Compact filter is loud ...Is that normal?

Community Support
1

My compact filter is pretty loud when I turn it on… is this normal? Only asking because folks were telling me it should not be… when I vent outside and only run the glowforge the operation is pretty low in volume.

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2

Do you have the compact filter mode turned on?

The switch should be turned on if you are using the compact filter - which turns off the main exhaust fan. If venting outside, the switch should be disabled, which enables the primary exhaust fan. If you vent outside with the compact filter mode switch enabled, it will be very quiet - but it also won’t exhaust the smoke from the case.

I don’t have a CF, but my understanding is that the volume is about the same - just a different tone (the CF doesn’t have the higher pitched tone the normal exhaust fan has).

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The compact filter itself is pretty noisy in comparison to the glowforge venting outside with no compact filter. I understand the on and off switch! Hahaha! I really didn’t think anything of the noise until someone said the compact filter should not be loud

4

I don’t have any device to test the volume accurately but I’d put mine somewhere just below vacuum volume. It’s very close to the volume of my hair dryer.

My glowforge and filter are in the living room (small apartment…booo) and I can’t hear my TV over the noise. I assumed this was the expected volume.

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5

Perfect. Thanks. That is the same as mine. Vacuum to hair dryer level is what my sounds like as well. Thanks for clarifying. My glowforge itself is pretty quiet. The filter is loud in comparison.

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6

A lot of people miss the fact that there is the toggle switch in the app itself.

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7

If you’ve got the fan speed on the unit dialed all the way to the right it will be louder than at the minimum. Just dial it up to the minimum speed you need for smoke removal.

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8

Yep!

9

Thanks for the help @cas.wood, that’s right. The sound level for the Compact Filter is less than 70dB, comparable to a vacuum cleaner. I’m going to close this thread. If you have any other questions please feel free to make a new thread or email us at support@glowforge.com.