Pumps

Pumps are mechanisms used to transport liquids.

To use pumps, an Inlet Pump must be connected to an Outlet Pump using wire. When the wire is activated, a small amount of liquid is removed at the inlet and created at the outlet. For continuous pumping, a timer must be used.

Pumps can be used to transport lava as well as water. However, a loose pump floating in lava will be destroyed and can be difficult to relocate.

Pumps will not operate over long distances. There may be no more than 1000 wires in the connection, so if a straight line is made of wire, a set of pumps will operate over a maximum distance of 1000 blocks, or 2000 feet.

Infinite Liquid
This will compound over time, producing infinite fluid as long as the outpump is not submerged. This has been used by many players as a more automated and less buggy obsidian farming machine. For similar information on infinite fluid production, see Guide:Making liquid.

Workaround
To pump liquids without producing more, do not place the in-pump at the bottom of the reservoir. The illustration below shows an inlet pump placed above a 1-block run-off where "leftover" lava will gather. The run-off prevents the inlet pump from generating excess lava, and can be easily emptied with a single bucket.