Is there a way to prevent pipe overflow in Buildcraft?

Solution 1:

You can use obsidian pipes to redirect the outputs of chests. Take the following test rig:

I have filled the chest with buckets, as a sample:

If you pipe another item into the chest, it will simply pop out of the pipe, like so:

Fortunately, obsidian pipes do not connect to themselves, so you can use this to create a somewhat compact device to channel additional items elsewhere. Here's a possible system:

The iron pipes will keep the items from flowing directly into the new chests, and the obsidian pipes will pull in items that overflow.

You can also use more powerful engines of course, if you want to. This is all just an example.

Solution 2:

A green insertion pipe will do the trick, and, you can easily chain them to fill 20 chests or machines.

Solution 3:

I have found what I was looking for using the Logistics Pipes sub-mod: Using a supplier Logistics Pipe connected to the furnace, and a provider pipe connected to an ores chest, I can tell the supplier pipe to keep, for example, 64 iron ore in the top part of a furnace at all times, or the bottom part filled with coal at all times.

Granted, this solution requires that I have segregated furnaces, but, I think it's worth it.

Solution 4:

A simpler and less costly way to make sure items don't pop out of the pipes (I've had similar experiences) is to replace the pipe after the wooden extraction pipe to an iron pipe, make sure it is blocking the items from entering the furnace or chest you are extracting from. then simply add two pipes next to the pipes leading to you chest or furnace.

ie.

[Chest][wood][iron][pipe][pipe][pipe][pipe][furnace]
                               [pipe][pipe]

(this is a basic diagram of how it should look if all of the blocks were in a grid, the four pipes touching create a loop trapping items and the iron pipe stops them from reentering your chest.)