Mining Hardware Maintenance Guide for ASIC and Hydro Miners

1. What Is Mining Hardware Maintenance and Why It Matters

Mining hardware maintenance covers the full range of actions required to keep your mining infrastructure running safely and efficiently:

  • ASIC miners (air-cooled and hydro-cooled),
  • power supplies and electrical system,
  • cooling systems (air, water, immersion),
  • supporting infrastructure (racks, cabling, network).

ASIC miners operate 24/7 at high load, high temperature and continuous current. Any failure in cooling, power delivery, or environmental conditions leads to:

  • lost hashrate,
  • accelerated wear of chips and power components,
  • higher risk of expensive repairs or complete hardware failure.

The goal of maintenance is not just “fixing when it breaks”, but minimizing downtime and extending hardware lifetime:

  • keeping temperatures and voltages in safe ranges,
  • removing dust and contaminants in time,
  • monitoring water or coolant quality in hydro systems,
  • detecting fan, PSU, and connector degradation before critical failure.

2. Types of Equipment: Air-Cooled ASICs and Hydro Miners

2.1. Air-Cooled ASIC Miners

A typical air-cooled ASIC miner includes:

  • Hashboards – boards with ASIC chips and heatsinks,
  • Chassis forming an air tunnel,
  • Controller board with firmware and network settings,
  • Power supply unit (PSU) – integrated or external.

Maintenance tasks for air-cooled miners focus on:

  • cleaning dust from heatsinks and fans,
  • checking fan health,
  • monitoring temperatures and logs,
  • inspecting connectors and power cables.

2.2. Hydro Miners and Liquid Cooling

A hydro miner (water-cooled or hydro-cooled ASIC) uses water blocks or cold plates instead of individual heatsinks:

  • water or water–glycol mixture flows through the blocks,
  • heat is removed by a circulation loop with pumps, filters and heat exchangers.

Hydro-cooling enables:

  • higher power density in smaller footprints,
  • lower chip temperatures and less noise,
  • more efficient heat reuse and removal.

However, hydro systems introduce their own risk profile:

  • scaling and mineral build-up,
  • corrosion and microcracks in water blocks and pipes,
  • leaks and short circuits,
  • freezing in cold climates,
  • pump and filter degradation and falling flow rate.

For hydro miners, structured maintenance is critical: minor mistakes in water treatment, filtration, or leak prevention can damage multiple boards at once.

3. Main Wear Factors for ASIC Miners

Regardless of cooling type, the same core factors affect hardware lifetime:

  1. Temperature
    Constant operation near thermal limits accelerates chip and solder degradation. Frequent thermal cycles (start/stop, big seasonal swings without gradual adjustment) cause microcracks.
  2. Dust and contamination
    Dust clogs heatsinks and fan blades, raises temperatures, and acts as a moisture carrier on PCBs, accelerating corrosion and potential leakage paths.
  3. Humidity and condensation
    High humidity and condensation inside the chassis corrode traces and contacts. In hydro systems, insufficient drying after service is especially dangerous: remaining moisture can lead to short circuits.
  4. Power quality
    Voltage sags and surges, phase imbalance, overloaded circuits, and poor contacts in terminals and connectors put extra stress on PSUs and boards.
  5. Operating mode
    Aggressive overclocking and raised voltages on top of marginal cooling significantly reduce lifetime. Unstable or untested firmware configurations add further risk.
  6. Mechanical stress
    Poor packaging during transport, shocks, vibration, and tension on cables can physically damage boards, heatsinks, and connectors.

4. Maintenance Schedule: What to Do and How Often

4.1. Daily Checks

  • Verify hashrate, temperatures and error statistics in your monitoring system.
  • Check which miners are online/offline.
  • Walk the room: listen for unusual sounds, sniff for burning smell, look for warning LEDs.
  • For hydro loops:
    • visually inspect fittings and blocks for leaks,
    • check pressure/flow readings if sensors are installed.

4.2. Weekly Tasks

  • Review miner and pool logs:
    • frequent restarts,
    • errors such as “0 ASICs”, dropped chains, thermal shutdowns.
  • Compare actual power draw (from meters) with the expected value. A noticeable increase at the same hashrate is a warning sign.
  • Listen to fans:
    • new noises, rattling, or vibration indicate bearing issues.
  • For hydro systems:
    • monitor inlet and outlet water temperatures,
    • keep an eye on ΔT: rising temperature delta at the same load usually means clogged filters or flow restrictions.

4.3. Monthly Maintenance

  • Clean the dust from the dirtiest areas (or more often in very dusty environments).
  • Inspect power and signal cabling, connectors, and terminal blocks.
  • Review logs of power events:
    • breaker trips, unexpected power cuts, voltage faults.
  • In hydro loops:
    • inspect and clean or replace filters as needed,
    • inspect pipes, hoses and heat exchangers for corrosion, rust, scale and traces of leaks.

