How to make a water elevator in Minecraft

To make a water elevator in Minecraft, fill a sealed one-block shaft with source water and put soul sand under it to ride up, or a magma block under it to sink down.

Kelp turns the poured water into source water, signs in the doorway stop it leaking, and you ride a downward elevator by dropping in from the top.

Simple steps to build a water elevator in Minecraft

Water poured in from the top runs down the shaft as flowing water. Kelp always counts as a water source, so placing kelp up the shaft and then breaking it leaves source water in every block, which lets the bubble column run the full height.

1. Build a shaft one block wide with solid walls on all four sides, as tall as the climb you want.
2. Cut a two-block-high doorway at the bottom and place a sign in each of its two blocks so the water stays in the shaft.
3. Empty a water bucket into the top of the shaft so water flows down to the floor.
4. Stand at the doorway and place kelp on the floor block, then keep placing kelp on top of it until the stalk reaches the top water block.
5. Break all of the kelp. Every block it occupied is now source water.
6. Mine the floor block of the shaft from the doorway and place soul sand in its spot for an upward elevator, or a magma block for a downward one.
7. Ride up by walking through the signs into the bubbles; ride down by dropping into the top of the shaft and leaving through the signs at the bottom.

Soul sand or magma block: which water elevator do you need?

Your situation	Block under the shaft	Why
You want to go up a tower, a cliff or out of a mine	Soul sand	Soul sand starts a bubble column that pushes up
You want to drop down into a base, a mine or an underwater build	Magma block	A magma block starts a bubble column that drags down
You want both directions in one place	Two shafts side by side, one of each	A single column only moves one way, so each direction needs its own shaft
You want to land at the bottom of a downward shaft without getting hurt	Magma block, then sneak or step straight out	A magma block deals one damage every half-second to anything standing on it

Required items for a water elevator in Minecraft

Item	What it does	Where to get it
Soul sand	Starts the upward bubble column	The Nether, in large amounts in the Soul Sand Valley biome; dig it with a shovel
Magma block	Starts the downward bubble column	The lowest parts of the Nether near the lava sea, or craft it from four magma cream in a 2×2 square
Water bucket	Fills the shaft	Craft a bucket from three iron ingots in a V shape, then fill it at any water
Kelp	Turns flowing water in the shaft into source water	Oceans; one piece per block of shaft height is enough
Signs	Hold the water inside the doorway	Any sign; water can not flow into a sign block
Solid building blocks	Form the walls of the shaft	Stone, planks, glass or anything else that is a full block

Build your elevator shaft and make a way down

For an upward elevator, build the shaft upward from the ground. For a downward elevator, make a way down first by digging a one-by-one hole to the depth you want, then line any open sides so no water escapes.

1. Pick a spot and mark out a single block of floor; this is the inside of the shaft.
2. Stack solid blocks on all four sides of that floor block to the full height of the climb.
3. For a downward elevator, dig straight down one block wide instead, and fill any cave openings in the walls with solid blocks.
4. Leave the top of the shaft open so you can pour water in, step out at the top of an upward ride, or drop in at the start of a downward one.
5. Add a one-block ledge or platform beside the top opening so there is somewhere to land or stand.

Build an entrance at the bottom of the shaft

Water does not flow into a sign, so signs in the doorway keep the shaft full while you walk straight through them. The bottom doorway is the way in for an upward elevator and the way out for a downward one.

1. Remove two stacked wall blocks at the bottom of the shaft to make a doorway the height of your character.
2. For a downward elevator, open the doorway onto the room or tunnel you are dropping into.
3. Place a sign in the lower doorway block.
4. Place a second sign against the side of the opening so it fills the upper doorway block.
5. Repeat at the top if the exit or entry is through a wall instead of an open top.

Place down water and place the kelp

Water poured from the top flows down the shaft, but flowing water does not carry a bubble column the whole way. Kelp converts each flowing block into source water.

1. Stand at the top of the shaft and empty a water bucket into the top block.
2. Go to the doorway and look into the shaft at its floor block.
3. Place kelp on the floor block.
4. Keep placing kelp on top of the stalk until it reaches the top water block.
5. Break all of the kelp. The shaft is now source water from bottom to top.

Place the soul sand or the magma block

1. From the doorway, mine the floor block at the bottom of the shaft.
2. Place soul sand in the gap for an upward elevator.
3. Place a magma block in the gap instead for a downward elevator.
4. Look into the shaft: bubbles appear above the block once the column has formed.

How to check the water elevator works

1. Look up the shaft from the doorway: bubbles should fill every block from the bottom to the top.
2. For an upward elevator, walk through the signs into the shaft; the column should lift you to the top opening.
3. For a downward elevator, drop into the top of the shaft; the column should pull you to the floor, where you leave through the signs.
4. If you stall at one height, that block is not source water.

Fix a water elevator in Minecraft that does not work

No bubbles appear at all

The block at the bottom is not soul sand or a magma block, or it is soul soil, which looks similar but does not create bubble columns.

1. Mine the floor block of the shaft.
2. Place soul sand or a magma block in its place.
3. Check that the block directly above it holds water.

The bubbles stop partway up the shaft

One or more blocks in the shaft are flowing water, not source water.

1. Pour another water bucket in at the top.
2. Place kelp up through the gap from the last bubbling block to the top.
3. Break the kelp and check the bubbles again.

Water spills out of the doorway

One of the doorway blocks is open, so water flows out of the shaft.

1. Place a sign in each of the two doorway blocks.
2. Refill the shaft from the top.
3. Use kelp again if the bubbles no longer reach the top.

You take damage at the bottom of a downward elevator

A magma block deals damage to anything standing on it.

1. Sneak while you are on the magma block, or step out of the doorway as soon as you land.
2. Wear boots with the Frost Walker enchantment, or drink a potion of fire resistance before the ride.

Frequently asked questions

What block makes a water elevator go up in Minecraft?

Soul sand. Placed under a column of source water, soul sand starts a bubble column that pushes you up to the top. Soul soil looks similar but does not create bubble columns.

What block makes a water elevator go down in Minecraft?

A magma block. Placed under source water, a magma block starts a bubble column that drags you down to the floor. It also deals damage to anything standing on it, so step off quickly or sneak.

Why do you need kelp to make a water elevator?

Kelp always counts as a water source block. Planting kelp up a shaft of flowing water and then breaking it leaves source water in every block, which a bubble column needs to run the full height of the elevator.

Can you drown in a water elevator in Minecraft?

A working bubble column gives you air as you ride, so a short trip is safe. If the column stops partway because of flowing water, you can run out of air, so fix the gap with kelp before relying on the elevator.

How do you stop water from leaking out of a water elevator?

Place a sign in each block of the doorway. Water can not flow into a sign block, so the shaft stays full while you walk straight through the signs.

Can you make a two-way water elevator in Minecraft?

Yes, with two shafts side by side. Put soul sand under one shaft to go up and a magma block under the other to go down, and give each its own sign-filled doorway at the bottom.

Where do you find soul sand and magma blocks?

Both come from the Nether. Soul sand is plentiful in the Soul Sand Valley biome, and magma blocks sit in the lowest parts of the Nether near the lava sea. You can also craft a magma block from four magma cream.