Switch between AC and Heaters

[Democracy Officer]

I find myself tediously switching between the AC and heaters when going through summer and winter. By any chance is there a solution to this tedious problem?

[The Yeen Queen]

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, and I cold be, but:

When the temp is in target range, they draw minimal power. For example, if it's 100F outside, then the heaters will be in low power mode but the AC will be running to bring it down. Reverse that when the outside temps are low. You don't really have to toggle between them as the seasons change. You CAN and it'll save power, but not enough to be worth the hassle, really.

[Steelfleece]

Pick a hex/planet that's always cold or always hot, like equatorial/polar or desert/iceball planet. Then you'll just need AC or heat. Just a lot of it. And plans for how to grow food.

[Astasia]

Set the heat to 20C and set the AC to 21C, you are done and never have to touch them again. Night Foxx is correct, once they hit their target temp heaters and coolers will both go into low power mode and stop doing anything, the amount of power they consume in low power mode is trivial and should be ignored.

[Nerdygamer1]

Originally posted by Night Foxx:

[...]You don't really have to toggle between them as the seasons change. You CAN and it'll save power, but not enough to be worth the hassle, really.

If it really bothers you, you can install a single conduit that's not connected to your power grid next to or nearby all of your equipment. When you want to switch off all of your air conditioners, just zoom out and double-click to select them all and hit the "reconnect" button; this will have them all reconnect to a different power conduit - ideally, the single conduit that's not connected to your grid, thereby, removing all your air conditioners from the grid with ease.

That said, according to the wiki, the low power draw appears to be 10% (20w for coolers, 17 for heaters). A single wood-fired generator puts out 1,000w and could run 50 coolers running at low power.

[Morkonan]

Originally posted by sexystalin:

I find myself tediously switching between the AC and heaters when going through summer and winter. By any chance is there a solution to this tedious problem?

I once wanted to make a big "control room" with switches for everything I could put switches on... /sadconduit

There's a few Conduit and Switching/Electrical mods out there that allow different colors/grades of wiring to cross over each other, different switch configurations and the like. The one I tried was interesting, but could have difficulties with certain versions. So, search the Workshop for something along those lines if you don't want to range-set AC/Heating as described in the above posts.

You can also ctrl or shift mouse-click, can't remember which atm, and it will "select all" of the same type in the screenspace. Only in the screenspace, not the whole map. You can issue a command at the same time to all the ones highlighted that way.

[The Yeen Queen]

One bit of general related advice: If you're not already doing so, be sure to maximize the benefit of AC and Heaters using vents between rooms. One great thing is to put all your pawns' bedrooms in a single building with a central hallway. Put your heaters and ACs in the central hallway and install vents to each bedroom. Do this for other connected rooms you want to keep at the same temp too. You can greatly reduce the number of ACs and heaters you need to manage this way.

[corisai]

Originally posted by Astasia:

Set the heat to 20C and set the AC to 21C, you are done and never have to touch them again. Night Foxx is correct, once they hit their target temp heaters and coolers will both go into low power mode and stop doing anything, the amount of power they consume in low power mode is trivial and should be ignored.

I will suggest setting heaters for 19-20C and AC for 21-22C if you're using a main hall as central climate control (you could use even more steps). That will save you some power.

[Jigain]

I usually set heaters for 17C and coolers for 24C. Most of my pawns don't really care whether the temperature is 18C or 21C so I don't see the point in pouring energy into raising it from 18 to 21.

[Triple G]

Originally posted by Jigain:

I usually set heaters for 17C and coolers for 24C. Most of my pawns don't really care whether the temperature is 18C or 21C so I don't see the point in pouring energy into raising it from 18 to 21.

The problem with energy is that there is little use for spare energy - because as soon as those 20 coolers which are turned off, because they are set to 24C, start doing their work You need that energy nonetheless. Or do You turn off several other things when You reach temperatures below 17C or above 24C ?

It´s reasonable IRL, but not really in game imho - not to say that You always have to remember how much energy You will need if temperatures are above or below these thresholds - so You don´t "accidentally" build something which You can´t sustain with energy, which is different for some power spike on 1C, which can be done with a battery - and it isn´t really helpful that coolers need more energy than heaters. If i e.g. build something in the winter, but don´t think about more energy drain in the summer, that´s why i think extreme climates are better for these calculations. Either only heaters, or only coolers needed.

Else on a sidenote to the topic:
If i remember right, it would also show the actual energy in use. Somehow now it only shows high or low use, but would not adjust the number from 200 to 20 for a cooler for example. Perhaps that is a bit misleading...

[Lord Freedom]

Originally posted by Night Foxx:

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, and I cold be, but:

When the temp is in target range, they draw minimal power. For example, if it's 100F outside, then the heaters will be in low power mode but the AC will be running to bring it down. Reverse that when the outside temps are low. You don't really have to toggle between them as the seasons change. You CAN and it'll save power, but not enough to be worth the hassle, really.

This is correct but unpowered units don't have the possibility of breaking down and requiring components. I've gone through dozens of components in a year before during extreme temperatures when other living threats would not spawn.

[Triple G]

Originally posted by Lord Freedom:

This is correct but unpowered units don't have the possibility of breaking down and requiring components. I've gone through dozens of components in a year before during extreme temperatures when other living threats would not spawn.

Untrue. I had unpowered things break down. Did that for this very reason. Not on the actual patch, but in 1.4. Don´t think it would have been addressed...

Edit: it was the long range scanner / sub surface scanner, because i use only one of these at a time. Broke down nonetheless.

[Laurie]

Set the heaters to 19C, and the coolers to 20C

[Tohtori Leka]

Originally posted by Triple G:

Untrue. I had unpowered things break down.

Turned off or unpowered? Turning the power off never had any effect but installing a device that is not connected to a power grid at all does not break. Or at least didn't use to.

[dot]

Getting more power xD that`s one solution for sure, or maybe depending on your base, mind the temps design better for the next time. Maybe less rooms or more vents, maybe use your power source as temp source (geothermical or chemfuel/wood generators) or maybe think about heat pipes.
Maybe is because almost 90% of my games I make my base entirely under mountain, but seems vital to me to think what or where is gonna be my temp pipe, maybe it will be a 1x1 hallway like it was a vent conduct in 2d, or maybe think my base like a tree with a huge trunk being the main hall way and main combat zone and keep the hallway touching in someway every other room of the base.

[corisai]

Originally posted by dot:

but seems vital to me to think what or where is gonna be my temp pipe

You know that can avoid all that mess via exploits, right?