Factorio Forums

Steam heating is a very common form of heating. Can steam heating be added, please?

Can you be more specific? Do you mean using steam in pipes to heat tiles on Aquilo? I don't think this would be a good idea, as steam does not cool over distance, but heat pipes do.

Having the steam heat only the pipes, but not neighbouring tiles is better, and https://mods.factorio.com/mod/better-thermal implements this.

The heating mechanic is generally pretty nonsensical, it’s 100% gameplay and 0% realism. You kind of just have to accept it as it is.

Heating with steam instead of heat pipes would be OP, because steam can go through underground pipes while heat cannot.

Yodo wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2025 1:35 pm Can you be more specific? Do you mean using steam in pipes to heat tiles on Aquilo? I don't think this would be a good idea, as steam does not cool over distance, but heat pipes do.

Having the steam heat only the pipes, but not neighbouring tiles is better, and https://mods.factorio.com/mod/better-thermal implements this.

Steam piping from a central location to other places which is then consumed via a radiator or something to provide heat to a location. So, in Factorio terms, maybe a central steam generator sends steam to a radiator via pipes, which then can convert it to thermal energy via heat pipes or something.

CyberCider wrote: Thu Jan 02, 2025 8:30 am The heating mechanic is generally pretty nonsensical, it’s 100% gameplay and 0% realism. You kind of just have to accept it as it is.

Heating with steam instead of heat pipes would be OP, because steam can go through underground pipes while heat cannot.

I'm not looking for realism, but plausibility. Factorio isn't realistic, but it's based in realism that then squishes the physics to get to a plausible place. Everyone has a different tolerance for gameplay vs plausibility and the heating mechanic is too far for me.

Also, I don't think steam heating would be OP. Execution and limits make it OP or not.

This sounds like a heating tower, if it would eat steam instead of solid fuels.
That is, the reverse of a heat exchanger.