What this guide covers
If you’re stuck on crafting or objectives that require a Water Pump or a Firefly Burner in Arc Raiders, the fastest solution is to treat them like repeatable scavenging targets: run short routes, prioritize the right container types, and extract early when you hit the drop. Below is a structured method you can repeat until both items are secured.
Before you start: set up for quick loot runs
- Go light. Bring only what you need to survive and sprint; lighter kits reduce the pain of dying and encourage early extraction once you find the item.
- Leave space in your inventory. These parts can be easy to overlook if you’re full and forced to juggle.
- Plan an “exit-first” path. Pick a route that passes at least one extraction option early so you can bail as soon as you get the drop.
- Commit to short attempts. The goal is many fast runs, not one perfect long expedition.
How to get a Water Pump
A Water Pump is best treated as an industrial/plumbing salvage component. Your odds improve when you focus on areas and containers that logically contain mechanical utility parts.
Where to search (high-probability locations)
- Industrial buildings and service corridors where you’d expect piping, maintenance closets, or utility rooms.
- Workshops and storage rooms with shelves, crates, and maintenance supplies.
- Utility-adjacent points of interest (anything that looks like water processing, pumping, or facility infrastructure).
What to loot (container priority)
- Toolboxes / maintenance containers (best fit for pump parts).
- Industrial crates and back-room storage containers.
- Loose loot near machinery (check floors, corners, and behind large props).
Repeatable “Water Pump loop” (quick-run method)
- Spawn → head straight to the closest industrial/utility cluster. Ignore side fights unless unavoidable.
- Loot only your priority containers. Don’t full-clear an area; speed matters.
- Rotate to a second nearby maintenance cluster. Two clusters is usually the sweet spot before risk escalates.
- Extract immediately if you get the Water Pump. Treat it as a mission item.
If it won’t drop
- Change your route, not your patience. Hitting the same rooms repeatedly can be slower if other players are vacuuming them first.
- Arrive earlier. Sprinting to a known utility area at the start often beats arriving after it’s been looted.
- Stop over-looting. If you’re spending time on low-value containers, you’re reducing attempts per hour.
How to get a Firefly Burner
The Firefly Burner is best approached as a specialized component that tends to show up around technical gear, devices, or high-value mechanical loot pools. Your goal is to focus on device-heavy zones and the container types that usually hold rare parts.
Where to search (high-probability locations)
- Tech-heavy interiors (rooms that look like equipment storage, operations areas, or hardware staging).
- Secure/locked or high-density loot zones where rarer components are more likely to appear.
- Areas tied to specialized gear (if a location visually suggests advanced equipment, prioritize it).
What to loot (container priority)
- High-tier crates / secure containers (best chance for unique parts).
- Device cases and tech storage (anything that suggests electronics or specialty hardware).
- Boss/elite or guarded loot nodes if your kit supports it; otherwise, skip to keep attempts fast.
Repeatable “Firefly Burner loop” (risk-managed method)
- Pick one high-value zone close to an extraction. You want a straight line: loot → leave.
- Loot only premium containers first. If you don’t see the burner quickly, rotate out.
- Do a second small stop (another tech room or secure cluster), then extract or reset.
- Don’t carry extra valuables. If you find the Firefly Burner, extraction is the only objective.
Combining both into one efficient farming route
If you need both items, run a hybrid route that starts in an industrial cluster (Water Pump) and ends in a tech/secure cluster (Firefly Burner), with an extraction option after each leg.
- Leg 1 (Industrial): Loot toolboxes/maintenance crates for Water Pump.
- Decision point: If you get it, extract. If not, move on quickly.
- Leg 2 (Tech/Secure): Loot premium containers for Firefly Burner.
- Extract or reset. If neither drops, reset the run rather than roaming.
Common mistakes that slow you down
- Staying too long after a key drop. Most losses happen after you already have what you came for.
- Clearing low-yield rooms. Prioritize container types that match the item category.
- Taking unnecessary fights. PvE/PvP detours cut attempts per hour and increase wipe risk.
- Not adjusting when contested. If a route is busy, switch to a secondary cluster rather than forcing it.
Checklist: one-run success plan
- Light kit, empty space, exit planned
- Industrial containers first (toolboxes/maintenance)
- Tech/secure containers second (premium crates/cases)
- Extract immediately on Water Pump or Firefly Burner
- Reset quickly if the run goes long or gets contested
Using this approach, you maximize the number of high-probability rolls per hour while minimizing the chance you lose the item after finding it—typically the biggest hurdle for players farming specific components.