The survival of a colony in the harsh conditions of the planet often depends on the supply of food, especially when long winters or periods of drought occur. Refrigerator compartment is a critical building that allows you to preserve the freshness of meat, vegetables and prepared meals indefinitely. Without proper refrigeration, supplies will quickly spoil, which can lead to starvation and loss of morale among the colonists. In this article we will analyze in detail the process of creating an effective refrigerator, starting from choosing a room and ending with fine-tuning temperature conditions.
Many beginners make the mistake of simply trying to place a cold generator in the corner of the warehouse, without thinking about insulating the walls. Heat Transfer the game calculates it quite realistically, and hot air from the street or from neighboring rooms will constantly heat up your storage. For the system to work effectively, it is necessary to create a sealed circuit using the correct building materials. We will look not only at the basic design, but also at advanced insulation methods that will help save energy and increase the reliability of the entire system.
Before you begin construction, it is important to understand that building a refrigerator is not just about installing one appliance. This is a complex process that includes layout, selection of materials for walls and floors, as well as proper setup Thermostat. Errors at the design stage can lead to the generator working to wear out, consuming huge amounts of energy, but never cooling the room to the desired temperature. Let's look at all the stages in detail so that your colony never has problems with food spoilage.
Choosing a location and layout of the room
The first step is choosing a suitable location for construction. The ideal option is north side cards, since there the sun's rays practically do not hit the walls, which reduces the heat load. The size of the room directly depends on the size of your colony, but it is worth remembering that a room that is too large will require more powerful equipment or several generators. The optimal area for starting is approximately 5 by 5 or 6 by 6 cells, which allows you to place a sufficient number of shelves.
When planning, be sure to take into account logistics: colonists should have easy access to the chamber for loading and unloading products. Refrigerator should not be located at the end of a long corridor if possible, as this will increase the work time of the colonists. It is also important to leave room for a one-cell wide passage to ensure proper air circulation and free movement.
⚠️ Attention: Do not build a refrigerator room near heat sources such as furnaces, power generators, or forges. Even through one cell of the wall, heat will be transferred inside, causing the cooling system to work less efficiently.
The shape of the room also matters. Square rooms have a smaller wall perimeter compared to rectangular ones of the same area, which reduces the number of points of contact with the external environment. Minimizing the perimeter is a key principle of energy efficiency in RimWorld. If you are building a long warehouse, make sure it is oriented along a north-south axis to minimize the effects of rising and setting sun.
Construction and materials for insulation
After choosing a location, you need to build walls. For efficient operation of the refrigerator, it is critical to use materials with high thermal insulation. Regular wooden walls will transmit too much heat, especially in summer or in hot biomes. The best choice is walls made of brick, stone or, ideally, steel plateswhich have excellent thermal conductivity.
The floor in the refrigerator compartment also plays an important role. Although many players ignore this aspect, laying a metal or stone floor can help stabilize the temperature, especially if there is a geothermal pipe or just hot ground running underneath the room. However, the main requirement is tightness: there should be no holes in the walls, except for the doorway. Make sure that all corners are connected correctly.
- 🧱 Brick walls —an affordable and effective material for average temperatures.
- 🏗️ Steel walls —the best choice for extreme conditions and hot climates.
- 🪵 Wooden walls —suitable only for temporary solutions or very cold biomes.
- 🚪 Double doors —create a vestibule that significantly reduces the loss of cold upon entry.
To enter the chamber, be sure to install double doors. This will create a small tambourthat will act as an airlock, preventing a sudden rush of warm air every time someone enters or exits. The doors should be automatic so that colonists do not waste time opening them, but they should also be set to close when no one passes.
Installation of the cooling system
The central element of the entire system is cold generator (Cooler). This device works on the principle of a heat pump: it takes warm air from one side and throws out cold air to the other, while simultaneously removing hot air outside. To install the generator, you need to punch a hole in the wall. In the construction interface, select the cold generator and place it in the wall so that the blue side faces inside the room and the red side faces out.
The red side of the generator emits hot air, so where it is directed is extremely important. If you direct the hot stream into a confined space or onto another wall of the refrigerator, the efficiency will drop to zero and the temperature will begin to rise. Heat removal should occur in a well-ventilated space, ideally directly outside or in a special corridor with a fan.
| Parameter | Value | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|
| Power | 1700 W | Energy consumption during active operation |
| Cooling | 17 units/sec | Rate of temperature reduction in the room |
| Heat dissipation | High | Requires mandatory removal hot air |
| Size | 1x2 cells | Takes up space in the wall (1 cell inside, 1 outside) |
It is important to set the target temperature correctly. By default, the generator tries to cool the room to -23°C, which is excessive for storing most products. For long-term storage of products, a temperature of about -5°C or -10°C is sufficient, which will significantly save energy and reduce equipment wear. The setting is made through the device menu after its installation.
