Temperature Control for Primitive Human Heaters

The EIO solution is only compatible with versions 0.5.2 and earlier; we recommend using the solution without EIO pipelines provided at the end of this article.

Author: @fangshuishu

I. Background

As a primitive human just emerging from the Steam Age, whether you’re conducting alchemy or producing ethylene, you can’t do without a heater. Yet despite its critical importance, it’s not only prone to explosions—it’s also scaldingly hot underfoot. When you follow the questline and use a Redstone Comparator to neutralize the threat of explosions, you’ll soon realize that each time the heater is shut down and restarted, it consumes fuel all over again. This frequent on‑off cycling leads to unnecessary fuel wastage. The structure described in this article allows you to roughly control the heater’s operating temperature range via Redstone signals.

2. Machine Overview

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Figure 1: Temperature Control System Diagram

The structure is shown in the figure, where ③ and ④ are signal inputs that allow for the control of redstone signal strength.

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Figure 2: Signal Input with Controllable Redstone Signal Strength

According to the vanilla mechanics, when a Redstone Comparator is placed directly adjacent to a Lectern, it outputs a Redstone signal of a specific strength based on the position of the open page on the Lectern. For example, if a book has 15 pages and is opened to page 6, the Redstone Comparator will output a signal strength of 6.

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Figure 3: At this point, the output intensity is a redstone signal with a strength of 6.

3. Principle Introduction

1. The heater emits a Redstone signal proportional to its temperature, increasing by roughly 1 Redstone signal per 34 K as the temperature rises from 293 K to 800 K. Let X denote the Redstone signal strength emitted by the heater during operation. Input A determines the upper limit of the machine’s operating temperature, while Input B sets the lower limit of the machine’s operating temperature.
2. X inputs into Comparator ② from the rear, while A inputs into ② from the side. If X is greater than or equal to A, then ② outputs X to Latch ⑤; otherwise, ② does not output a signal.
3. Comparator 6 uses subtraction mode: X is transmitted losslessly to the side of Comparator 6 via Redstone Conduit 7, while B is input into the rear of Comparator 6. The signal strength output by Comparator 6 toward Comparator 5 is B–X; if the result is less than or equal to 0, no signal is output.
4. The latch ⑤ initially outputs an upward signal; if a signal is present on the left side, the output switches to downward, but the direction remains unchanged when the signal disappears. If a signal is present on the right side, the output switches to upward, and the direction remains unchanged when the signal disappears. If signals are present on both sides simultaneously, no signal is output in either the upward or downward direction.

4. Process Description

Taking a working temperature range of 500K–768K as an example, set A=14 and B=6 at this temperature.

1. Heating Phase: The heater begins operation, the temperature rises, and X increases. When the temperature is below 768 K, X remains less than 14, and ② does not output any signal; when the temperature exceeds 768 K, X reaches or surpasses 14, ② outputs X to ⑤. Since there is a signal on the left side, but the right-side B–X is less than 0 and thus lacks a signal, the output signal is redirected downward. The sticky piston receives the signal and pushes the cobblestone, while the heater, now obstructed, shuts down.
2. Cooling Phase: Since the latch signal disappears without altering the output, X decreases, and the disappearance of the left-side input at ⑤ has no effect on the piston’s state. The temperature continues to drop until B–X exceeds 0; the latch’s right-side input signal triggers a change in output direction, causing the piston to lose its signal and retract the cobblestone, after which the heater resumes operation.

V. Summary

Thanks to the expert who told me about latches—I wouldn’t have thought of this without him.

Heater—easy peasy!

A cheaper solution

If you feel that the above solutions are still too expensive—between crafting workbenches, building comparators, and dealing with modded mechanics where even a single stone pressure plate ends up requiring nested configurations, while quartz either has to be relegated to the Overworld or used for villager trades—this entire setup can end up costing more than you initially anticipated. You might be wondering: “I just want to burn coal slurry and polyethylene; I don’t care about structural compactness or temperature-control flexibility. So, is there a more cost‑effective solution?”

Some brothers, some—please take a look at @void’s proposal.

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Figure 4: A More Cost‑Effective Temperature Control Solution (Range: 596 K–700 K)

The schematic is shown in the diagram; all redstone components are sourced from More Red, requiring only a few smooth stones, wooden sticks, and redstone to construct. The most expensive material in this setup is likely the slime balls used for sticky pistons (the platform was left in place by mistake and wasn’t actually utilized). The design employs 1 OR gate, 2 NOT gates, and 1 latch. The OR gate can be regarded as a redstone repeater. Depending on the strength of the redstone signal, the device activates either the OR gate or the NOT gate, thereby controlling the output of the latch.

Key Takeaways

1. The temperature control range is actually adjustable; you can try repositioning either the OR gate (used as a redstone repeater) or the NOT gate (adjacent to the latch in position ③). The OR gate’s position determines the upper limit of the temperature range— the farther it is from the heater, the higher the upper limit; conversely, the NOT gate sets the lower limit— the closer it is to the heater, the lower the lower limit.
2. Due to the nature of the latch, this device exhibits chirality, as illustrated in the figure below:

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Figure 5: The difference lies in whether the NOT gate ④ in front of the piston exists.

3. If you want to save even more, you can replace the sticky piston with a regular piston—this allows gravity‑affected blocks, such as sand, to be pushed upward.