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[Greendogo]

**If anyone has any plumbing related topics besides mine, feel free to FLOOD this topic with questions or comments.**

I am making a new fortress in which I want to have a highly sophisticated plumbing system for both water and magma.

I have an aquifer which I will tap for the system, but I assume using another waters source such as a pumpstack and an underground river would work just as well.

What I am planning to do is to have plumbing for EACH FLOOR.  This means that every other floor will be a plumbing floor so that if I need to change my layout to accommodate a magma forge on different floors I won't have to subjugate massive amounts of utilized space in the process.  Another benefit is that I can then put wells on each floor and in every room if I so desire.  While wells aren't good for a lot of things, they will allow me to put a well in each bedroom made from masterwork components.  This *should* make my dorfs very happy.  Like crapping in their pants every step they take happy.  In addition, I could probably rig up some royal-class magma plumbing for some of the larger rooms.

What I need some advice on is the actual methods of liquid transport and containment.  For instance, how would I tap an aquifer from beneath?  Build an up/down stair on the floor beneath it in order to have digging access to the floor above?  How can I successfully power a magma pump stack from the magma sea?  Also, I assume pressurizing the water will be a cinch using one diagonal openings into the piping, correct?  Also, does anyone have any argument against building wells in each bedroom?  I'll definitely have them in each meeting hall/dining room/hospital.  It might be over kill.  Also, it would be nice making them dorf proof, so am I able to build them over floor grates?

As I said above, if anyone has any plumbing related topics besides mine, feel free to use this topic for any questions or comments.

[decius]

For powering my magma pump stack from the sea to cavern one, I'm using a giant wind farm on the surface. So far, I'm having trouble producing enough magna-safe pipe sections and corkscrews without access to magma. It's a chicken and egg thing.

Since you'll already be going through half the trouble anyway, I recommend using waterwheels. Pierce the aquifer as normal, then carve a ramp from below once you are ready for the water.

Will cavern lakes that go off-embark absorb water? I noticed that my lake was an infinite but not fast supply, but haven't tested the reverse.

Also, 2 out of 3 levels must be relegated for piping to have magma and water available at every floor. I'd put the magma directly below the floor to be serviced, putting a tap into the water level if you need service from above for traps, nobles, or Fun. Put the water supply 2 levels below, pressurized via pump to 1 level below, and cut upwards for wells, bathing, cleaning, and whatever you want.

Be sure to include ways of draining part or all of the system for maintenance and expansion. It can be frustrating having to use extraordinary measures to cut into an existing line. I highly recommend designating all of your water supply and return and storage ways as a "nothing" stockpile.

[Xenos]

For powering my magma pump stack from the sea to cavern one, I'm using a giant wind farm on the surface. So far, I'm having trouble producing enough magna-safe pipe sections and corkscrews without access to magma. It's a chicken and egg thing.

Since you'll already be going through half the trouble anyway, I recommend using waterwheels. Pierce the aquifer as normal, then carve a ramp from below once you are ready for the water.

Will cavern lakes that go off-embark absorb water? I noticed that my lake was an infinite but not fast supply, but haven't tested the reverse.

Also, 2 out of 3 levels must be relegated for piping to have magma and water available at every floor. I'd put the magma directly below the floor to be serviced, putting a tap into the water level if you need service from above for traps, nobles, or Fun. Put the water supply 2 levels below, pressurized via pump to 1 level below, and cut upwards for wells, bathing, cleaning, and whatever you want.

Be sure to include ways of draining part or all of the system for maintenance and expansion. It can be frustrating having to use extraordinary measures to cut into an existing line. I highly recommend designating all of your water supply and return and storage ways as a "nothing" stockpile.

It is actually possible to have magma and water plumbing on the same z-level.  just dig out a 2 comb patterns whose teeth fit between each other.  Also, make sure to have at least 1-2 empty layers between one level's plumbing and the roof of the next.  Do this for 2 reasons:
1) a rogue cavein wont cripple your fortress.
2) you can put mist generators over the bedrooms of "high risk" dwarves (ie that noble who socializes too much) to give them happy thought ejaculating mist.

[Shoku]

Having th waterfall in their bedroom has no particular advantage over just misting up high traffic hallways but has the great disadvantage of being a lot of work. Now, that disadvantage is kind of a moot point given the thread subject but nonetheless the waterfall itself won't increase room value.

