Quick question: toggling coal gens

[CantBreathe]

I've read some are able to use a power switch to toggle multiple coal generators.

In which part configuration does this work?

My coal gens just keep burning when I use power switches.

[Coolthulhu]

As far as I know, they shut down when there are no consumers of any kind on their part of the network: no batteries, no transformers, no nothing.

The automated (atmo, thermo, hydro) switches may work differently in this regard, because parts of the network connected with them are still counted for the purpose of maximum consumption.

[Jcheung]

They might be like hamster wheels where they run away if no load is attached. Pop a battery in with the gens and they should shut down when their coal in them is exhausted and the battery is above whatever threshold you set.

[The Plum Gate]

Mine have a tendency to run constantly - it would be nice if they would conserve, but I suppose putting a load on the batteries would cause them to heat up faster?

It looks like to me, they only get reloaded when they're totally out of fuel and those thresholds are met - so it basically gets the same attention as any other hamster wheel would.

[FloomRide]

1 minute ago, The Plum Gate said:

Mine have a tendency to run constantly - it would be nice if they would conserve, but I suppose putting a load on the batteries would cause them to heat up faster?

It looks like to me, they only get reloaded when they're totally out of fuel and those thresholds are met - so it basically gets the same attention as any other hamster wheel would.

Yeah. It sucks that I have to micro them constantly. I prefer them to NatGas, which can waste a lot of power unfortunately.

Batteries emit a constant 6ish W of heat as long as they have any power stored. If disabled, they emit no heat but cannot power other buildings.

[The Plum Gate]

I have a tendency to over-use my coal generator circuit and end up micro managing my whole grid with manual switches - since it's rare for me to be using a bunch of major equipment simultaneously - it's not really an issue. Until I need something like more fresh water...

At this point, when it comes to nat gas, I usually have two with one dedicated entirely to the supporting system of getting the natural gas to the generators and then cleaning the co2 and then cleaning the polluted water they make ( usually just have the polluted water drip directly on the air scrubber to keep it form overheating, and maybe the water filters as well )

Things start to get complicated and I end up feeding the coal generator anyway. I start having the planning problem when it comes to getting heavy watt wire where it needs to go while trying to keep everything cool and clean. I just need to remind myself that "all of this crap doesn't have to be right next to the geiser".