Ambient Temperature

[mccastro777]

Have not yet recieved my Glowforge Plus, but I’ve been reading through the manual. How picky is the GF with room temperature? I usually keep my house at 78 degrees, but I read in the manual that 75 degrees is the highest operating temperature. I don’t want to cool my whole house to 75 just to run the GF. Should I get a portable AC unit for the room the GF will be in?

[evansd2]

@mccastro777

How picky is the GF with room temperature?

Pretty picky.

It doesn’t give you warnings, it just refuses to work.

There are a ton of threads about temperature on the forum that can answer all your questions.

https://community.glowforge.com/search?q=temperature

https://community.glowforge.com/search?q=cooling

https://community.glowforge.com/search?q=air%20conditioning

https://community.glowforge.com/search?q=portable%20AC

All of these threads and more are here and can get your answer immediately

You see cooling questions every year around now, and heating questions in Dec/Jan. It’s a pretty hot topic.

[mccastro777]

Thank you!

[mark14]

i would say: give it a shot before buying that ac unit.
mine is in an uncontrolled garage. temps get over 80 in summer, still works.

[rpegg]

Saw one GF owner at a Maker Faire with a small portable air conditioner under an outdoor pop-up tent, on a particularly warm sunny day. I’m guessing the air temp was in the mid to high 80s. He ported the conditioned air directly toward the right side intake vent on the GF unit. Seemed to work fine.

[mccastro777]

That’s what I was thinking. I think the room where the glowforge will be is actually cooler than the rest of the house. I think I’ll try my tower fan on the right side of the machine first if I have any issues with cooling.

[mccastro777]

I saw that one as well. I also saw someone used a cooling system for PCs as well. It seems glowforge might do well if they made and sold an external cooling system for the glowforge. Something that goes under the machine and directs cooler air into the intake. I bet they’d sell more of those than they do the external filter system for $1,000!

[evansd2]

@rpegg

Saw one GF owner at a Maker Faire

@shop posted about doing this. He’s mentioned it several times, here’s one:

On-site Live Events

as @evansd2 said, i set up outside in June at a maker faire. i had a portable AC blowing cold air into the intake. your primary issues (esp if outdoors) will be keeping the machine cool enough (need a tent and some way to get cold air) and wifi. Also, if you’re outside, know where you’re going to be and how you’re going to load in. I made sure I had a good hand truck, but some of where I was wheeling it was through a bumpy grassy area. if you have a filter and they’ll let you be inside, that’…

[shop]

yup, that was me.

keep in mind that the important temperature is right where the air intake is at the bottom right front of the machine. if it’s 78 where the thermostat is, it’s probably not exactly 78 where the GF is.

i have a portable ac in the room where my GF is because it’s a cape cod attic that doesn’t stay as cool as the downstairs does.

but like @mark14 said, i’d try it first before forking out for the AC. if you have problems, you can add the AC after. i regularly run my GF when it’s 80 in the room it’s in (i have a little temp gauge right next to the intake).

[rpegg]

Yes, I was there. Think I introduced myself but didn’t give any context for you to place me. Was intentional. Not always comfortable in social situations.

[shop]

IIRC, when you came up the table was mobbed. it was crazy within 15 minutes of opening up through most of the afternoon. but i appreciate that you got a picture, since I never took a moment to do that.

[coalakida]

I keep a temperture / Lamp and if its 78 degrees its going to start stalling and cooling down.
My other Glowforge does much better at 80 degrees before stalling out.

[rpegg]

Have never seen a too hot message. The unit is in a cool below ground basement. My Pro does not give me too cold grief until it gets below 53F.

[jamesdhatch]

@coalakida

I keep a temperture / Lamp and if its 78 degrees its going to start stalling and cooling down

My Pro has had issues when the room temp was within range. I keep it in a basement but it’s not a/c controlled down there. Every year there’s a week or so when it’s been wicked hot outside and we’re in heat wave scenarios that the temp goes up to 80 and sometimes a bit more (90-100+ outside).

But even if the air temp is okay, it’s the temp inside the GF that matters. So I’ve got a portable room a/c unit to cool the air going to the GF (the exhaust from the a/c is vented outside. If it’s really an issue I can attach a hose to the a/c cold air outlet and place it near the bottom right intake of the GF and that takes care of the problem.

In the old days when we had Makerfaires I could bring the a/c with me if I were in a tent outside and use the cold hose technique. The a/c is on casters so it can be rolled from room to room but in this case makes it easy for off-site use too.