Liquid Element Sensor

The Liquid Element Sensor is a building that detects which element a liquid in a pipe segment contains and outputs automation signals based on that element. It attaches directly to liquid pipe segments and can be configured to send a Green (true) signal when the selected element is present in the monitored pipe segment, and a Red (false) signal when it is not. The sensor is used to route, sort, or trigger equipment depending on specific liquid types such as Water, Polluted Water, Liquid Oxygen, or any other liquid element present in the network.

The Liquid Element Sensor automatically links to adjacent pipe infrastructure when built; it can snap to liquid pipes and to compatible ports (for example, rocket plumbing or cargo ports) so it integrates cleanly into existing plumbing. It contains built‑in liquid filtering logic for identifying the element in the attached pipe segment rather than measuring mass or temperature.

Practical notes and behavior important for use:

• The sensor only detects the element in the exact pipe segment it is attached to. If that segment contains mixtures or changing contents, the output will change accordingly.
• Germs in a liquid pipe segment are independent of surrounding atmosphere and cannot be removed by surrounding Chlorine gas or Radiation. If the sensor is being used to detect "contaminated" versus "clean" liquid by checking for germ presence via associated automation, remember that germs within a pipe segment will persist unless that segment is actively recirculated or otherwise flushed; surrounding gas treatment does not sterilize pipe contents.
• Contaminated water (contains germs) is not the same as polluted water (contains different material tags). The sensor identifies the liquid element, not germ status; use additional logic or specialized sensors if you need to detect contamination vs pollution.
• Melting the sensor in a refinery will recover Refined Metal. The sensor’s melting yield effectively converts some of its original plastic component into Refined Metal when refined (as noted by its recovered mass).
• Build placement: the sensor is intended for inline use on liquid pipes and will automatically link to Rocket Platform / Rocket Port plumbing when relevant.
• Because liquids mix far less readily than gases in many situations, hydraulic sensors and flow control are often preferred for controlling pumps and intermittent flows; use the Liquid Element Sensor when you need to discriminate by specific liquid type rather than merely detect flow or pressure.

Bugs and legacy behavior:

• Some historical/related entries note mismatches between listed properties and in‑game behavior for liquid items or components in older game versions; rely on current game patch notes for exact numbers if precise edge‑case behavior is required.