4.4. Quarterly / Semiannual Work

  • Perform deep cleaning:
    • blow out heatsinks and chassis with compressed air at moderate pressure,
    • when necessary, partially disassemble units and clean hashboards carefully.
  • Analyze failure statistics:
    • which models and racks show higher failure rates,
    • which locations present systematically higher temperatures.
  • Adjust settings if needed:
    • slightly reducing voltage/frequency on “weak batches” often pays off in reliability.
  • For hydro systems:
    • perform partial or full coolant replacement according to vendor recommendations,
    • check corrosion inhibitors and antifreeze if used,
    • flush heat exchangers and pipes with appropriate industrial cleaning agents against corrosion and scaling.

5. Cooling and Temperature Control

5.1. Target Temperature Ranges

Manufacturers of ASIC miners define:

  • nominal operating ranges for chip temperatures,
  • emergency thresholds for throttling or shutdown.

In practice, a good target for mining hardware maintenance is to keep chip temperatures where:

  • there is no throttling,
  • fans do not run at 100% all the time,
  • heatsinks and chassis are hot but not burning on brief contact.

A stable, moderate temperature profile is usually better than sharp cycles like “very cold at night – very hot during daytime”.

5.2. Air Cooling: Key Points

  • Build a clear air tunnel: intake → miner → exhaust.
  • Prevent recirculation:
    • hot exhaust air must not be sucked back into the intake.
  • Ensure:
    • intake openings are not blocked by boxes or cables,
    • filters (if installed) are cleaned or replaced regularly.

Typical mistakes:

  • pockets of hot air around exhausts,
  • no separation between hot and cold air streams,
  • random miner placement without airflow planning.

5.3. Immersion Cooling (Briefly)

In immersion setups, miners are submerged in dielectric fluid. For maintenance, it is crucial to:

  • monitor fluid quality and cleanliness:
    • with proper filtration, fluid can last years,
    • contaminated or degraded fluid must be replaced.
  • avoid moisture and foreign substances entering the tank,
  • maintain pumps, filters and heat exchangers similarly to hydro systems.

6. Hydro Miners: Common Issues and Preventive Solutions

6.1. Poor Water Quality and Scaling

Problem:

  • use of untreated tap water or water with high mineral content,
  • no corrosion inhibitors, no anti-scaling additives.

Consequences:

  • scale and deposits inside blocks and pipes,
  • reduced flow, higher temperature delta,
  • localized overheating on some chip areas,
  • accelerated corrosion of metal and solder joints.

Preventive measures:

  • use water prepared according to equipment vendor specs (softened/treated, with controlled hardness),
  • use appropriate additives:
    • corrosion inhibitors,
    • anti-scaling chemicals compatible with system materials,
  • include filtration and regular water analysis (hardness, pH, dissolved solids) in your maintenance plan.

6.2. Clogged Filters, Flow Loss and Overheating

Problem:

  • filters gradually clog, parts of the loop accumulate debris,
  • flow rate drops unnoticed.

Symptoms:

  • higher ΔT between inlet and outlet at the same power level,
  • rising chip temperatures,
  • thermal shutdowns.

Preventive measures:

  • schedule filter cleaning/replacement (based on vendor recommendations and environment),
  • install flow and pressure sensors with alarm thresholds,
  • periodically inspect and flush the most vulnerable loop sections.

6.3. Leaks and Microcracks

Problem:

  • microcracks in blocks and pipes,
  • loose fittings, damaged hoses.

Consequences:

  • local drips and wet spots,
  • liquid reaching electronic components,
  • short circuits and burned hashboards.

Preventive measures:

  • daily visual inspection of critical nodes for moisture and corrosion,
  • using quality fittings and hoses rated for temperature and pressure,
  • proper mechanical support and routing for all lines, avoiding abrasion and kinks,
  • pressure tests after repairs and upgrades to detect leaks early.

6.4. Freezing in Cold Climates

Problem:

  • plain water used in regions with sub-zero temperatures,
  • partial or full freezing of coolant in pipes or blocks.

Consequences:

  • cracked plates and blocks,
  • damaged joints, leaks after thawing,
  • loss of warranty in some setups.

Preventive measures:

  • use antifreeze recommended by the system vendor,
  • keep minimum room temperature for equipment with water loops,
  • drain or blow out loops before long shutdowns in cold seasons.

6.5. Incomplete Drying of Boards After Service

Problem:

  • after block or loop repairs, moisture remains inside assemblies,
  • boards are assembled and powered up before being fully dry.

Consequences:

  • moisture migration under heat,
  • corrosion and eventual shorts, up to catastrophic board failure.

Preventive measures:

  • thorough air or nitrogen blow-out and full drying before assembly,
  • using controlled temperature for drying and respecting vendor guidelines,
  • waiting an additional “drying interval” before powering up miners after reassembly.

