How to stop water from freezing in Minecraft (2022)

Like in real life, water in Minecraft can change from a liquid form to a solid state depending on certain factors. For example, water placed in cold climates can turn into ice blocks if the conditions fit.

While ice blocks are fun to use in Minecraft, some players want to keep their water in liquid form. Doing so isn't too difficult, but it may be tricky for beginners who may not know how water becomes ice in the first place.

If you find yourself in a particularly chilly biome and want to keep your water in its current state, it's a good idea to bring along some light sources or building blocks.

---

Multiple factors determine whether water will freeze in Minecraft

Light sources will keep water from freezing in Minecraft (Image via Mojang)

Various factors must be taken into account when determining whether water will freeze in Minecraft. Specifically, water will freeze when:

• It is exposed to the sky directly above it
• The light level adjacent to the water source block is less than 13 on all sides
• There is at least one horizontally adjacent block that is neither water nor waterlogged.

As long as these three conditions are met, water can freeze at any time, regardless of the weather. Water will also freeze at high altitudes in cold-weather biomes as long as the altitude is high enough to facilitate snowfall.

If any of the three core conditions are invalid, water will not freeze. Players can use this information to ensure that their water remains liquid.

Here are some ways to keep water from freezing in Minecraft:

1. Place light sources in regular intervals above your water. The light level will remain high enough to prevent freezing as long as it's at 13 or above.
2. Create an overhang made of solid blocks or slabs or completely enclose the water in a room. Without exposure to the sky, ice won't be able to form.
3. Surround your water with light sources on its perimeter. This will ensure the water blocks directly adjacent to solid non-water blocks won't be able to freeze and spread to the center.

Keep in mind that these same tricks will work in high-altitude locations in snowy or cold biomes. As long as one of the three main conditions for water to turn to ice can't be met, freezing won't be possible.

Even if a water source block is adjacent to an ice block, it won't convert as long as it doesn't check all three primary boxes.

Once you have this information memorized, it shouldn't be too difficult to keep water liquid no matter where you find yourself. This can be crucial when building a project, such as a water-based mob or material farm, where ice blocks can cause the flow of resources to halt immediately.

One of the best ways to avoid water freezing is simply to watch where you begin building certain projects. However, if building in a cold climate is unavoidable, these tricks should keep your build in a good state.

Water is one of the most vital resources in Minecraft, so keeping it in working order and avoiding it freezing into ice is important for many creations. However, keep those core conditions in mind in case you'd like to farm ice blocks in the future.