SANDUSTRYFIELD GUIDE
EN
EnglishDeutschРусский简体中文Čeština
Play on Steam

Sandustry building guide

Sandustry Pump Guide: Setup and Troubleshooting

Troubleshoot the Sandustry Pump pickup area, mixed liquids, solid blockages, Pipes, and Liquid Vents.

Field guideUpdated August 22, 2026
Pump building icon from the official Sandustry Wiki
Pump · building icon

A Pump starts the Sandustry fluid network. It consumes supported liquid inside its tile and sends it through connected Pipes to one or more Liquid Vents. Lava is specifically excluded and must be moved through the Cinder state-change route.

Sandustry Pump facts

PropertyConfirmed value
InputLiquids except Lava
OutputConnected Pipes
Pickup areaCentral 2 x 2 pixels
Building size4 x 4 pixels
Blocks playerNo

Input and output flow

Liquid at Pump→Pipe network→Liquid Vent→output

Read the flow together with the placement rules below. In Sandustry, the correct material can still fail when it enters from the wrong side, at the wrong speed, or in the wrong physical state.

How the Pump works

Although a Pump occupies four by four pixels, only its central two-by-two region collects liquid. The building is non-solid, so Gold, Sand, or other solids can enter that same space and displace the liquid. Blocking only the lower portion can therefore stop a network that still looks visually full.

Recommended factory layout

Place the pickup center inside a clean reservoir and prevent loose solids from falling through it. Use a dedicated Pipe network for each liquid because connected Pumps share their inputs across connected Vents. Inspect the pickup with the Grabber when output stops unexpectedly.

Common Pump problems

SymptomLikely cause or check
Connected Vent is dryA solid may be occupying the small central pickup area.
Different liquid appears at the outputMultiple liquid types were connected to the same shared network.
Pump ignores LavaThis is intended; freeze Lava and transport Cinder instead.

Related Sandustry guides and source

Mechanics were checked against the official Sandustry Wiki page for the Pump. Recheck research costs and balance-sensitive behavior in the current Early Access build.

