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Liquid Management Guide: Pumps, Tanks & Pipe Setups

Liquids are the in-game category of fluids that flow through pipes, are consumed and produced by machines, and are handled by dedicated buildings and items. Managing liquids is essential for petroleum processing, chemical production, power (steam) generation, and remote resource transport.

Basics of liquids and the fluid system

  • Liquids flow through pipes and storage tanks using the game's fluid system; they behave differently from items and have level-based mechanics (a segment’s fill level affects flow and pump throughput).
  • Steam is a special fluid: it is treated as a non-liquid fluid in the game and cannot be barrelled.
  • Fluid inputs on machines are fixed: buildings that accept fluids (for example the Chemical Plant) have specific fluid input points. Recipes that require two liquids will accept each on a specific input; the UI shows icons indicating which input each ingredient must use. These inputs can be flipped with the machine-rotation controls.

Pipes and distance limits

  • Liquids move through networks of pipes. A newly created fluid can travel up to a fixed distance from its origin before it needs a pump to reset that range.
  • Pumps reset the travel distance allowance: when a fluid passes through a pump the counter restarts, allowing the fluid to travel another maximum distance.
  • If a pipe run has been extended past the allowed travel distance, the map will show a warning on that segment.
  • Multiple pumps placed in series do not extend the travel allowance cumulatively — only the last pump in a continuous chain resets the distance. Multiple pumps placed in parallel (separate pipe runs feeding the same destination) can increase throughput.

Pumps: placement, throughput and uses

  • Pumps move fluids between pipe segments and are required for long-distance transport and some setups to maintain flow. A pump placed with one end facing a rail track and the other connected to pipes will change visually and can load or unload fluid wagons when a wagon stops adjacent.
  • A single pump can move up to 20 units per tick (1200 units per second) under ideal conditions. Actual throughput depends on the fill level of the source and destination pipe segments: if the source segment is low (below ~20% fill) or the destination segment is high (above ~80% fill), the pump cannot reach its maximum rate.
  • Because pumps in parallel add throughput, placing multiple pumps in parallel is the practical way to increase transfer rate. Five regular pumps in parallel can reach the theoretical maximum throughput of a single input/output connection (five × 1200 = 6000 units/s).

Storage and barrels

  • Liquids can be stored in storage tanks or moved as items using barrels. Empty barrels can be crafted by hand, and filling/emptying barrel recipes are available once the relevant technologies are researched.
  • When an assembly machine (or similar) empties a filled barrel, it returns the empty barrel item as part of the recipe output. Barrelled fluids are useful for transporting liquids where pipes are impractical (e.g., remote oil fields) and can be carried in inventories, chests, or train cars.

Practical notes and tips

  • Always ensure pump placement such that source segments remain sufficiently full and output segments have capacity; otherwise pump rate will drop.
  • Use parallel pipe runs and parallel pumps to increase total throughput rather than chaining pumps for distance.
  • Remember fixed fluid input points on assemblers and chemical plants when designing layouts: some recipes require liquids in specific inputs and the UI indicates which input is which.
  • Consider barrel logistics when pipelines are impractical: barrels allow fluid transport by logistic networks, trains, and player or logistic-carried transfer.
  • Liquid handling interacts heavily with Petroleum Processing and the general fluid system. Steam and water are common fluids used in power and production; others (oil products, sulfuric acid, lubricant, fluoroketone cold, etc.) are used in recipes and must be routed correctly.

This page summarizes the operational facts and practical considerations for handling liquids in Factorio: how they flow, how pumps and pipes affect distance and throughput, storage options, and common layout constraints.