- Sandustry vacuum: Treat the current demo tool as a limited cleanup and positioning device.
- Water handling: Pick up water trapped inside queued green-square buildings during construction.
- Debris control: Plan around spores, slag, and other materials before they spread through production areas.
- Future direction: The developer has discussed separating the current tool into a leaf blower and a true vacuum.
- Best habit: Use conveyors, filters, and controlled layouts instead of relying on the vacuum for bulk storage.
Sandustry vacuum: Current Function and Role
The Sandustry vacuum is best understood as a utility tool for managing loose materials and awkward construction spaces. In the current demo context, it is useful, but it does not yet serve as a full storage-and-transport solution. The most important distinction is between moving a material temporarily and collecting it for later placement.
Players have also used the tool to handle trapped steam and water-related construction problems. Steam can be grabbed as a workaround when it becomes stuck in caves, while water inside queued buildings can be picked up to make underwater conveyor construction easier. These uses make the tool valuable during setup, even when it is not the ideal answer for long-term logistics.
The developer has indicated that the current vacuum may eventually be renamed or redesigned as a leaf blower that pushes materials. A separate, genuine vacuum would then pull materials and could better match requests for a storage bag or upgraded capacity. Because this direction is planned rather than confirmed as a finished feature, avoid treating it as a current mechanic.
Cleanup
Move loose materials away from crowded build zones before they block machines or conveyors.
Construction
Remove trapped water from queued buildings so underwater conveyor layouts are easier to place.
Steam
Use grabbing as a temporary workaround when steam becomes stuck inside caves.
Positioning
Relocate materials short distances, then transfer them into a stable conveyor or filter system.
Use the vacuum to solve immediate placement problems, then build a permanent logistics route for recurring material flow.
| Tool Use | Best Situation | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Loose-material cleanup | Clearing a blocked construction zone | Not a replacement for automated transport |
| Water pickup | Water trapped in queued buildings | Does not represent universal water collection |
| Steam grabbing | Moving trapped steam in caves | Described as a workaround |
| Material positioning | Short-distance layout adjustments | Storage capacity is not established |
How to Use the Vacuum Efficiently
The strongest vacuum routine starts with identifying the problem before clicking. If the issue is a one-time obstruction, manual movement may be appropriate. If the same material will appear repeatedly, automation should take priority. This prevents the tool from becoming a substitute for conveyors, filters, burners, or other production infrastructure.
The following process works well for demo-sized layouts and keeps the vacuum focused on utility tasks rather than repetitive hauling.
Identify the Material
Check whether you are moving water, steam, spores, slag, Amethelis, or another loose resource. Material behavior matters because some resources can accumulate faster than your available processing capacity.
Clear the Immediate Obstruction
Use the vacuum to open the construction area, remove a trapped fluid, or reposition a resource that is preventing a machine or conveyor from working correctly.
Choose a Safe Drop Zone
Place the material where it will not block a building footprint, cover a planter, interfere with a conveyor, or mix with a resource that needs a different treatment.
Replace Manual Handling
If the same problem returns, add a conveyor, filter, burner, planter collection route, or other permanent solution. The vacuum should finish the setup, not carry the entire production chain.
A safe drop zone should be separated from high-traffic production lines. This is especially important when dealing with spores or slag, since the demo can produce more of these materials than an early setup can process. Leaving loose resources beside a planter or conveyor may create another blockage instead of solving the first one.
| Situation | Immediate Action | Long-Term Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Water inside a queued building | Pick up the trapped water | Continue with the underwater conveyor build |
| Trapped cave steam | Grab and reposition the steam | Use the intended condensation or conversion route when available |
| Excess spores | Clear the work area | Increase processing capacity or redesign the production chain |
| Slag buildup | Move it away from active structures | Use a filter and controlled burning arrangement |
| Amethelis stuck on moss | Remove the obstruction manually | Improve collection placement and material separation |
Do not assume the current vacuum can store, transport, or collect every material throughout an entire factory. Its confirmed utility is narrower than a dedicated logistics system.
Layout Planning for Vacuum Work
Good layouts reduce the number of times you need to reach for the vacuum. Keep construction corridors open, place collection points near production buildings, and avoid directing multiple materials into the same cramped area without a clear separation plan.
Planter boxes deserve special attention. Loose Amethelis and gold can become difficult to collect when moss, wet material, or spores remain on top of the collection area. A conveyor placed below a planter may not solve the issue if lighter or obstructing materials prevent the intended resource from reaching the belt.
Use the vacuum during the construction phase to clear these surfaces, then revise the layout if the same obstruction occurs repeatedly. A small amount of extra spacing is often more useful than repeated manual cleanup.
Open Build Corridor
Leave clear space around tall structures, conveyors, and queued buildings so the tool can reach problem areas.
Separated Drop Areas
Keep water, slag, spores, and valuable materials in distinct zones before routing them into processing.
