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[Ioric Kittencuddler]

So I built an aqueduct and pump system that transports water up from the aquifer up to a tower above one of my fort entrances.  There's a hatch cover in the bottom of the tower so that I can flood the entrance hall if enemies get in.  Only problem is, this last winter the aquaduct froze solid and when it thawed the hatch fell apart and the entire thing got flooded unintentionally.  Well I'm fixing it now, but I was wondering if there's a way to keep it from happening again, either by keeping the hatch from deconstructing, or keeping the water from freezing.  Thanks!

[sweitx]

I believe you can't prevent the water from freezing.
Your best bet is to use floodgate.

[Aggiedog]

IIRC if you have a continuous line of pumps instantanously moving the water in your aquiduct it won't have the chance to freeze (also moves the water much quicker).

You could also put it underground.

[Ioric Kittencuddler]

Thanks for the responses but they're not what I need.  Maybe I didn't explain well enough.  I've got a water tower that's supposed to drop water onto invaders if they try to enter my fort, but the water in it freezes in the winter which causes the hatch on the floor of the tower to deconstruct and the hall to flood.  I need help to stop the flooding.

[Grimlocke]

You can stop the water from freezing by having magma above or below it (and a floor between it, obviously)

Easiest way would be to construct a magma chamber above your current water chamber, or if your current water chamber is more then 1 Z level high, divide it in two with floors.

You can even pump up water using this, though its a tricky thing to make.

I dont take responsibility for what happens when you open the hatch during winter though, it might be cave-in spam 

If you dont have magma, theres no way. Just use floodgates as sweitx said, those at least wont break.

[Ioric Kittencuddler]

Aw, I didn't know that floodgates actually had any different effect than doors or hatches in this version. :p

I think I found a solution though.  I put a hatch at the top of my stacked pump system, over the water source of the top pump.  It'll take a little longer for the water to reach the enemy, but It should still work fine.

[DG]

You can't install a floodgate on a horizontal plane. Use a retracting bridge instead of a hatch.

[Sizik]

You could use a floodgate if you have the water exiting horizontally:

Code: [Select]

Side view:
     ------
     |~%% -
 ----|~--~~   
 | X~|~|---   
 | |~|~|   
 | |~|~|     
 | |~~~|
 | -----
 g gg g
--------   
Or better yet, use a door; they open instantly while floodgates take a while.

[Ioric Kittencuddler]

Oog, right!  I just need a door at the end of my water pipe!  Duh!  Thanks!   Now I feel stupid.

[Ioric Kittencuddler]

I have another question.  Will a one square bridge still form a wall when raised?

[Volfram]

Try it and find out.

(yes, actually, someone used a 1x1 bridge in a repeater he made.  The wall it makes was integral.)

[Rockphed]

I have another question.  Will a one square bridge still form a wall when raised?

A raising bridge will form a wall, a retracting bridge will just disappear.  I beleive that bridges won't deconstruct in frozen water, but I have never had the misfortune of trying it out.

[Draco18s]

The OP needs to make an orbital magma cannon.

Cover the entire uppermost Z-level with hatches, connect each hatch to a pressure plate directly below it, flood the upper level with magma.

[Ioric Kittencuddler]

Hm.... I'd need allot of Bauxite for that...

[Volfram]

only for the mechanisms and hatches.  Walls and floors will resist magma even if made of wood or ice.