Oxygen Not Included Coal Generator: Check Fuel, Battery and Automation

Read the generator before changing the circuit

The indexed community Coal Generator reference lists 600 W output, 1 kg/s Coal consumption and 20 g/s Carbon Dioxide while operating. It also describes a green automation input enabling the generator and red disabling it. An idle generator is not automatically broken: check whether it is waiting for fuel, has a red signal, is disconnected or is overheated or flooded.

Open the generator and battery panels and record their actual status. The electrical wire carries power; automation wire carries a control signal. An installed power connection alone does not send the Smart Battery's control signal to the generator.

1. Inspect the generator's status, Coal inventory, temperature and the reachable delivery path.
2. Follow the electrical connection from generator to Smart Battery and the intended consumers; check the wire's rated load.
3. Use the automation overlay to trace a separate wire from the Smart Battery output to the generator input.
4. Read the battery's high and low thresholds and current charge, then inspect whether the signal is green or red.
5. Change one suspected issue, allow the system to respond and record the actual generator state and battery charge.

References: Oxygen Not Included Wiki: Coal Generator · Oxygen Not Included Wiki: Smart Battery · Oxygen Not Included Wiki: Automation Wire

Separate a refill setting from the automation signal

The Coal Generator reference describes a battery-related refill setting and notes that Duplicants will not refill an automation-disabled generator. A low fuel inventory and an intentionally red automation signal therefore need separate diagnosis: check the setting, supply availability and errands without assuming a Duplicant will refill a disabled machine immediately.

The Smart Battery reference describes a low threshold for a green signal and a high threshold for a red signal, but its descriptions differ on the exact equality boundary. Read the actual signal near the threshold. Between thresholds, the prior signal state matters: for a source-described low 50% and high 90% example, a charge between them does not alone reveal whether it is on or off. The Automation Wire reference also says any green output on the same network makes that network green, so check other connected outputs as well.

References: Oxygen Not Included Wiki: Coal Generator · Oxygen Not Included Wiki: Smart Battery · Oxygen Not Included Wiki: Automation Wire

Budget a short automation connection

The cited Smart Battery entry lists 200 kg refined metal and the Automation Wire entry lists 5 kg refined metal per wire segment. Illustrative design: one battery and eight wire segments need 200 + 8 × 5 = 240 kg refined metal. With 120 kg accessible and reserved for this build, the remaining gap is 120 kg. This excludes the generator, power wire, research, bridges and any existing structures.

The count of eight is a hypothetical route, not a measured layout or proof that eight segments will connect a particular build. Count the actual highlighted automation tiles and any additional bridge or replacement separately before construction. If the necessary research or metal is missing, avoid treating the plan as already installed.

References: Oxygen Not Included Wiki: Smart Battery · Oxygen Not Included Wiki: Automation Wire

Estimate a running interval without inventing uptime

For one generator actually running at the cited rates for a hypothetical 100 simulation seconds, 1 kg/s × 100 s = 100 kg Coal, 600 W × 100 s = 60 kJ of gross electrical output and 20 g/s × 100 s = 2 kg Carbon Dioxide. These are rate conversions, not an observed test or an estimate of how long the colony can survive.

That interval is not guaranteed under the 50%/90% automation example: a lone 20 kJ battery has an 8 kJ difference between those thresholds, so with no load and an ideal 600 W input the simple charging interval is about 13.3 seconds before shutdown, ignoring leakage and boundary behavior. A continuous 100-second run would need different loads, storage or control conditions; the 60 kJ is not assumed to fit in one battery. Actual operation also depends on fuel delivery, heat and gas distribution. Inspect the live signal, power demand and a safe breathing route.

References: Oxygen Not Included Wiki: Coal Generator · Oxygen Not Included Wiki: Smart Battery

Verify after one controlled change

If the automation overlay is red and battery charge is high, wait for the relevant lower threshold rather than declaring a fuel-delivery bug. If the overlay is green but the Coal Generator does not start, inspect the machine's own status and accessible fuel. If the generator runs continuously despite high charge, trace the automation output and input rather than assuming a power wire is also a signal wire.

Record the game build, generator status, accessible Coal, battery thresholds and charge, signal color, wire route and one change. Watch for heat and carbon dioxide at the actual room and nearby Duplicants; a successful electrical test does not prove the atmosphere is safe.

Build / DLC / mods / active consumers:
Generator status / Coal inventory / delivery access:
Smart Battery charge / low / high thresholds:
Automation color / power and signal connections:
One change / actual observed result:
CO2 location / temperature / safe exit:

References: Oxygen Not Included Wiki: Coal Generator · Oxygen Not Included Wiki: Smart Battery · Oxygen Not Included Wiki: Automation Wire

Before you play

• Read generator status and Coal supply before adding machines.
• Trace electrical power and automation signal as separate connections.
• Inspect both battery thresholds and the actual signal between them.
• Count refined metal for the actual wire path and battery.
• Check heat, carbon dioxide and delivery independently of nominal power.

Frequently asked questions

Sources & revision notes

Editorial revision: October 29, 2026; not a gameplay test date. The reference notes identify source limits and version differences.

1. Oxygen Not Included Wiki: Coal Generator (Community)

   Community-maintained indexed reference checked October 29, 2026 for Coal, power and gas rates, control input and disabled-refill caveat. Direct retrieval was blocked; no operation measured.

2. Oxygen Not Included Wiki: Smart Battery (Community)

   Community-maintained indexed reference checked October 29, 2026 for 200 kg refined metal, 20 kJ capacity and two-threshold signal behavior. Direct retrieval blocked; actual settings may differ.

3. Oxygen Not Included Wiki: Automation Wire (Community)

   Community-maintained indexed reference checked October 29, 2026 for 5 kg refined metal per segment and signal connectivity. Direct retrieval blocked; no layout built.

4. Oxygen Not Included Wiki: Guide to Power Circuits (Community)

   Community guide checked through indexed extracts October 29, 2026 for separate power and automation connections; advice is not a tested colony or universal settings prescription.