Collection Access
Position conveyors and filters where materials can reach them without crossing planter surfaces or narrow gaps.
| Layout Element | Recommended Practice | Why It Helps |
|---|---|---|
| Conveyor entrance | Keep the approach clear | Prevents loose material from blocking intake points |
| Planter collection | Separate valuable resources from moss and wet materials | Reduces stuck or mixed resource piles |
| Tall structures | Preserve vertical construction space | Makes building and path assignment less awkward |
| Fluid work area | Keep water-related construction near an open edge | Simplifies pickup and underwater conveyor placement |
| Slag processing | Use a contained filter arrangement | Reduces uncontrolled spread during burning |
A cramped valley can make layouts feel more restrictive than intended. Treat tight spacing as a planning challenge in the demo rather than proof that every later map will use the same limits.
Handling Water, Steam, Spores, and Slag
The vacuum is most useful when several resource behaviors overlap. Water may interfere with construction, steam may become trapped underground, and production waste can overwhelm early processing. Each problem needs a different response.
For water, the practical confirmed interaction is narrow: water trapped inside queued buildings, shown by the green construction state, can be picked up. This allows players to place conveyor belts underwater more easily. It should not be generalized into a claim that all water can currently be vacuumed from every location.
Steam is similar. Grabbing it can help move trapped steam in caves, but this was described as a workaround. The intended flow involves condensation or manual conversion with the Cryoblaster, depending on the final implementation.
Spores and slag require stronger planning. If a single Flux Emanator cannot keep pace with early-game surplus, moving the excess with a vacuum only buys time. A filter-based burner arrangement provides a more sustainable response for cinder and slag management.
A filter set to Cinder can be filled and contained so that slag passing over it is automatically burned. Build around the filter carefully so liquid does not escape.
| Material | Vacuum Role | Better Supporting System |
|---|---|---|
| Water | Pickup from queued green-square buildings | Underwater conveyor construction |
| Steam | Temporary repositioning from caves | Condensation or Cryoblaster conversion |
| Spores | Emergency cleanup and space recovery | More processing capacity and better production balance |
| Cinder | Possible movement before processing | Filled, contained filter for automatic burning |
| Slag | Short-term obstruction removal | Controlled burning and sealed liquid handling |
A useful rule is to process the cause, not only the symptom. If spores are constantly piling up, improve the production chain. If slag repeatedly crosses a conveyor, adjust the filter or burner placement. If Amethelis cannot reach a belt, change the collection surface instead of repeatedly vacuuming the same spot.
Vacuum Setup Checklist and Upgrade Expectations
Before expanding a production line, confirm that your layout can handle the materials it will create. The checklist below focuses on practical preparation rather than unconfirmed future features.
Before Expanding Your Factory:
- Leave an open corridor around queued buildings and conveyor entrances
- Create separate drop zones for water, steam, spores, slag, and valuable resources
- Check planter boxes for moss, wet material, and spores blocking collection
- Prepare a filter or burner solution for recurring cinder and slag buildup
- Use the vacuum for setup problems, then replace repeated manual work with automation
The planned distinction between a pushing leaf blower and a true pulling vacuum could make future layouts more flexible. A dedicated vacuum with a storage bag or upgradeable capacity would be particularly useful for collecting material in one location and dumping it elsewhere. However, those features should be treated as development direction until they are formally implemented.
| Feature | Current Status | Planning Implication |
|---|---|---|
| Current vacuum utility | Available in the demo context | Use for cleanup, water, steam, and positioning |
| Storage bag | Requested by players, not confirmed as current | Do not plan a factory around portable storage |
| Upgradeable vacuum capacity | Discussed as a possible improvement | Keep temporary drop zones available |
| Leaf blower behavior | Discussed as a possible rename and push function | Separate push and pull roles in future layouts |
| True pull vacuum | Discussed as a planned addition | Revisit cleanup routes when implemented |
For continuing development details, consult the Sandustry Steam discussion about the demo vacuum and related systems. It includes developer clarification about trapped steam, water in queued buildings, planned tool changes, hauler quality-of-life improvements, and early-game resource surplus.
Build flexible drop zones and modular conveyors now. That makes it easier to adopt future vacuum storage or push-pull changes without rebuilding the entire factory.
Sandustry Vacuum FAQ
Q: What does the Sandustry vacuum do in the current demo?
It functions as a utility for moving loose materials and solving local construction problems. Confirmed uses include handling trapped steam and picking up water inside queued green-square buildings.
Q: Can the vacuum collect water anywhere?
The confirmed interaction is water trapped inside queued buildings. Universal water pickup was discussed as a planned Grabber upgrade, so it should not be treated as a current everywhere-collection feature.
Q: How should I deal with too many spores or slag?
Use the vacuum to clear immediate obstructions, then improve the production system. For cinder and slag, a contained filter arrangement can support automatic burning when configured correctly.
Q: Will the current vacuum receive storage upgrades?
A storage bag and upgradeable capacity were suggested as useful ideas. The developer also discussed turning the current tool into a leaf blower and adding a separate true vacuum, but these should be treated as planned direction until released.
The vacuum is a flexible support tool, not the foundation of your logistics network. Use it to stabilize construction, then let conveyors and processing systems handle recurring work.