6.6. External Hydro Loop Inspections

Industrial hydro solutions (containers, closed-loop dry coolers, chiller systems) require routine walk-throughs. Good practice includes checking:

  • for rust, corrosion and scale on pipes and heat exchangers,
  • for leaks at joints and valves,
  • labels and valve positions,
  • pump noise and vibration,
  • correct operation of level, pressure and temperature sensors,
  • integrity of insulation and enclosure sealing.

Keep a log for each inspection:

  • date and time,
  • observed issues,
  • actions taken.

7. Power: PSUs and Electrical System

7.1. Power Supply Units (PSUs)

PSUs have limited lifetime due to:

  • electrolytic capacitor aging and drying,
  • thermal stress,
  • line surges and spikes.

Typical signs of PSU problems:

  • miner fails to start or constantly reboots,
  • unstable output voltages,
  • noise, smell, discoloration of casing or terminals.

Maintenance:

  • regular dust removal (externally and, when possible, internally),
  • temperature monitoring, especially for PSUs in hot rows or upper racks,
  • tightening and inspecting connections,
  • keeping spare PSUs to swap suspected degraded units quickly.

7.2. Electrical Network and Load Distribution

  • calculate and respect allowed load for each circuit and phase,
  • use cables and breakers rated for continuous 24/7 operation,
  • avoid cheap extension cords and “monster adapters”,
  • organize cable management so that wiring does not block airflow.

8. Dust and Contamination: Enemy Number One for Air-Cooled Miners

8.1. Sources and Impact

Dust comes from:

  • intake air,
  • clothes, packaging, boxes, insulation materials,
  • unfinished floors and walls (construction dust).

Accumulated dust:

  • clogs heatsink fins and fan blades,
  • raises operating temperatures and causes throttling or shutdowns,
  • on PCBs, holds moisture and accelerates corrosion.

8.2. Prevention

  • install filters on intake (and budget for cleaning/replacement),
  • separate “dirty” zones (unpacking, repairs) from the mining room,
  • avoid storing junk and cardboard near intakes.

8.3. Practical Cleaning Methods

  • use compressed air at moderate pressure,
  • use antistatic brushes or soft brushes,
  • if possible, move miners to a separate cleaning area to avoid spreading dust in the mining room.

Avoid washing boards with tap water and avoid aggressive solvents unless you fully understand their effect on solder mask, coatings and plastics.

9. Servicing Core Miner Components

9.1. Hashboards

During regular visual inspections, look for:

  • darkened or burned areas,
  • cracks in heatsinks or solder joints,
  • corrosion or oxidation on connectors.

Log behavior:

  • chains going down or reporting “0 ASICs”,
  • frequent reboots of specific chains,
  • one chain running consistently hotter than others.

Without a full repair lab, you can still:

  • ensure connectors are clean and fully seated,
  • carefully check and tighten heatsink mounting where allowed by design.

9.2. Controller Boards and Firmware

  • regularly back up configurations (pools, workers, frequencies),
  • upgrade to stable firmware versions only when there is a clear reason (bug fixes, features, security),
  • before flashing:
    • make sure power and network are stable,
    • have a recovery image/SD card ready.

9.3. Fans

  • fans have finite lifetime, especially in hot and dusty environments,
  • early signs of failure:
    • increased noise, grinding or rattling,
    • unstable RPM readings,
    • fan speed errors in logs.
  • it is often cheaper to replace aging fans proactively than to wait for a thermal shutdown.

9.4. Cables and Connectors

  • replace any cables or connectors showing discoloration or melting traces,
  • avoid strong mechanical tension and sharp bends,
  • periodically tighten power terminals (with equipment safely powered down).

10. Software, Monitoring and Logging

10.1. Monitoring Systems

For effective mining hardware maintenance, it helps to track:

  • per-device and per-farm hashrate,
  • chip and board temperatures,
  • fan speeds,
  • reboot frequency,
  • errors (hardware errors, dropped ASICs, thermal faults).

Monitoring allows you to quickly identify problematic devices, analyze long-term trends, and set up meaningful alerts (messengers, email, dashboards).

10.2. Configuration and Operating Modes

  • set realistic temperature limits and shutdown thresholds,
  • consider underclocking/undervolting unstable models or batches to gain reliability,
  • avoid extreme overclocking without strong cooling reserves and close monitoring.

10.3. Logs and Audit Trail

  • keep access to miner logs (kernel/system logs),
  • maintain a separate maintenance log with:
    • dates of cleaning and service,
    • fan and PSU replacements,
    • repairs and unusual events in the power system,
    • hydro loop interventions.

11. Checklists and Simple Maintenance Procedures

11.1. Small Farms (Up to 10–20 Miners)

A simple spreadsheet is often enough, with columns for:

  • device ID / serial number,
  • date of last cleaning,
  • date of last fan/PSU replacement,
  • date and description of last failure and corrective action.

