# Question on heating elements and boiling water

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/question-on-heating-elements-and-boiling-water/718>\
**Category:** The Bunker\
**Created:** [April 7, 2013, 4:02pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/question-on-heating-elements-and-boiling-water/718 "2013-04-07T16:02:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 18\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Aimpoint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/cab0a1/32.png) [@Aimpoint](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Aimpoint)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 4:02pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/question-on-heating-elements-and-boiling-water/718/1 "2013-04-07T16:02:05Z")

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So I noticed in crafting both a water purifier and a hotplate, they require a heating element. What exactly is that? I assumed it was the hotplate itself but it was a bit redundant to require a hotplate to make a hotplate.

Also I’m not sure how to boil water. I have a pot and a hotplate, but I can’t seem to use the hotplate on the pot (says that I have no wounds to cauterize). What am I doing wrong here.

BTW I’m using .4 pre-release v2

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**Author:** ![qurvax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ecc23a/32.png) [@qurvax](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/qurvax)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/question-on-heating-elements-and-boiling-water/718/2 "2013-04-07T16:09:43Z")

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You need to “craft” it, just like cooked meat. It’s under crafting/Drinks AFAIR.

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**Author:** ![youtoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/779978/32.png) [@youtoo](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/youtoo)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 4:52pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/question-on-heating-elements-and-boiling-water/718/3 "2013-04-07T16:52:21Z")

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finally you can boil water. That is how you survive early.  
Do I need a certain survival level?

btw, you can get a heating element by lighting bushes on fire outside. I prefer to save hotplates for other crafting items.

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**Author:** ![Soron](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/soron/32/885_2.png) [@Soron](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Soron)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 8:58pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/question-on-heating-elements-and-boiling-water/718/4 "2013-04-07T20:58:28Z")

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Boiling water is a 0-difficulty Cooking recipe, actually. It’s something that you can always craft (with appropriate tools and ingredients), luckily.

> [@youtoo](#):
>
> btw, you can get a heating element by lighting bushes on fire outside. I prefer to save hotplates for other crafting items.

That’s fire, not a heating element. Fire does, of course, work for cooking/boiling things. Sorry to be pedantic, but I just want to clarify that you can’t use flaming bushes in order to craft hotplates.

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**Author:** ![Aimpoint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/cab0a1/32.png) [@Aimpoint](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Aimpoint)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 9:19pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/question-on-heating-elements-and-boiling-water/718/5 "2013-04-07T21:19:49Z")

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Thanks for the help with the water boiling, I can’t believe I completely missed it in the crafting section. However its been explained what isn’t a heating element. What would be an example of a heating element? I would really like to get the water purifier crafted.

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**Author:** ![Soron](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/soron/32/885_2.png) [@Soron](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Soron)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 9:27pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/question-on-heating-elements-and-boiling-water/718/6 "2013-04-07T21:27:59Z")

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Disassemble hotplates, or (possibly) raid electronics stores.

Hmm… there should probably be a heating element recipe as well, that takes mostly mechanics. I mean, really, it’s basically just a coil of iron or steel. _adds to to-do list_

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**Author:** ![Aimpoint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/cab0a1/32.png) [@Aimpoint](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Aimpoint)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 6:57am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/question-on-heating-elements-and-boiling-water/718/7 "2013-04-08T06:57:51Z")

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[quote=“Soron, post:6, topic:718”]Disassemble hotplates, or (possibly) raid electronics stores.

Hmm… there should probably be a heating element recipe as well, that takes mostly mechanics. I mean, really, it’s basically just a coil of iron or steel. _adds to to-do list_[/quote]

Ahh thanks, that solved it. I’ve never run into a heating element and never thought to disassemble existing components. Welp I guess I gotta find a couple more hotplates, they seem more common than water purifiers.

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**Author:** ![Miloch](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/miloch/32/1339_2.png) [@Miloch](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Miloch)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 1:15pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/question-on-heating-elements-and-boiling-water/718/8 "2013-04-08T13:15:53Z")

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In my current run hotplates are as common as dirt. I think I’ve found about six of them in 15 houses. Anyway, I think we should be able to disassemble a oven and get heating elements and a bunch of scrap metal.

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**Author:** ![Iosyn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/iosyn/32/35_2.png) [@Iosyn](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Iosyn)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 12:28pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/question-on-heating-elements-and-boiling-water/718/9 "2013-04-09T12:28:00Z")

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Do you have a kitchen at home? what about a kettle? open the top of the kettle and look inside.  
That’s a heating element. It’s generally a coil of metal that just gets hot. There are also heating elements in most household boilers.