Sandustry

Search the journal

Sandustry Flux Emanator Guide: Setup and TroubleshootingOperate a Sandustry Flux Emanator with top-fed Voidbloom, open growth space, and a repeatable Fluxite harvest route.Sandustry Kinetic Press Guide: Setup and TroubleshootingBuild a Sandustry Kinetic Press drop shaft that converts Burnt Residue into guaranteed Gold and Seed.Sandustry Pipe Guide: Setup and TroubleshootingPlan Sandustry Pipe networks between Pumps and Liquid Vents without mixed-fluid outputs or hidden removal problems.Sandustry Planter Box Guide: Setup and TroubleshootingUse the Sandustry Planter Box to grow Wet Seed into Flowers and route Gold and Amethelis outputs.Sandustry Pump Guide: Setup and TroubleshootingTroubleshoot the Sandustry Pump pickup area, mixed liquids, solid blockages, Pipes, and Liquid Vents.Sandustry Shaker Guide: Setup and TroubleshootingDesign and troubleshoot a Sandustry Shaker line for Wet Sand, Gold, and Residue without blocked outputs.Sandustry Beginner Guide: From Sand to a Stable FactoryA practical Sandustry beginner route covering the first Gold, Shaker setup, Wet Sand production, logistics, research order, and common line failures.Sandustry Buildings: Categories, Costs, and Research TiersCompare Sandustry building categories and the key Tier 1-6 research unlocks for logistics, fluids, thermal systems, energy, and production.Sandustry Drones: Sweeper, Digger, Recon, and HaulerCompare all four confirmed Sandustry drones by function, research tier, snapshot cost, and the manual factory work each one can replace.Sandustry Early Water Guide: Find, Contain, and Supply WaterGet a dependable early Water supply in Sandustry, stop droplets evaporating or leaking, and feed Wet Sand production without flooding the factory.Sandustry Element Reactions: Six Production ChainsTrace Sandustry's water, gold, plant, Florin, lava, and void chains with a compact reaction table and practical factory notes.Sandustry Energy Guide: Build the Florinol Production ChainFollow the confirmed Sandustry Energy chain from Seed and Flowers through Amethelis, Florin, Florinol, and the Florinol Battery.Sandustry Gold Production Guide: Wet Sand to CollectorBuild a Sandustry Gold line from Sand and Water, route Shaker outputs correctly, recover Residue, and make sure Gold reaches a Collector.Sandustry GuidesBrowse practical Sandustry guides for starting a factory, understanding element reactions, choosing buildings, and scaling automation.Sandustry Liquid Network Guide: Pumps, Pipes, and VentsSet up and troubleshoot Sandustry Pumps, Pipes, and Liquid Vents, including dry outputs, hidden solids, mixed liquids, and the Lava exception.Sandustry Production Chains and RecipesFollow Sandustry production chains for Gold, plants, Florinol Energy, Water, Lava, and void materials without treating approximate ratios as fixed recipes.Sandustry Research Guide: Tiers, Costs, and PrioritiesPlan the Sandustry research tree from Tier 1 to Tier 6 with snapshot Gold costs, unlock functions, prerequisites, and practical priority notes.SandustryPlan your first Sandustry production line, understand element reactions, compare buildings, and build a factory that keeps moving.Sandustry Amethelis: Uses, Production, and GuideCollect, contain, and dry Sandustry Amethelis petals as the first step toward Florin gas and Florinol Energy.Sandustry Burnt Residue: Uses, Production, and GuideProcess Sandustry Burnt Residue through a Kinetic Press with the required drop height to obtain guaranteed Gold and Seed.Sandustry Cinder: Uses, Production, and GuideTransport Sandustry Cinder as the solid form used to relocate Lava, then restore it with direct flame.Sandustry Dry Amethelis: Uses, Production, and GuideBurn Sandustry Dry Amethelis into Florin gas while managing Wisp movement, approximate yield, and heat containment.Sandustry Florin: Uses, Production, and GuideCapture and condense Sandustry Florin gas into Florinol and Gold instead of letting it escape into the sky.Sandustry Florinol: Uses, Production, and GuideUse Sandustry Florinol from condensed Florin to unlock Energy production and later Synthesizer recipes.Sandustry Flower: Uses, Production, and GuideGrow and harvest Sandustry Flowers for Gold and Amethelis while protecting the plant line from uncontrolled fire.Sandustry Fluxite: Uses, Production, and GuideFind, produce, and harvest Sandustry Fluxite for upgrades to tools, weapons, and drones.Sandustry Gold: Uses, Production, and GuideLearn how Sandustry Gold is produced, collected, separated, and converted to Liquid Gold for research and compact storage.Sandustry Materials: Complete Element IndexBrowse 53 confirmed Sandustry materials by terrain, solid, liquid, and gas, with high-value production roles and state-change links.Sandustry Lava: Uses, Production, and GuideMove and use Sandustry Lava safely by freezing it to Scoria and Cinder, then reigniting it at the destination.Sandustry Residue: Uses, Production, and GuideTurn Sandustry Residue from a Shaker by-product into Burnt Residue without losing control of heat or output flow.Sandustry Seed: Uses, Production, and GuideUse Sandustry Seed from the Kinetic Press to make Wet Seed and grow Flowers without mixing the plant and Gold outputs.Sandustry Voidbloom: Uses, Production, and GuideFeed Sandustry Voidbloom into a Flux Emanator correctly to grow Fluxite at a confirmed one-to-one conversion.Sandustry Water: Uses, Production, and GuideUnderstand Sandustry Water sources, Wet Sand and Wet Seed reactions, evaporation, pumps, and temperature changes.Sandustry Wet Sand: Uses, Production, and GuideBuild a reliable Sandustry Wet Sand line with the correct 1:1 input reaction, Shaker outputs, yield limits, and blockage checks.Sandustry Tools: Excavation, Utility, and Building IndexCompare 25 named Sandustry tools by excavation, utility, and construction roles, including confirmed functions and energy requirements.