11.2. Medium Farms (50–200 Miners)

  • assign a dedicated person for maintenance,
  • deploy centralized monitoring with alerts,
  • log repairs and component swaps separately from daily stats,
  • track basic KPIs:
    • average downtime per device,
    • number of emergency shutdowns per month.

11.3. Large Farms (200+ Miners)

  • separate roles:
    • operators, technicians, engineers,
  • use specialized asset and ticketing systems for:
    • device inventory,
    • maintenance and repair tracking,
    • integration with monitoring.
  • track extended KPIs:
    • MTBF (mean time between failures),
    • MTTR (mean time to repair),
    • ratio of scheduled vs. emergency downtime.

12. Facility Conditions and Infrastructure

12.1. Temperature and Humidity

  • aim for stable temperatures in a reasonable range for IT equipment and ASICs,
  • avoid extreme peaks and rapid swings,
  • control humidity:
    • too low increases static risk,
    • too high raises condensation and corrosion risk.

12.2. Airflow Organization

  • implement hot/cold aisle separation where possible, even in a simplified form,
  • keep intake paths clear of obstructions,
  • in rack-based setups, use blanking panels in empty rack spaces to avoid hot air recirculation.

13. Typical Mistakes in Mining Hardware Maintenance

  1. No structured maintenance at all
    Only reacting when a red light is already on, with no schedule or logging.
  2. Saving on cooling and filtration
    Good airflow, fans and filters are cheaper than burned boards.
  3. Aggressive or random cleaning
    Blasting boards with high-pressure air, no ESD precautions, or using inappropriate liquids.
  4. Overloaded circuits and improvised wiring
    Household-grade extension cords, un-rated adapters, and overloaded outlets running at full load 24/7.
  5. Hydro systems without understanding
    Raw tap water without treatment, no filtration and no water quality control quickly leads to scale, corrosion and blocked channels.
  6. Careless firmware updates
    Updating firmware in the middle of peak mining without backups or testing on a smaller batch first.

14. Safety: Fire, Electrical and Personal Protection

  • Fire safety:
    • smoke detectors,
    • adequate fire extinguishers,
    • keeping combustible materials away from miners.
  • Electrical safety:
    • proper grounding,
    • correctly sized breakers and RCDs,
    • neat and secure cabling.
  • Personal protection:
    • respirators or masks and safety glasses when cleaning dusty miners,
    • hearing protection in very noisy facilities,
    • appropriate gloves and skin protection when working with cleaning chemicals for boards and heat exchangers.

15. Economics of Mining Hardware Maintenance

Every hour of downtime is lost revenue. At the same time:

  • the cost of preventive cleaning and scheduled maintenance is usually far below:
    • the cost of replacing burned boards,
    • shipping and repair turnaround delays,
    • emergency on-site visits.

This is especially visible in hydro farms, where a single leak or loop failure can damage multiple boards at once. Proper water quality management, filtration and leak control are cheaper than the aftermath of a major incident.

16. Implementing a Systematic Maintenance Process

  1. Define a basic maintenance schedule
    Even a single-page document stating:
    • what is checked daily/weekly/monthly,
    • who is responsible,
    • where results are recorded.
  2. Track devices and service events
    For each miner:
    • ID/serial number,
    • purchase or deployment date,
    • last cleaning date,
    • last repair or replacement,
    • significant incidents.
  3. Deploy monitoring
    Set up clear graphs and alerts for:
    • temperature and hashrate anomalies,
    • frequent restarts,
    • thermal shutdowns.
  4. Create a dedicated block for hydro systems
    Include:
    • water/coolant treatment procedures,
    • filter maintenance schedule,
    • regular loop inspections and pressure tests,
    • a detailed service log for all loop work.
  5. Improve iteratively
    Analyze failure statistics, adjust maintenance frequency, and add sensors and automation as the farm grows.

17. Conclusion

Mining hardware maintenance is not a one-time procedure but a continuous process that runs alongside the mining operation itself. Efficient cooling (air, hydro or immersion), clean power, and structured service routines directly translate into longer hardware life, more stable hashrate and predictable operating costs.

Dust, poor power quality and ignoring water treatment in hydro systems cause failures much faster than most miners expect at the start. Even a basic maintenance schedule and minimal logging significantly reduce emergency incidents.

For hydro miners, preventive work on water quality, filtration, leak detection and board drying is especially important: a single mistake can damage multiple boards at once. Treat maintenance as an investment in the resilience of your mining farm, not as an unavoidable expense, and your hardware will run longer, more reliably and with fewer surprises.

Need Help with Mining Hardware Maintenance?

If you prefer to outsource part of your ASIC miner maintenance or need professional board repair and diagnostics, contact our repair team and tell us about your setup.