Factorio Forums

I noticed power shortage and built another steam engines pack. But that didn't helped.
While I tried to figure out what's wrong, I noticed, that one of pipes connected to water pump have only 1-2 water in it.
Water pump next to it has it's regular 10 in it. But this one only 1-2. I've built another pump nearby and connected it to the same pipe and I got 10 in these pipes...
What was that?
Am I missing something about pumps?

I place one offshorepump for 10 steam engnes and 14 boilers. One pump can not deliver an infite amount of water. IF your problem was of another kind, a screenshot always helps

Here:


This pump is connected to 10 steam engines. Why only 0.5 water???

Xecutor wrote:Here:
This pump is connected to 10 steam engines. Why only 0.5 water???

Looks like your steam engines are drawing more water than that lonely pump can supply. When you don't have enough water (or its not hot enough), your steam engines will draw water faster to try and compensate. Try adding more pumps and if that doesn't work, you'll need to check the temp is 100 at the outflow of your boilers. You can do that by hovering over the boiler.

In terms of general design, try 1 Pump - 14 Boilers - 12 Engines. That will get everything working at over 90%.

The overground pipes after the underground pipe seems quite filled to me. And I see only 10 burners at that line, all working. Maybe you could provide the savegame so that I could have a look into it?

It's very strange... But when I fixed coal shortage of upper pack of boilers, the water pressure issue resolved itself!

p.s. Water temperature in 5th boiler in chain is 100. Is there any sense in adding more?

-root wrote: When you don't have enough water (or its not hot enough), your steam engines will draw water faster to try and compensate.

So yeah, water wasn't hot enough therefore it was drawing the water faster to try and get the production out of the steam engines.

No sense in adding another pipe if your water pressure is at 100. The ratio I mentioned above is what a pump can handle (1:14:12, pumps to boilers to engines)

I believe steam engines blow up if you don't have the water to run them. Never seen it though

-root wrote: So yeah, water wasn't hot enough therefore it was drawing the water faster to try and get the production out of the steam engines.

The question is - why shortage of coal on separate system affects water flow in a system that is well fed with coal?
They aren't connected!

Ah I see. They must be connected somehow. Either that or a bug. I daresay its a connection somewhere that you're not seeing. I'm afraid beyond that I'm not going to be much more help, we'll need someone more knowledgable to help with that. It may be that steam engines connect when placed side by side? Or you have the systems linked somewhere.

I suspect this was caused by the steam engines connected to the system with low coal wasent working at 100 temprature.
This again forces the steam engines connected to the system with low water to work alot harder, thus draining more water.

Edit;
Still, it does sound a bit strange that 10 steam engines would drain the system of water, even if working at full power. Meybe the 10 boilers wasent enough?
Only thing I can think of would be that the engines would start draining more water, if the temprature falls below 100. Dont quote me on this though