the computation
The mining pool pays you in Bitcoin for the hashpower your miner contributes. The heat is the "waste" product — except for you, it's the actual product.
4. Smart control
With tools like Hive Control, you can set a target temperature, fan speed, and power range. The miner adjusts itself to maintain comfortable room temperature — just like a thermostat, but one that earns money.
Example:
A typical Norwegian home uses 15,000–20,000 kWh per year on heating.
At Norwegian electricity prices (~0.05–0.10 USD/kWh), a miner running at 1,500W during cold months can earn 50–150 USD/month in Bitcoin — heat you would have paid for anyway.
Equipment Recommendations
For a single room (bedroom, office, workshop):
• Antminer S19/S21 series (1,500–3,500W) — one unit heats a medium room
• Braiins OS+ firmware — allows fine-grained power control for heat management
• Hive Control — our free software for temperature-based mining (Heatmode)
For whole-house heating:
• Multiple miners distributed in different rooms
• Immersion cooling systems with heat exchangers — route heat through radiators or underfloor heating
• Hot water pre-heating — use miner heat to warm your hot water tank
Noise considerations:
• Stock fans are loud (70–80 dB). Solutions:
– Replace fans with Noctua silent fans (35–45 dB)
– Build a sound-dampening enclosure
– Use immersion cooling (nearly silent)
– Place in a utility room, basement, or garage with ducting
Electrical requirements:
• 240V outlet (standard in Norway) — most miners need 10–16A
• Dedicated circuit recommended for units above 2,000W
• PSU included with most miners, or upgrade to a quieter PSU
Step-by-Step Setup
1. Get a miner
Buy new or second-hand. Second-hand miners offer excellent value — the heat output is the same regardless of age.
2. Flash Braiins OS+
Free firmware from braiins.com. Gives you fine power control, auto-tuning, and lower dev fees than stock firmware.
3. Join a mining pool
We recommend:
• Braiins Pool — low fees, transparent, supports Stratum V2
• Ocean — non-custodial, decentralized payouts
• Public Pool — solo mining pool for lottery tickets
4. Install Hive Control
Download from our Software page. Set up Heatmode with your target temperature and power range.
5. Place and connect
Position the miner where you want heat. Connect ethernet, power, and configure your pool settings.
6. Set and forget
Heatmode adjusts power automatically based on chip temperature. Your room stays warm. Your wallet grows.
Real-World Savings Calculator
Visit our Compute Heating Calculator to estimate your savings based on:
• Your electricity price
• Your yearly heating usage
• Current miner efficiency
• Bitcoin price projections
Quick example:
15,000 kWh/year heating × $0.07/kWh = $1,050/year heating cost
Same energy through a miner at current hashprice ≈ $600–1,200/year in Bitcoin earned
Net heating cost: near zero to negative (you profit)
Summer Strategy
What about when you don't need heat?
Option 1: Reduce or stop
Turn down power or shut off. You only mine when heat is useful.
Option 2: Exhaust outside
Duct hot air from the miner outside. Still mine, just vent the heat.
Option 3: Heat water
Route heat to your hot water tank. You use hot water year-round.
Option 4: Greenhouse heating
Direct waste heat to a greenhouse. Extend your growing season while earning Bitcoin. Read our greenhouse guide →