Fallout 4: How To Power A Settlement

Even though you might already have learned the basics of managing a settlement in Fallout 4, managing the power of a settlement in Fallout 4 is pretty tricky. How to use power to lift up your settlement. If your settlement has wires handing all around, which mess up the look and feel of the entire settlement. You can use Power Conduits to activate your generators and power up your settlement in Fallout 4. This is a guide on how to use power to lift up your settlement.

Understanding Power Requirements

1. Basic Power Needs: Items that require power will indicate this in two ways. If an item shows “requires Power” without a number, it needs to be within the sphere of influence of a Pylon or Conduit. If there’s a number, it requires a direct wired connection from a power source.
2. Generators: These are your primary sources of power. They don’t create a sphere of influence, meaning you need to connect them to Pylons or Conduits with wires.
3. Wiring: Press the Space Bar in the Workshop menu to connect a wire from your Generator to a Pylon or Conduit. This extends the power reach but requires strategic placement to be effective.

Using Pylons and Conduits

1. Power Spheres: Pylons and Conduits create a sphere of power influence, extending to a radius equivalent to two wall lengths. This sphere is where items requiring power must be placed to function.
2. Placement Strategy: Since these power spheres don’t overlap, you should place Conduits on your house every three wall lengths for optimal coverage. Pylons are best used to extend wires over open areas.
3. Powering Conduits: A conduit’s power sphere can power another conduit, but only if the second conduit is wired.

Troubleshooting Power Issues

1. Non-functional Lights: If lights aren’t turning on, try re-placing the power source or the light itself. The game can be buggy, affecting power functionality.

Utilizing Traps:

1. Wiring and Power: Traps require a wired connection but don’t subtract from your total power supply. You can place as many as you like without affecting power availability.
2. Maintenance: Traps need to be repaired after activation, costing resources. They don’t auto-reactivate; you must manually reset them, especially Laser Tripwires.
3. Trap Types and Activation: Different traps have varied effects and activation methods. Pressure Plates are recommended for ease of use. Traps activate when power is supplied, meaning direct wiring from a pylon will trigger them.

Mastering Switches

1. Functionality: Switches control the flow of power but are most effective when used with a Terminal (found in Power > Misc > Terminal).
2. Terminal Use: A Terminal can control any switch within your power grid, regardless of distance.
3. Special Switches: Delayed and Interval switches work based on timing programs set through the Terminal. They have specific behaviors that can be manipulated for various effects, like timed lights or trap activation.

That’s all we’ve got in how to power in settlement in Fallout 4. For more help on the game, feel free to check out our detailed Fallout 4 wiki guides.