Chunk Loaders Guide
Keep your farms, machines, and builds running 24/7 with economy-integrated chunk loading
What Are Chunk Loaders?
Chunk loaders keep specific areas (chunks) of your world loaded even when you're not nearby. This is essential for:
- Automated farms that need to run continuously
- Redstone machines and contraptions
- Mob grinders and XP farms
- Chunk loaders for quarries and miners
- Any build that needs to stay active 24/7
💡 Important:
Chunk loaders require ongoing fuel to operate. They're not free - this creates a balanced economy system!
Getting Started
Step 1: Get a Beacon
Chunk loaders use Beacon blocks. You can get them by:
Option 1: Craft
Vanilla Minecraft recipe:
- • 1 Nether Star (from Wither)
- • 5 Glass blocks
- • 3 Obsidian blocks
Option 2: Buy from Shop
Purchase from UltimateShop:
£75,000
Available in the shop menu
Note: The beacon doesn't need a pyramid base to work as a chunk loader!
Step 2: Place the Beacon
Place the beacon block where you want chunks to be loaded. The system will:
- Check if you have permission (chunkloader.use)
- Check if you've reached your limit (default: 3 loaders)
- Check if the chunk is already occupied
- Calculate and charge activation cost
- Create your chunk loader!
⚠️ Cost Warning
Activation costs £10,000 per chunk. A basic 1-radius loader (3×3 = 9 chunks) costs £90,000 to activate!
Step 3: Add Fuel
Chunk loaders start with ZERO fuel. You must add fuel or they won't stay active!
Right-click the beacon to open the fuel GUI:
╔═══════════════════════════════════╗
║ Fuel Bar (Visual Display) ║
║ [████████░] 80% Full ║
║ £8,000 / £10,000 - 80 hours left ║
╠═══════════════════════════════════╣
║ ║
║ [💰 Add Money Fuel] ║
║ ║
╠═══════════════════════════════════╣
║ Drop Items Here (9 slots) ║
║ [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════╝
Fuel System
Money Fuel (Recommended)
✓ 100% Efficiency (1:1 ratio)
£1,000 money = £1,000 fuel value
Click the gold ingot button in the GUI, then type the amount you want to add in chat.
Best Choice!
Money fuel is the most efficient way to power your chunk loaders. Always use this when possible!
Item Fuel (Emergency Backup)
⚠️ Only 30% Efficiency (0.3× penalty)
£1,000 worth of items = £300 fuel value
Drag items into the bottom 9 slots of the GUI. They convert automatically when you close the menu.
70% of the value is lost as a conversion penalty!
Accepted Items:
- • Diamond (£275 → £82.50 fuel)
- • Ancient Debris (£500 → £150 fuel)
- • Emerald (£200 → £60 fuel)
- • Gold Ingot (£50 → £15 fuel)
- • Netherite Ingot (£1,800 → £540 fuel)
- • Plus other valuable items
Fuel Consumption
£100
per chunk per hour
£10,000
max fuel capacity
~11 hrs
max runtime (1 radius)
Example Costs:
- • Radius 1 (9 chunks): £900/hour = £21,600/day
- • Radius 2 (25 chunks): £2,500/hour = £60,000/day
- • Radius 3 (49 chunks): £4,900/hour = £117,600/day
Warning System
Low Fuel Warning (10%)
When your fuel drops to 10% or below, you'll receive a warning message:
⚠ WARNING: Chunk loader at X: 100, Y: 64, Z: 200 is LOW on fuel! £500 remaining (5 hours)
Grace Period (0% fuel)
When fuel reaches zero, you get a 1-hour grace period before shutdown:
🚨 CRITICAL: Chunk loader at X: 100, Y: 64, Z: 200 is OUT of fuel! Grace period: 1 hour remaining
You'll receive periodic reminders during the grace period. Add fuel quickly or your loader will shut down!
Shutdown (Grace Period Expired)
If you don't add fuel within the grace period:
❌ Chunk loader at X: 100, Y: 64, Z: 200 has SHUT DOWN (no fuel)
- Chunks immediately unload
- Beacon block is automatically removed
- You lose the beacon (not refunded)
- You must place a new beacon to restart
Tips & Tricks
💡 Smart Placement
- Place beacons centrally in your build
- Use smallest radius needed to save money
- Remember: Radius 1 covers 3×3 chunks (48×48 blocks)
- Test your farm boundaries before committing
💰 Cost Management
- Always use money fuel (100% efficient)
- Keep loaders fueled to avoid grace periods
- Set up income sources to offset costs
- Consider if 24/7 loading is really needed
🔧 Maintenance
- Check fuel levels regularly
- Don't ignore low fuel warnings!
- Keep backup beacons ready
- Plan for vacation/downtime
⚙️ Limits
- Default limit: 3 chunk loaders
- Permission upgrades available (5, 10, unlimited)
- Each loader counts toward your limit
- Breaking a loader frees up a slot
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I break my beacon and get my fuel back?
No. When you break a beacon, the chunk loader is destroyed and all fuel is lost. The beacon block itself also doesn't drop. Plan carefully!
What happens if I run out of money?
You can use items as fuel (though less efficient), or your loader will enter the grace period. During the grace period, you have 1 hour to add fuel before automatic shutdown.
How big is one chunk?
One chunk is 16×16 blocks. A radius 1 loader (the default) keeps a 3×3 chunk area loaded, which is 48×48 blocks total.
Can I increase my loader limit?
Yes! Ask an admin about permission upgrades. Available tiers: 5 loaders, 10 loaders, or unlimited.
Do chunk loaders work across server restarts?
Yes! Your chunk loaders automatically resume after server restarts. Fuel consumption continues based on actual time elapsed.
Can someone else fuel my chunk loader?
Only the owner can access the fuel GUI. If you need help, ask an admin - they can add fuel via commands.
Why use chunk loaders instead of staying online?
Chunk loaders keep your farms/machines running 24/7, even when you're offline. This is essential for automated farms, mob grinders, and any build that benefits from continuous operation.
Quick Reference
Costs
- Activation: £10,000/chunk
- Consumption: £100/hour/chunk
- Money Fuel: 1:1 ratio (100%)
- Item Fuel: 0.3× penalty (30%)
- Max Capacity: £10,000
Limits & Warnings
- Default Limit: 3 loaders
- Low Fuel: 10% warning
- Grace Period: 1 hour
- Default Radius: 1 (3×3 chunks)
- Max Radius: 5 (11×11 chunks)