The disadvantage though is that you either leave an open spot for them to fall in or a tile for them to decide is dangerous and cancel whatever they were doing that happened to lead them into it while there was water flowing through. Likewise the wells in every room option runs the risk of them falling in. For awesomeness value I recommend having ramps near the wells that lead up onto pathways behind the walls, which is to say have the wells supplied by sewer tunnels. Obviously the water will be clean but it has that same long untouched waterworks feel, minus the feces.

[Xenos]

Having th waterfall in their bedroom has no particular advantage over just misting up high traffic hallways but has the great disadvantage of being a lot of work. Now, that disadvantage is kind of a moot point given the thread subject but nonetheless the waterfall itself won't increase room value.

The disadvantage though is that you either leave an open spot for them to fall in or a tile for them to decide is dangerous and cancel whatever they were doing that happened to lead them into it while there was water flowing through. Likewise the wells in every room option runs the risk of them falling in. For awesomeness value I recommend having ramps near the wells that lead up onto pathways behind the walls, which is to say have the wells supplied by sewer tunnels. Obviously the water will be clean but it has that same long untouched waterworks feel, minus the feces.

Actually, putting mist generators above each room, or a generator that runs the length of all rooms wont cause those problems...and it is like simulating air conditioning/bathing for your dwarves.  (the bathing will be less simulated.

[decius]

I've always used bar or grate floors under any kind of mist generation. Although that requires not only water supply plumbing and pumps, but water return pumping as well. I'm not positive how I'd make sure that flooding was impossible. One added measure to consider would be to have the return pumps unable to be destroyed without also cutting power to the supply pumps.

As far as needing seperate levels, it is topologically possible to have a lattice such that magma and water never touch. I can't figure out how to make such a lattice scalable; Since I never plan out more than the next two or so waves of expansion, I always think "What can I do to make it easier to expand later." In any case, the path length for the miners and mechanics would probably become prohibitively long once you got big enough.

Other than the few additional steps needed to climb stairs, I see no drawback to using more z-levels. It's not like you're likely to run out soon.

All this said, I like to see what other people are thinking and doing. My mist generators, if I have them, cover the meeting area and the dining areas. Everyone goes to those places pretty often, and I put my well and hospital near the dining area as well, so I've already brought the river or lake to that point.

[Dorf3000]

I've always used bar or grate floors under any kind of mist generation. Although that requires not only water supply plumbing and pumps, but water return pumping as well. I'm not positive how I'd make sure that flooding was impossible. One added measure to consider would be to have the return pumps unable to be destroyed without also cutting power to the supply pumps.

You can drain without pumps if you use water pressure trickery.

Code: [Select]

water falls to grate
   v
__..__
 #  #             #######
 #77############### ____to drain area
 #777777777777777777####
 ####################

This is a side view if that wasn't obvious   When water isn't falling, the 7/7 water on the left doesn't go around the u-bend (it's not a source and so it won't flow to somewhere on its own level).  However when water drops in and sits on top of this 7/7, it now can flow around thanks to pressure and it appears relatively instantly at the drain end, leaving the intake free of water.  It's important that there's empty space under the grate or you might get some spilling on the surface.  The best part is that since it uses natural water pressure, the drain exit can be far far away and you can have multiple waterfalls pouring into it and it'll all get taken away.

[Funtimes]

I have an aquifer which I will tap for the system, but I assume using another waters source such as a pumpstack and an underground river would work just as well.

Aquifers are fantastic for these, but require a really complex start up. If you can use cave-ins to get one aquifer tile per z, you can use it both as a source and sink for water. Stick a floodgate next to it, so that you can turn off the water supply to that level and have a hole above it so that water draining from above is absorbed (with hatch covers to stop this being permanently pointless). That way you can easily isolate levels with 2 levers each, for expansion or recovery works. Also, aquifers are so much faster to fill and don't need power.

Oh, and any edge tile works great as a sink, too. Might want to put in a safety wall if you plan to drop huge waves at once, though.


Just be careful with the whole cave in thing, you'll need the aquifer on the lowest soil layer and you may drown a lot. Fortunately the water should disappear back into its new home when it lands.