Cooling keeps your Palworld base from catching fire during heat waves

In Palworld, cooling is a mechanic that prevents your base from burning down when the temperature rises. Without cooling, structures in your base will eventually catch fire and be destroyed during hot weather. You build cooling devices — primarily air conditioners — and place them in your base to lower the temperature and keep everything safe.

The game tracks your base temperature separately from the outside world. Even if it's cold outside, your base can heat up from the work your Pals do, the machines you run, and the time of day. Cooling counteracts this by actively reducing that internal temperature number.

Key Takeaways

  • Air conditioners are the main cooling tool and must be powered by electricity to work, so you need a generator or power source nearby.
  • Each air conditioner has a cooling radius — it only affects structures within a certain distance, so you may need multiple units for a large base.
  • Cooling level is measured in a number that appears in your base status; higher numbers mean stronger cooling effect against heat.
  • Passive cooling methods like building in shaded areas or near water can reduce how much active cooling you need to build.

How to build and place air conditioners

Air conditioners are crafted at a workbench once you unlock them in the tech tree. You'll need copper ingots, stone, and other basic materials depending on your game progression. Once built, place the air conditioner anywhere in your base — it doesn't have to be centered or in a specific room.

The device only works if it has power. Connect it to a generator, battery, or power grid using power cables. If your air conditioner isn't receiving electricity, it won't cool anything, and your base temperature will continue to rise. You can check whether a device has power by looking at its status icon in the build menu.

Understanding cooling radius and coverage

Each air conditioner affects only the area around it. The cooling radius is the distance from the unit where you'll feel the cooling effect. A single air conditioner in the center of a small base might be enough, but a large base will need multiple units placed at different points to cover all your structures.

If you place structures outside the cooling radius, they won't be protected and can still catch fire. You can see the radius visually when you place the air conditioner — it shows as a circle or sphere around the unit. Plan your base layout with this in mind, or add more air conditioners as you expand.

Power requirements and electricity management

Air conditioners consume electricity whenever they're running. The amount varies by the model — higher-tier air conditioners use more power but provide stronger cooling. If your power supply can't handle all your devices at once, your base will lose power and cooling will stop.

Build enough generators or use batteries to store power for when your generators aren't producing (like at night if you're using solar panels). A common setup is multiple generators plus a battery bank, so cooling keeps running even when production dips. Check your power consumption in the base menu to see if you're generating enough.

When cooling becomes necessary

You won't need cooling immediately in a new base. Early on, your structures are few and your Pals don't generate much heat. But as you expand — adding more machines, more Pals, and more structures — the internal temperature rises. Once you start seeing fire warnings or actual fires, it's time to build cooling.

Certain biomes are hotter than others, and certain times of day are hotter too. If your base is in a naturally hot area like a desert, you'll need cooling sooner. Bases in cold areas might never need it, or only need it during the hottest part of the day.

Alternatives to air conditioners

Building placement can reduce cooling needs. Bases built near water or in shaded areas naturally stay cooler. Some players build their base in a cave or underground to take advantage of stable temperatures. These passive methods won't eliminate the need for cooling in a large base, but they can reduce how many air conditioners you need to build.

You can also manage what you build and where. Keeping heat-generating machines (like furnaces) away from your storage and living areas means you only need to cool the spaces that matter most. This is less efficient than full base cooling, but it works if you're early in the game and resources are tight.

Troubleshooting cooling problems

If your base is still catching fire despite having air conditioners, check three things: first, make sure the air conditioners have power by looking at their status. Second, verify that the structures catching fire are actually within the cooling radius — place the air conditioner again to see the radius circle. Third, check whether you have enough cooling level for your base size; you may need to add a second or third unit.

If you're losing power frequently, your generators aren't keeping up with demand. Add more generators, build batteries to store power, or turn off non-essential devices during peak heat times. Some players build separate power grids for cooling so it never competes with other systems for electricity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do air conditioners work if they're outside the base?

Air conditioners affect structures within their radius regardless of whether the unit itself is technically "inside" or "outside" your base perimeter. Place them wherever the radius covers the structures you want to protect. Many players put them on the edge of their base to save space.

Can I turn off air conditioners to save power?

Yes, you can disable them manually through the build menu. This saves power but your base will heat up again. Some players turn cooling off at night or during cooler seasons, then turn it back on when needed. Just watch your temperature gauge so you don't let it climb too high.

What's the difference between air conditioner models?

Higher-tier air conditioners provide stronger cooling and cover a larger radius, but they use more electricity. Early-game models are weaker but cheaper to build. As you progress and unlock better tech, you can replace old units with more efficient ones or add them to expand coverage.

Does water in my base help with cooling?

Water doesn't actively cool your base the way air conditioners do, but building near natural water sources or in wet biomes keeps your base naturally cooler. This reduces how much active cooling you need, but it's not a replacement for air conditioners in a large base.

What happens if my base temperature gets too high?

Structures start to catch fire and burn down. Once a fire starts, it spreads to nearby structures. You'll see warnings before it gets that bad — watch for the temperature gauge in your base status. If you see it climbing, build cooling immediately or move heat-generating machines away from important structures.