Gas Filter vs. Gas Shutoff question/discussion

[Peabutt-Nutter]

I've heard plenty of people talk about how gas shutoffs are superior to gas filters due to their much smaller power usage, but I'm wondering if there are cases where it would be more efficient to use a gas filter instead. My question is based off the understanding that while gas filters will use 120w when in use, that's only when gas is flowing through it, meanwhile the gas shutoff states it only uses 10w, it drains power constantly.

I'm just wondering if the gas filter is as useless as people say. Which is better, 120w sometimes, or 10w all the time. This is just based on my primitive understanding of how these systems work and tie together though and I could just be naive thinking the gas filter has some fringe uses people are sleeping on in favor of the gas shutoff.

[POWER WITHIN USER]

The filter is more reliable and won't allow anything to go through if there's no power, unlike the shutoff which is more delicate as that set up basically requires you to have nothing backing up and will malfunction if you run out of power or accidentally delete a cable or have to rewire a power network.

[Chogathmainop]

Originally posted by POWER WITHIN USER:

The filter is more reliable and won't allow anything to go through if there's no power, unlike the shutoff which is more delicate as that set up basically requires you to have nothing backing up and will malfunction if you run out of power or accidentally delete a cable or have to rewire a power network.

When in doubt, assume the game will try to hose you.

[Aranador]

Flow Valve FTW !!

[Angpaur]

Originally posted by Peabutt-Nutter:

meanwhile the gas shutoff states it only uses 10w, it drains power constantly.

Not true. It draws power only when activated by automation. So you can make it much more power efficient than normal filters.

[Ozzey_Lee]

I've moved to using the gas filter. Not needing to use automation wires nor refined metal saves a lot of time and once the gas shutoff backs up all the gases go to the wrong spot.

I would often use the gas reservoirs to cut the pumps filling them off to save that happening but it takes up wayy more space that way.

[Myriad]

The benefit of the Filter is that it's foolproof. If power shuts off, it will stop the flow completely, eliminating possible contamination.

The Shutoff is more power efficient but requires a more careful setup, possibly with an overflow and separate battery to ensure it always works as intended.

[bwhitejr]

Originally posted by Peabutt-Nutter:

I've heard plenty of people talk about how gas shutoffs are superior to gas filters due to their much smaller power usage, but I'm wondering if there are cases where it would be more efficient to use a gas filter instead. My question is based off the understanding that while gas filters will use 120w when in use, that's only when gas is flowing through it, meanwhile the gas shutoff states it only uses 10w, it drains power constantly.

I'm just wondering if the gas filter is as useless as people say. Which is better, 120w sometimes, or 10w all the time. This is just based on my primitive understanding of how these systems work and tie together though and I could just be naive thinking the gas filter has some fringe uses people are sleeping on in favor of the gas shutoff.

I guess if you min/max for maximum efficiency they're "bad", but I use them all the time.

Since hatch farming is so efficient at making coal, i just use coal gens until I get to higher level power sources.

You can make passive gas filters, too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1YJklClv_I

They're handy when you don't want to run wires to a remote area, or for a temporary filter, like starting a SPOM up and don't want to have to keep repairing hydrogen generators because oxygen is in the lines, or air masks/exosuit docks breaking from hydrogen getting to them.

[some moron]

When processing a lot of liquid, the 10w is cheaper.
But if it's only something you are processing a little of, or infrequently, then to me a little power is better than the headache and balancing act of the shutoff.

I also find in the early game, I have enough power and I don't have a lot of liquid or gas to process. Then midgame I am running more machines, and more material, so efficiency becomes more relevant. So I use one filter. When I need a second one, or start processing a lot of something, I then switch to using shutoff.

[Aranador]

Originally posted by bwhitejr:

Originally posted by Peabutt-Nutter:

I've heard plenty of people talk about how gas shutoffs are superior to gas filters due to their much smaller power usage, but I'm wondering if there are cases where it would be more efficient to use a gas filter instead. My question is based off the understanding that while gas filters will use 120w when in use, that's only when gas is flowing through it, meanwhile the gas shutoff states it only uses 10w, it drains power constantly.

I'm just wondering if the gas filter is as useless as people say. Which is better, 120w sometimes, or 10w all the time. This is just based on my primitive understanding of how these systems work and tie together though and I could just be naive thinking the gas filter has some fringe uses people are sleeping on in favor of the gas shutoff.

I guess if you min/max for maximum efficiency they're "bad", but I use them all the time.

Since hatch farming is so efficient at making coal, i just use coal gens until I get to higher level power sources.

You can make passive gas filters, too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1YJklClv_I

They're handy when you don't want to run wires to a remote area, or for a temporary filter, like starting a SPOM up and don't want to have to keep repairing hydrogen generators because oxygen is in the lines, or air masks/exosuit docks breaking from hydrogen getting to them.

Yay, someone else understands the power of the Flow Valve.