Quick answer
What to do first
Put the generator outdoors, connect it, add gasoline while it is switched off, then turn it on. If a device still has no power, separate a missing connection from an out-of-range appliance or an exterior-power setting. Open Generator Info to inspect fuel, condition and the devices drawing power before moving or replacing anything.
Check your game conditions
- Current Stable
- 42.20.4 Stable
- Play mode
- Singleplayer / Multiplayer
- Vanilla / Mods
- Vanilla baseline; mods may replace rules
- Sandbox / server settings
- Generator Working In Exterior and fuel-consumption settings affect outdoor devices and runtime.
Where does the power chain stop?
Connect Generator is unavailable
- Possible cause
- Your character lacks generator knowledge, or the generator is not placed
- Check
- Check the character's learned recipes and the generator context menu
- Next action
- Place it outdoors. Read How to Use Generators or use an eligible Electrical/occupation route.
It will not start
- Possible cause
- No usable fuel, no connection or poor condition
- Check
- Inspect fuel and condition; confirm it is connected
- Next action
- Switch off before refueling or repair. Connect, then activate.
Nearby devices work, another does not
- Possible cause
- Coverage or device state differs
- Check
- Compare the working appliance with the failing one; inspect Generator Info
- Next action
- Check the device's own controls, then consider a closer outdoor position.
An outdoor pump has no power
- Possible cause
- Exterior power is disabled or the pump is outside coverage
- Check
- Ask the owner to check Generator Working In Exterior
- Next action
- Use the world rule actually enabled; do not move the generator indoors.
Fuel falls faster than expected
- Possible cause
- More appliances or a different fuel setting
- Check
- Read the connected-device load and world fuel-consumption setting
- Next action
- Switch off unneeded devices and plan refueling around actual consumption.
Health falls inside the building
- Possible cause
- Generator exhaust
- Check
- Check whether a running generator is inside the occupied structure
- Next action
- Leave the structure and stop the generator when safe. Relocate it outdoors before reuse.
Connect before troubleshooting appliances
Right-click the placed generator and use Connect Generator. Add Fuel requires gasoline and a switched-off generator; merely carrying a fueled generator near a building does not supply electricity. Make the area safe before carrying it, because the load limits your ability to respond to zombies.
The linked generator reference lists Electrical level 3, the How to Use Generators magazine, and eligible occupations as knowledge routes. It also lists additional trait/occupation exceptions. Check the character's actual requirements instead of assuming every B41 character must find a magazine.
Make the first check small
First establish whether a nearby appliance receives power. If it does, the generator is running and the remaining problem is narrower: appliance controls, coverage or an exterior rule. Do not infer that an entire multi-storey building is supplied because its ground floor works.
Generator Info is more useful than a runtime copied from somebody else's freezer setup. Your connected devices and world settings can differ. Treat a calculated refill time as an estimate and leave a margin rather than checking only after the fuel runs out.
Keep power available without risking the shelter
Inspect condition when you refuel. Shut the generator down before servicing it; the documented repair material is Scrap Electronics. Do not wait for it to reach failure condition before arranging maintenance.
Keep it outside occupied rooms. Opening windows is not a substitute for outdoor placement. On a multiplayer server, agree who checks fuel and condition while the world is running; your personal logout is not a maintenance plan.
Version notes & limits
The generator reference labels its mechanism coverage 42.13.1. Its setup checks are used here with current Stable context; exact floor coverage, variant reliability and fixed runtime estimates are not treated as guarantees.
This guide covers vanilla generator setup and diagnosis, not fuel locations, wiring mods or a blueprint for a particular building.
Last verified means the linked documentation was reviewed, not that this guide was tested in-game. PZwiki is maintained by community contributors.
Version & sources
Sources & what may change
- Applies to
- 42.20.4 Stable; Singleplayer / Multiplayer; Vanilla baseline; mods may replace rules
- Last verified
- 2026-09-04
- When to check again
- A relevant Stable patch, changed world setting, mod update or correction to the cited instructions.