Hotplates and water purifiers tend to be rare as hell for me, I’d love something more common that I could butcher for heating elements-- i.e something like a kettle. What, you americans don’t have a need for tea or hot water?  
Generally I find hotplates in electronics stores, but electronics stores tend to be rare. I’ve been finding a lot of water purifiers in sports goods and military surplus stores though, which is a bit unfair. I’d like to craft them instead of just looting them.

As for making the heating element itself, yeah you should be able to craft them very easily. I still remember making several in my old science classes.

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**Author:** ![The\_Darkling\_Wolf](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/the_darkling_wolf/32/828_2.png) [@The\_Darkling\_Wolf](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/The_Darkling_Wolf)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 12:36pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/question-on-heating-elements-and-boiling-water/718/10 "2013-04-09T12:36:33Z")

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Y’all realise that the water purifier recipe used to require a pair of hotplates rather than two heating elements, right? It’s not like I’ve made the recipe any harder. Just means your resources stretch a bit further.

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**Author:** ![Sirian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sirian](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Sirian)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 9:21pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/question-on-heating-elements-and-boiling-water/718/11 "2013-04-10T21:21:42Z")

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You should be able to get heating elements from disassembling soldering irons, they tend to be somewhat more common than hotplates. Also I found some RV kitchen units in a garage once, maybe you can disassemble them as well ?

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**Author:** ![Miloch](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/miloch/32/1339_2.png) [@Miloch](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Miloch)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 4:23am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/question-on-heating-elements-and-boiling-water/718/12 "2013-04-11T04:23:42Z")

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I’ve been wondering if this would work…  
Start a vehicle next to an open window. Hell, it’ll be easier to draw this. Obviously the solar panel is outside.

[font=courier]  
R = RV Kitchen set  
B = Board  
P = Solar Panel  
| = Kitchen Wall  
|  
PBR  
|  
[/font]

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**Author:** ![sodapop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@sodapop](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/sodapop)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 3:56am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/question-on-heating-elements-and-boiling-water/718/13 "2013-04-12T03:56:38Z")

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> [@Iosyn](#):
>
> …What, you americans don’t have a need for tea or hot water?..

A kettle? I think we use coffeemakers mostly.

> [@Sirian](#):
>
> You should be able to get heating elements from disassembling soldering irons, they tend to be somewhat more common than hotplates. Also I found some RV kitchen units in a garage once, maybe you can disassemble them as well ?

I like this idea.

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**Author:** ![MisterCrow](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/mistercrow/32/889_2.png) [@MisterCrow](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/MisterCrow)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 12:10pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/question-on-heating-elements-and-boiling-water/718/14 "2013-04-12T12:10:24Z")

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You know whats easier than crafting a hotplate/waterpurifier and more abundant… Making a fire. Alls you need is a pot and you are as good as gold

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**Author:** ![Psiweapon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Psiweapon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Psiweapon)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 10:19pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/question-on-heating-elements-and-boiling-water/718/15 "2013-04-12T22:19:33Z")

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Fire? That flaming stuff that eats the whole building?

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**Author:** ![Flare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c0e974/32.png) [@Flare](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Flare)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 10:52pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/question-on-heating-elements-and-boiling-water/718/16 "2013-04-12T22:52:44Z")

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Yes if you make one anywhere other than on the srove.

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**Author:** ![Sirian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sirian](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Sirian)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2013, 10:30am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/question-on-heating-elements-and-boiling-water/718/17 "2013-04-13T10:30:35Z")

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Using a hotplate and water purifier is way better in my experience. Not only is it 100% safe and foolproof, but it’s also much more convenient. You can purify up to 100 water at a time with a purifier, against 1 at a time with fire, plus all the juggling containers. It’s also much faster in game time. A hotplate can just sit on the floor next to your pile of meat and you can come by anytime you’re hungry to make some cooked meat, no hassle and no need for firewood.

A stove requires finding an LMOE camp, I believe (but those lack lighting), and a brazier requires crafting skills and equipment for welding.

You might think that, batteries being a limited commodity compared to wood, they shouldn’t be wasted on a recurring need, but you can find/craft so many of them, and cooking/purifying consumes so little, that in practice they’ll last you a lifetime. Just in case you didn’t know, flashlights among other common drops, will spawn with batteries that you can (U)nload.

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**Author:** ![Benedict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Benedict](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Benedict)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 8:54pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/question-on-heating-elements-and-boiling-water/718/18 "2013-04-14T20:54:58Z")

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> [@MisterCrow](#):
>
> You know whats easier than crafting a hotplate/waterpurifier and more abundant… Making a fire. Alls you need is a pot and you are as good as gold

Definitely faster to just use a water purifier - and not just IRL. It takes basically no time, in game, and you can purify up to 100 units of water at once, where the fire method takes about 5 mins per unit, which means you’ll need to drink some of what you’re producing, and dedicate an hour or so a day to boiling, just to stay even.

Fire is an alright method, but make a purifier when you can, cos it’s much better.