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Solved Stock Fan problem

Discussion in 'Troubleshooting' started by JWW, Mar 16, 2016.

  1. JWW

    JWW Member

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    My printer has been working fantastic, except for a intermittent fan issue. I've only printed with PLA to date and am very happy with the results considering the price of the printer. I just finished a 18 hour mold print and the printer simply stopped printing with the head stuck to the model. This has happened a few times in the past as well with other models.

    I personally think it's related to the fan but maybe not either. It seems to me that when I configure for a new print and move the fan slider over to 100%, that "sometimes" the extruder temperature drops therefore shutting down the printer down. This doesn't happen all the time but it does happen.

    Just today I was getting ready to print a mold, moved the slider over to 100% then right after I did that the extruder temp started dropping. I'm "assuming" that's what happened at the 18 hour point. Meaning the fan shut shut down and somehow shuts the extruder temp down. I've also seen where the fan runs, then stops.

    Keep in mind that this has been happening off an on now for about 3 months. Somehow it seems to me that the fan is somehow related to the extruder temp wiring wise? Any idea how I can resolve this issues and/or verify what's happening. I've pulled the connectors apart several times and put them back together just to make sure the connection is solid. Is there a fix for this?

    -JW:
     
    #1 JWW, Mar 16, 2016
  2. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    The fan should not be blowing on the extruder (assuming you are talking about the parts cooling fan).
    It should be aimed at the object being printed.

    There is a smaller fan mounted on the extruder heatsink for the hexagon and E3D. That should always be on.

    You may have a weak heater core.
    If under warranty talk to Robo. If not, they are a standard size and you can get the cheaply :)
    I use the 40w units.

    http://www.amazon.com/Generic-Ceramic-Cartridge-Arduino-Printer/dp/B00GGK1CC8

    on eBay they can be had for a lot less if you buy a bag of them... like I said, they are cheap.
     
    #2 mark tomlinson, Mar 16, 2016
  3. JWW

    JWW Member

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    Mark, I'm taking about about the "stock" non-modified fan that ships with the R1 plus.
     
    #3 JWW, Mar 16, 2016
  4. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    There are three fans on the stock printer.
    Like I said I assume you mean the parts cooling fan.
    The fan that blows on what you are printing :)
     
    #4 mark tomlinson, Mar 16, 2016
  5. JWW

    JWW Member

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    <red-face>, to be perfectly honest, I thought only one existed, that being the one you can easily see and the one that "starts" when you move the slider in the configuration menu. It's on the back end of the extruder and tilted down about 30 degrees from horizontal. That's the one that once initialized it "sometimes" the extruder temperature decreases for some reason. That fan also shuts itself off once in a while when enabled.
     
    #5 JWW, Mar 16, 2016
  6. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    Yep, that is the parts cooling fan.
    It should not actually be blowing on the hotend, but rather the printed stuff.
    Still that can cause a draft on the nozzle (unless you have printed one of the fancy ducted fan covers).

    If this is making the hotend temperature fall then I'd suspect a weak heater core.
    Easy to replace and I always use the 40w units as I mentioned. The hexagon comes with a 30w (or 35w -- I can't recall) the normal E3D with a 25w and the E3D volcano had a 40w.

    Check where the wires for the heater core are landed on the RAMPS to make sure it is not a loose connection.
     
    #6 mark tomlinson, Mar 16, 2016
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  7. JWW

    JWW Member

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    Thanks, I have no idea IF it's blowing on the hotend it's not my design. I would assume that it isn't but I'm quite sure that some air hits the nozzle at some point. All I know is "sometimes" when I enable the fan by moving the slider to 100% the temp starts dropping immediately and that a few times the fan has simply quit working but then when I move the slider again, it starts. I also assume that this fan must be on when printing PLA, that's why I enable it.
     
    #7 JWW, Mar 16, 2016
  8. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    It *sometimes* needs to be on when printing PLA (never the first few layers) it is controlled by the slicer.

    If it is stock then I'd suggest replacing the core for a new one and you might want to consider a duct for the fan.
    I can't say that it is a huge help ... one of my printers uses the ducted fan and the other does not. I can't say there is a real difference in prints that I can attribute to the fan.
     
    #8 mark tomlinson, Mar 16, 2016
  9. JWW

    JWW Member

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    Thanks for the suggestion Mark. It's been printing absolutely awesome so I don't see how the duct for the fan would help. Pretty odd when it prints for 18 hours straight with no printing issues whatsoever, then shuts down at the very last when the half sphere pins for the mold are reached. Probably only another 10 minutes to go. I figured it was a wiring issue, work hardening, or poor connectors. Sweet little printer none the less.
     
    #9 JWW, Mar 16, 2016
  10. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    I have had one heater core go whack on me and it behaved in much the same way.
    It got weak and would occasionally just cut out.

    I now have a bag-O'heaters from eBay for chump change and so far they have worked fine (I have only used two of them as of yet. The one that died and I swapped the one from the E3D kit with a 40w).
     
    #10 mark tomlinson, Mar 16, 2016
  11. JWW

    JWW Member

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    ... have a link, didn't see them when I searched.
     
    #11 JWW, Mar 21, 2016
  12. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    #12 mark tomlinson, Mar 21, 2016
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  13. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
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    If you are not in a hurry, and going to order from eBay, you might as well get them straight from China. It will save you some money. the last batch I bought worked out to about $0.91 each
     
    #13 WheresWaldo, Mar 22, 2016
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