By Jerry smith 
Nozzle Clogging is a common event that happens in almost every 3D printer enthusiast’s life. Sometimes, when you’re 3D printing and thinking about the most amazing results, the filament simply stops printing. Often, the issue is a clogged nozzle, which is a nightmare for most beginners.
However, most people would replace it, and within a few months, experience the same clogging issue. Often, a clogged nozzle issue is caused by moisture. Wet filament doesn’t just affect your 3D print’s surface, but it also does slow damage to your Nozzle, ultimately stopping it from printing.
In this article, we’re covering the top five signs your nozzle is about to clog and how you can avoid it.
Hissing/Popping Noises
As soon as your printer starts sounding like a walking-talking frying pan, you know something is wrong. This is not a good sign because popping, crackling, or hissing sounds often come from the hotend. Hence, it means moisture is boiling off inside the nozzle.
Once moisture is boiling off inside the nozzle, the trapped water gets hot rapidly. This gives birth to steam, and once it tries to escape the filament, it pushes against the plastic. Ultimately, the pressure then pushes the molten plastic into the nozzle, increasing clogging to a dangerous degree.
Whenever you hear hissing or popping noises, it is one of the most significant indicators that moisture is the issue. Therefore, stop the printing process and move forward to the solution. (In our last section, we wrote the solution)
Under-Extrusion or Weak Prints
Sometimes, you will notice that the walls of your 3D prints are smaller than they should be. Moreover, the prints might be weaker or easily breakable. If that is the case, then your filament might not be passing correctly through the nozzle.
Why? The main culprit here is the swelling caused by the steam, which is exacerbated by moisture-damaged filaments. Here’s how moisture messes up the 3D printing process:
- Water boils into the filament and expands, making it a little thicker.
- Steam builds up, adding extra pressure inside the printer’s hotend.
- The extruder motor struggles to push the filament through.
When the filament itself is not being appropriately pushed, your results will be quite weak due to friction and decreased flow rate. Therefore, you should understand that a clog is incoming and at some point, your 3D printer might stop working altogether.
Inconsistent Prints
What’s the biggest red flag when it comes to understanding that moisture has taken over your filaments? Inconsistent extrusion is one of the first signs of a clog in progress during 3D printing. You will notice that the lines vary in thickness, some layers are skipped, and some layers have gaps in between, making your prints look uneven.
Wet filaments usually absorb moisture, which turns into steam, and those small explosions occur inside the nozzle. Hence, the extra spits of your filament will emerge, making the entire print appear incomplete.
When the bubbles are formed into molten plastic, it changes the overall flow consistency from your nozzle. If you ever encounter inconsistent extrusion, be aware that a clogged nozzle may be nearby.
Filament Grinding or Clicking Noises
When you print, does your extruder produce a motor click sound repeatedly? A better sound to follow would be grinding, as if the filament is being crushed, rather than smoothly entering the extruder.
If you have ever felt it, then you should know that the extruder is struggling against the resistance, making various noises. This is especially bad because your 3D printer is being used excessively, forcing the moisture-thickened filament out of it.
Here’s precisely what happens:
- The gear will grind the filament surface.
- The extruder will skip a few steps, which is also heard as a clicking sound.
- Ultimately, the clicking and grinding noise might stop, causing a complete filament jam.
If you’re printing and a clicking or grinding noise is coming, then chances are your nozzle is about to become fully clogged. As soon as you hear these sounds, try to stop your 3D printing process and remove the excess gunk from the nozzle.
Stringing or Blobbing
Often, when issues like blobs or stringing occur, they are simply print quality issues. However, the problems are much deeper than that, and sometimes, moisture is the main villain. When your filament is wet, it oozes in a very unpredictable way.
After the retraction, small bits of steam will push out the molten filament, leaving thin strings or blobs. However, neither the blobs nor the stringing is healthy at all. Rather, they indicate that your nozzle will likely become clogged soon.
The overall flow behavior becomes chaotic and uncontrolled, resulting in a blockage due to the moisture residue. If you don’t stop printing, it can cause numerous issues, including a full nozzle blockage mid-print.
Avoid Nozzle Clogging from Moisture – A Complete Guide
This raises the question: What are some ways to prevent moisture and nozzle clogging? The simple answer is by using a filament dryer. One of the best Filament Dryers on the market is Chitu Systems’ FilaPartner E1.
But how exactly can it help you avoid nozzle clogging? Well, by drying out filaments before you start printing, you can dry out your filaments so that moisture is out of the equation. Here are some of the key features of using a filament dryer like the FilaPartner E1:
- Real-time drying during your printing process.
- Adjustable temperature and timer.
- Closed-loop design.
- Humidity sensor and temperature sensor included.
- Safe and smart to avoid overdrying and overheating.
Once you start using a filament dryer in a moisture-filled environment, your filaments won’t suffer, and your 3D prints will be much stronger, better, and richer in terms of the material.
Final Verdict
Clogged nozzles can ruin both your prints and your day. By eliminating moisture from the equation, your prints can improve drastically while you save money. Moreover, if you’re looking to get high-quality 3D printing accessories, you can check Chitu Systems’ amazing product catalog out.