Survival
The Last Caretaker Heating Guide: Boiler, Heaters and the Cold (Update 6)
Game version: Update 6 (Early Access 0.10.0.653173); module readings from the public beta (0.10.0.653002)
Update 6 came out on October 19, 2026, and cold is now a real danger: when it gets cold enough, the Caretaker slows down and takes damage. Channel37 lists small, medium and large heaters, a Boiler, the Methane Extractor and single-use methane canisters for keeping warm. In the public beta, the Boiler made steam and the heaters connected to it turned that steam into heat; unlock them in the skill tree before you look in the build menu. Some costs, tiers and fuel numbers further down are not confirmed yet, and they are marked.
The picture at the top shows fuel containers from Update 5.5, not the Boiler.
How Heating Works
Update 6, The Jump, came out on October 19, 2026. In deep cold the Caretaker moves more slowly and starts losing health, and a temperature readout appears on the HUD once conditions turn dangerous. North Bastion, the new frozen mountain region, is where the cold matters most.
A Boiler produces steam, and heaters connected to it turn that steam into heat.
The Boiler and the heaters are skill-tree unlocks, so unlock them before you look for them in the build menu. It is easy to miss that the heating modules were added to the skills.
In North Bastion the steam pipes on the walls have their connection points in groups of three, and you run hoses from them to your heaters.
You can carry the small FLO TH-5 Local Heater on your back and take it off again: the prompt "Take from back (FLO TH-5 Local Heater)" appears in the public beta.
To survive the cold you can build small, medium and large heaters, a Boiler and the Methane Extractor, and use single-use methane canisters. Each heater type has its own output, reach and efficiency, and a warmed area no longer cools back down.
The Flamethrower and the Flame Pistol now give off heat. Some doorways are sealed by ice that you melt with heat or break through, and extreme cold also affects the Gyrocopter's rotors.
Methane is also used for rocket fuel; the oil, methane and fuel guide covers how to make and store it. To get to North Bastion in the first place, see the Transfer Gate guide; for what to bring and where the Leadership module is, see the North Bastion guide.
Heating Modules: Unlocks, Inputs and Parts
The TH-30 Area Heater's numbers are confirmed. The Boiler's and the small heater's are not confirmed yet, so use them as a guide. The release notes name small, medium and large heaters; which of these names is which size has not been confirmed.
FLO BH-60 Boiler
Utility module · skill Tier 18 · 2 skill points
Uses: Methane 10,000 L/h and Fresh Water 10,000 L/h
Makes: Steam 30.0 kW
Parts listed in the tooltip:
- 4 Alloy Frame
- 3 Connector Ports
- 2 Cooling System
- 2 Cooling Radiator
- 1 Filtering System
- 2 Advanced Alloy Mesh
- 1 Power Core
The tooltip calls it a large methane-fired boiler that makes heat from methane and electricity, added in 0.10.0.
Not confirmed yet
FLO TH-30 Area Heater
Utility module · skill Tier 20 · 3 skill points
Uses: Steam 30.0 kW
Parts listed in the tooltip:
- 1 Connector Ports
- 3 Alloy Frame
- 1 Magnetic Coil
- 2 Cooling Radiator
Described as high-capacity heating for priority population areas. The release tooltip shows the full parts list and says it was added in 0.10.0.
FLO TH-5 Local Heater
Portable heater
You can grab, rotate, drop and throw it, and E switches it on and off. Its recipe, unlock and what it runs on were not shown.
Not confirmed yet
Boiler or Gas Boiler Part?
The Boiler is not the old Gas Boiler Part, a junk item that dismantles into 1 Metal Scraps. Whether the Boiler recipe uses Gas Boiler Parts has not been confirmed.
More on junk items in the Dismantle Tool guide.
Not confirmed yet
The public beta shows three new quests: Bring Back the Heat (search for a heating system, then use the Boiler to supply steam to a heater), What the Ice Holds (extract methane with a Methane Extractor) and Find the Laboratory (find and enter the laboratory inside North Bastion).
Too many heaters on one Boiler can leave some of them without enough steam pressure; a room heater needs less steam than an area heater, and a second Boiler gave enough pressure to heat the bunker harbor.
In the public beta the build menu shows a Gas Cable that moves gas between devices at up to 72,000 L/h, made from Rubber and Plastic, costing 2 Wh and 4 seconds to build. In the October 19 release (German interface), the small TH-5 heater is hooked up with a thick green line labeled Gasleitung (Gas Cable), and the Boiler takes a Gas Cable connection too.
Every pipe connection on one steam network can work as an input or an output, and the network splits in two at the long tunnel toward the lift.
A single Boiler can keep every room of a first base in North Bastion warm.
Thawing the ice that hangs from ceilings gives a little scrap; hitting it may work too.
Heating FAQ
How do you make heat in The Last Caretaker?
Build heaters and a Boiler: Update 6 adds small, medium and large heaters, a Boiler, the Methane Extractor and single-use methane canisters. In the public beta, the Boiler produced steam and heaters connected to it turned the steam into heat; unlock them in the skill tree first.
Can you carry a heater in The Last Caretaker?
Yes. In the Update 6 public beta you could carry the small FLO TH-5 Local Heater on your back and take it off again. Since the October 19 release, items stowed on your back count toward your carry weight.
Where does the cold matter in The Last Caretaker?
Mostly in North Bastion, the frozen mountain region Update 6 added on October 19, 2026. When it gets cold enough, the Caretaker slows down and takes damage; the HUD shows the temperature once it gets dangerous.
Does the Flamethrower give off heat?
Yes. Since Update 6, the Flamethrower and the Flame Pistol give off heat, and heat also melts the ice that seals some doorways.
What does the TH-30 Area Heater need?
The FLO TH-30 Area Heater unlocks at skill tier 20 for 3 skill points. It runs on 30.0 kW of steam and is built from 1 Connector Ports, 3 Alloy Frame, 1 Magnetic Coil and 2 Cooling Radiator. The public beta and the October 19 release show the same numbers.
Is the Boiler the same as the Gas Boiler Part?
No. The Gas Boiler Part is an older junk item that dismantles into 1 Metal Scraps. Whether the Update 6 Boiler recipe uses Gas Boiler Parts has not been confirmed.
