Many Timberborn players experience an issue where the waterwheel stops working. In this guide, you will learn how to repair it and generate power again.
The Waterwheel is an important structure for Timberborn players, as it produces the energy needed to run other buildings. However, it can be difficult to build the waterwheel correctly for maximum power output, and in the worst case an improperly positioned waterwheel can stop producing power altogether. This can trick players into thinking they’ve found a bug. However, most of the time it is the result of complex gameplay involving water. If you’ve encountered a waterwheel malfunction in Timberborn or want to avoid the problem, read on. With our advice, you will be producing energy in no time.
Water wheel: building tips
To make sure your Timberborn waterwheel is working properly:
- Place the water wheel parallel to the flow of water,
- Make sure the water wheel is about half the body of water,
- Locate a place with a strong current; a river with visible waves or the base of a waterfall,
- Redirect the flow of water to the wheel using dams or platforms like in the image below, so that the water does not circulate:
Source: Steam Community
The use of dams will also help retain water to prepare for drought.
- Build your waterwheels in separate places and connect them with trees to make sure they don’t interfere with each other – too many waterwheels in a river will slow the flow and reduce the power output.
The water wheel does not work – solution
If your waterwheel in Timberborn isn’t generating electricity, check for these common issues:
- Make sure nothing blocks flow or water inside and outside the wheel
- Make sure your waterwheel is not in the corner of a body of water,
- Make sure distant structures are connected to wells so that power can be transmitted,
- Check the water level: the optimum depth for the 3×2 sized water wheel is 2 subways.
If you have trouble finding a place for your noria, you can build a current metera structure that follows the flow of water and indicates where the current is strongest.
Spinning a waterwheel during drought will be difficult if you haven’t prepared in advance. There are two options: you can dam the most downstream point and use advanced structures with water pumps and wind turbines to create a return water loop. Alternatelycan slowly release an upstream reservoir through a block-wide gap to the waterwheel.
However, these cheats are intended for the endgame and can be difficult for an average player to pull off. Beginners are advised to prepare for drought by damming the river to prevent crops from dying and using alternative energy sources: wind turbines, batteries or motors.