Sandustry Pumps, Pipes and Water Transport

30-second minimum network

When a Water system fails, remove complexity before adding capacity. The smallest useful test has one liquid source, one Pump, one continuous Pipe path and one Liquid Vent.

Build that path in order:

1. Choose a Water source whose surface and liquid level can be seen.
2. Place the Pump so its grid overlaps the liquid pixels, not merely the wall beside them.
3. Connect the Pump to a Pipe route without branches.
4. End the route at one Liquid Vent.
5. Keep the Vent’s central output area and the space above it open.
6. Confirm Water at the outlet before adding storage, reactions or another branch.

This test answers a binary question: can liquid move from this source to this outlet? It does not attempt to measure the best flow rate. Exact per-tick flow and optimal ratios are not confirmed by the current sources.

Place and immerse the Pump

A Pump draws from liquid pixels touching its grid. More immersion can increase flow, but the exact relationship is version sensitive. Begin with obvious contact rather than aiming for an unverified ideal depth.

The most common placement mistake is reasoning from appearance instead of contact. A Pump can look close to Water while its active grid does not intersect the liquid. If the source level changes, contact can also disappear. Watch the actual liquid boundary during the test.

Non-liquid material inside the Pump area can block transport. Clear Sand or other solid pixels before rerouting Pipes. Adding another Pump does not repair contamination inside the first one.

If flow is intermittent, observe whether the Water level moves away from the Pump. A stable refill source and a correctly placed Pump are different responsibilities. Diagnose the source before expanding the network.

Understand shared Pipe networks

Multiple Pumps and Liquid Vents on one connected Pipe network share inputs and outputs. That behavior allows one reservoir to serve several destinations or several Pumps to feed a wider system, but it changes how failures must be investigated.

Imagine a network with two Pumps and two Vents. If one Vent becomes blocked, the other outlet may still work. If one branch connects an unintended liquid, that liquid can join the shared system. Looking only at the nearest Pump can therefore miss the actual cause.

Pipes can overlap structures and carry mixed liquids. Overlap makes routing compact, while mixed-liquid support makes accidental connections possible. During troubleshooting:

• label each branch by task;
• disconnect unneeded inputs;
• keep different liquids on separate networks;
• prove one outlet before reconnecting the next;
• do not assume a visually crossing structure is disconnected without checking Pipe continuity.

This incremental order creates a known-good comparison. If a problem appears, the most recent branch is the first variable to remove.

Keep the Liquid Vent outlet clear

A Liquid Vent outputs liquid from its central area and stops when the outlet above is blocked. This can make a healthy Pump and Pipe route look broken.

Before replacing the network, inspect the destination:

1. Is the Vent connected to the intended Pipe?
2. Is its central output area visible?
3. Is a structure, solid material or accumulated reaction product occupying the space above it?
4. Does the destination consume Water immediately, making output difficult to see?

Clear the outlet and test it over an empty receiving area. If one Vent works after isolation, reconnect shared outputs one at a time. A blocked destination is an output problem, not an input-capacity problem.

Pump and Pipe decision tree

Use the first failed check as the working hypothesis.

Unsupported liquid

If the target is Lava, stop. Normal Pipe and Pump networks cannot transport Lava. Water touching Lava can create Steam, but that reaction does not turn the Pipe into a Lava transport system. Use the Lava transport guide to cool it into a movable solid instead.

No liquid contact

Reposition the Pump or restore the source level. Do not change the distant outlet until the Pump’s grid visibly touches Water.

Pump contamination

Remove solid pixels from the Pump area. Re-test the same minimal route before adding anything else.

Broken or shared route

Trace Pipe continuity from the Pump outward. Disconnect branches that are not required for the test. A shared network must be treated as one system, even if parts are physically far apart.

Blocked outlet

Clear the Liquid Vent’s central output and the space above it. Test over an empty basin to make Water visible.

Build a controlled refill branch

After the minimum route works, use it as a refill branch rather than immediately converting it into a network with many unknown consumers.

1. Keep the source pool visible.
2. Route one Pipe to a small receiving basin near the intended production area.
3. Place the Liquid Vent where its outlet remains accessible.
4. Confirm the receiving basin fills.
5. Add the reaction or consumer after transport is stable.
6. If a second destination is required, branch after the known working section and test it separately.

For renewable input, connect this branch only after the Snow-to-Steam collection pool is visibly producing Water. The Renewable Water guide diagnoses generation; this page diagnoses movement. Keeping those boundaries separate tells you which system actually stopped.

For a system overview and source selection, return to Water and Pipes. For the first material loop, use the Beginner Guide.

Large networks need measurements that are not yet available here. The page does not claim a maximum Pipe capacity, equal branch distribution or a universal Pump-to-Vent ratio.

Pump and Pipe FAQ

Why does my Pump move nothing?

Confirm that the target is a supported liquid, Water pixels touch the Pump grid and no solid material blocks the Pump area. Then test one continuous Pipe to one clear Vent.

Why does the network fill but not output?

Inspect the Liquid Vent. Its central output area and the space above must be clear. Isolate one outlet before rebuilding the input side.

Can one Pipe network use multiple Pumps and Vents?

Yes. Connected Pumps and Liquid Vents share inputs and outputs. Add them one at a time so an unexpected branch or mixed liquid can be identified.

Why will Lava not enter the Pipe?

Because Lava is not supported by normal Pipe or Pump transport. This is a mechanism boundary, not a placement error.