How to keep water from freezing in Minecraft

In most situations that Minecraft players might find themselves in, water and ice are totally different blocks, with totally different build purposes, aesthetics, and uses. Ice is especially useful due to its ability to stack with itself.

However, for players building in snowy biomes, either by choice or because that is where they happen to spawn, the lines between water and ice are blurred, as water can freeze spontaneously, potentially ruining farms or builds. This can be avoided by players building their base in certain ways.

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How to keep water from becoming ice in Minecraft

Why does water become ice?

An example of a small pond freezing in a snowy tundra biome (Image via Minecraft)

There are a few rules in place that determine if water can freeze into ice. The first rule is that only water source blocks can freeze. The second rule is that the water source block must be exposed to the sky directly from above to freeze. This means that if any block is placed above it, the water block will not freeze. The third rule is that the light level on all sides of the water block needs to be less than 13.

The last rule is that there needs to be at least one horizontally adjacent non-water block. This means the middle body of water will not be the first to freeze. The ice will start at the edge and work inward.

It is important to note that if all requirements are met, water can freeze into ice at any time and in any weather conditions, meaning players can walk away from a farm and return to find it broken due to freezing water.

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How to keep water from becoming ice?

An example of an overhead block keeping water from freezing (Image via Minecraft)

Since a few different rules must be met to freeze water, players have many different options to keep water in its liquid form even when the surrounding weather is trying its hardest to freeze it.

The easiest solution is to simply cover the water source block from above. Since the height of the cover does not matter, players can build a roof at the top of the world to keep water at the height of their build from freezing while not negatively impacting the build itself.

An example of torches keeping water from freezing (Image via Minecraft)

The next easiest solution is to simply ensure that the water is adequately lit. As mentioned above, as long as the water source block is surrounded by a light level of 13 or higher, it will not freeze. This means that enough light sources like torches, lanterns, glowstone, etc., can all be used, making it a versatile way to keep water liquid.