Factorio Forums

TL;DR

Let us dump fluids into corresponding oceans

What?

Let molten copper and iron being dumped into lava.
Let ammonia (and ice) being dumped into ammonia ocean.
With an offshore pump maybe.
Maybe other fluids (like water and ice in water oceans, heavy oil on Fulgora) for consistency.
Also dump fluids into the void of cosmos.

Why?

I understand destroying surplus is one of the new challenge in 2.0. But it was supposed to be on Fulgora. On Vulcanus devs implemented lava to destroy surplus, eliminating this challenge intentionally.
It's not a problem to cast a plate from molten iron to dump it into lava, but absurdity of said action pains me. Especially when I had to set up a bunch of foundries with beacons to do that on a large scale.
The same logic would apply to Aquilo. For me if you separate ammonia ocean into ammonia and ice you must be able to easily dump back both without affecting an ocean. Also I searched up that players may even have problems dealing with ammonia build up. 123862. It's not as easy as casting a plate before dumping it.
There is also existing method to dump fluids into void via changing recipes in plants. But it's just an abuse, doesn't feel right to exploit it.

The "proper" way to do this is by Crafting an item which utilizes the surplus fluid, and then Recycling (or space/lava-dumping) the item. The Flare Stack mod provides liquid-dumping capabilities (even for Molten Iron!).

Previously:

• Dump Valve/Open pipe
• Liquid voider
• Oil (overflow) burner
• Another suggestion for the expansion.
• And probably others...

eugenekay wrote: Fri Jan 23, 2026 10:49 pm The "proper" way to do this is by Crafting an item which utilizes the surplus fluid, and then Recycling (or space/lava-dumping) the item. The Flare Stack mod provides liquid-dumping capabilities (even for Molten Iron!).

I'm aware of how to solve the problem in a current version of the game. Even described how I did this with plates. Don't know why you repeated that. Other than calling it 'proper' method. Implying it's how it should be? Then why quotation marks? Maybe because you too realize that's the current solution is not how it should be.

I also have seen those suggestions, most of them. Old, before SA. Asking the ways to destroy items or "just dump oil in nature" (c). It's obvious devs didn't want this back then. But then they add recyclers in SA.
I would not have suggested adding 'open pipes' to 'dump oil in nature'. I suggested dumping specific items in specific places. Not to remove some gameplay challenges, but to remove steps that are absurd by common sense. Like casting a plate from molten copper only to dump it in lava, when you can just dump a molten copper itself. I didn't suggest to burn crude oil (it's reasonable to first make a fuel) or dump plastic, steel or oil into water or 'incinerate' some superconductors in an 'incinerator'. I suggested to dump ammonia in ammonia ocean.
So I think your 'previously' is misplaced. I suggested a different thing.

kitters wrote: Fri Jan 23, 2026 11:43 pmI'm aware of how to solve the problem in a current version of the game. Even described how I did this with plates. Don't know why you repeated that. Other than calling it 'proper' method. Implying it's how it should be? Then why quotation marks? Maybe because you too realize that's the current solution is not how it should be.

It is a statement of facts to provide a complete picture of the current situation. Not everything is a conspiracy. The desire to void liquids and items is a very old one here on the Forums.... I am thankful that the Recycler was added with 2.0 / Space Age, as it is much simpler than the old entity-destruction mechanisms (eg, running a Locomotive into a Wagon repeatedly).

I personally do not use Flare Stacks since I find that it cheapens the resource-overage-challenge particularly when used with Bob's Mods. I actually avoid Furnace-based entities altogether - they are slower than Crafter based mechanisms at an engine level.

Observations about this suggestion, which I boil down to ammonia at end...

In space age you get at least 4 new ways to destroy excess stuff so that couldn't be counted against the suggestion.

Dumping water back in the oceans or lakes, ok
Dumping lava back into the lava, ok
Dumping ammoniacal solution back into the ammonia ocean, ok
Dumping heavy oil or even light oil into the oil ocean, ok
Ice wouldn't sink on aquilo ...

A bigger issue is that destroying water, lava, ammoniacal solution, heavy oil (or light oil on fulgora) never solves a problem caused by the recipes at hand, because they're never side products of a multi-product recipe. Ice can already be destroyed various ways if it needs to be.

Destroying molten metal to get stone seems quite niche, but it's not that hard to make metal plates and destroy those anyway.

Which leaves us considering just dumping ammonia back into the ammonia ocean. Makes things too trivial on aquilo?

evanrinehart wrote: Sat Jan 24, 2026 7:51 am
Destroying molten metal to get stone seems quite niche, but it's not that hard to make metal plates and destroy those anyway.

It's the very thing that pushed me to make a suggestion, not Aquilo. It's not that it's hard (ffs! ), it's absurd.

evanrinehart wrote: Sat Jan 24, 2026 7:51 am
Ice wouldn't sink on aquilo ...

The mixture of water and ammonia is eutectic. That means water is liquid when it is part of the solution, and freezes into ice when separated. If you throw ice into an ocean of solution, the ice will dissolve.
And by the way, water ice would drown in pure liquid ammonia. For a solution it depends on concentrations, obviously.

That means water is liquid when it is part of the solution, and freezes into ice when separated. If you throw ice into an ocean of solution, the ice will dissolve.

This is fascinating thanks. I retract the bit about throwing ice back. Which moves ice into the same category as throwing ammonia back

kitters wrote: Sat Jan 24, 2026 10:56 am The mixture of water and ammonia is eutectic. That means water is liquid when it is part of the solution, and freezes into ice when separated. If you throw ice into an ocean of solution, the ice will dissolve.
And by the way, water ice would drown in pure liquid ammonia. For a solution it depends on concentrations, obviously.

This makes ice platforms quite interesting...