⚠️ Attention: Never set the target temperature below -18°C unless absolutely necessary. This will cause a sharp spike in energy consumption and can overload your power system, especially if multiple generators are used.
Setting up the thermostat and storage zones
After physically installing the equipment, you need to set up the logic part. In RimWorld, the menu Architecture → Zones → Storage zoneis responsible for this. You need to create a new storage area inside the walk-in cooler. When creating a zone, indicate what it is refrigerator (Freezer), so that the game understands: only products that require freezing can be placed here.
In the storage zone settings You can specify in detail which items are allowed to be folded. For example, you can allow the storage of only meat and vegetables, prohibiting the placement of prepared food or medicine if there are separate places for them. Storage priority also plays a role: set a high priority for this zone, so that colonists first bring perishable food here.
☑️ Checking the readiness of the refrigerator
Don't forget to check the temperature settings in the generator itself. Click on the device, select Configure and set the slider to the desired value. If you are storing only vegetables and meat, -5°C is sufficient. If you plan to store biological materials or specific resources, a lower temperature may be required. Thermostat will automatically turn the generator on and off, maintaining the specified mode.
Power supply and backup
The refrigerator is one of the most energy-intensive objects in the colony. One generator consumes about 1700 W, and if you have several of them, the load on the network will be enormous. For power it is recommended to use geothermal generators or a reliable combination of solar panels with batteries. Wind generators can be unstable, which will lead to food defrosting during calm periods.
It is critical to provide a backup power system. If the main energy source fails or its power is insufficient, the temperature in the chamber will begin to rise. Use batteries large volume to ensure operation of refrigerators at night or during peak loads. You can also prioritize energy consumption by turning off less important devices (for example, lighting or machines) when there is a lack of power.
- ⚡ Geothermal energy —an ideal, stable source for refrigerators.
- 🔋 Batteries —necessary for smoothing out peaks of consumption and operation at night.
- 🔌 Copper wires —use them for connection, they have less resistance.
- 📉 Energy management —set up automatic shutdown for them devices.
What will happen if the lights go out?
If the electricity goes out for a long time, the temperature in the chamber will begin to rise. Food will begin to spoil when the temperature exceeds 0°C. Meat and vegetables will become unfit for food, but can be used to feed animals or processed in a gas generator if they have not had time to rot completely.
Typical errors and troubleshooting
Even experienced players sometimes encounter problems with the operation of refrigeration units. One of the most common mistakes is insufficient generator power for the volume of the room. If the room is too large or the walls are poorly insulated, the generator will run continuously without reaching the target temperature. In this case, it will help an additional generator or improving the insulation of the walls.
Another problem is the incorrect orientation of the generator. If hot air is discharged into a confined space (for example, a narrow corridor with no exit), the outlet temperature will rise, the efficiency will drop, and eventually the system will stall. Make sure that heat sink occurs in an open area or on the street. Also check if walls or other objects are blocking the air flow.
⚠️ Attention: If you see that the generator is running constantly, but the temperature does not drop, check if there is a heat source nearby (stove, burning wall) or if the door is wide open. Also make sure that the target temperature is not set below the possible minimum for the current power.
Remember that there are no perpetual motion machines in RimWorld. Energy must come from somewhere, and heat must go somewhere. Proper planning and understanding of the physics of the game will help you create a reliable storage system that will save your colony from starvation in the harshest times.
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the optimal temperature for storing food?
For most products (meat, vegetables, ready meals), temperature -5°Cis sufficient. Reducing the temperature below -10°C does not provide additional benefits in terms of shelf life, but significantly increases energy consumption.
How many cold generators do you need for a 10x10 room?
For a room measuring 10x10 cells with good walls, one generatoris usually enough. If the walls are wooden or the climate is very hot (temperatures above 40°C), a second generator may be required to compensate for the heat gain.
Can natural cold be used instead of a generator?
Yes, in cold biomes or in winter you can simply open the warehouse doors to the street to freeze the room. However, for permanent storage all year round cold generator is required, since in summer the temperature will rise above zero.
Why does the generator not turn on?
Check three things: is electricity supplied, has the target temperature already been reached, and is it set correctly thermostat Also make sure that the generator is not blocked in the menu (the operation prohibition button).
Is it necessary to make a floor in the refrigerator?
It is not necessary to make a floor, but it is advisable. Laying a floor of stone or metal improves insulation from the ground, especially in hot biomes. In snowy biomes, the floor may be less critical, but still useful for beauty and hygiene.