Numerous "Cooling Down" Periods

My glowforge has paused printing jobs about 5 of the last 10 prints. The pause has been anywhere from 10 minutes to 3+ hours. Has anyone else encountered the same issue? Any Suggestions?

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What model of machine do you have and how hot is the room?

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more importantly, how hot is it at the bottom right of your machine. that’s where the intake of air comes from. if your thermostat is in another room or 30 feet away, there could be a several degree difference, depending on your HVAC.

i have a cheap amazon thermometer next to my GF to know what the temp is right there, since i’m literally on a different floor than my thermostat.

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@shop noted checking the temperature at the air intake–but first check to make sure nothing is blocking this area–whether pushed up against the right side of the machine, or that a piece of paper hasn’t gotten under the machine, as it will get drawn up against the holes and effectively block the incoming air & prevent your machine from getting any fresh air coming in to cool itself off with! (learned this from experience!).

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Hello! Thank you for reaching out to us. I’m sorry to hear your Glowforge is pausing a lot during your recent prints. I extracted the logs from your unit to investigate and it looks like the cooling pauses that are happening are happening as expected based on the temperature inside your Glowforge.

Your Glowforge Pro features a closed-loop liquid cooling system that uses the air from the room to remove heat. It’s boosted by a solid-state thermoelectric cooler that allows for heavier use at higher ambient temperatures than the Basic. It is designed to be used when the temperature next to your Glowforge is between 60 degrees Fahrenheit (16 Celsius) and 81 degrees Fahrenheit (27 Celsius). To check, put a room thermometer next to the right hand side of the Glowforge; it draws in air from underneath, on the right.

You can try any of these things to improve warm-weather performance:

  • Try printing with no material on the bed (so as not to generate smoke and fumes) and no exhaust hose attached. If this works, then the problem may be that your exhaust hose is constricting the flow of air out of the unit, preventing cooling.

  • Examine the bottom-right side of your Glowforge, and ensure that there is no fabric or other flexible material underneath it, like a tablecloth. There are air intake vents, and if they become obstructed, it makes cooling less effective.

  • Try pointing a fan at the right side of your Glowforge. If there is warm air around the intake, this could help it cool off.

  • Power off your Glowforge when you are not using it. When your Glowforge sits idle, the fans are off, so heat can build up

  • Just wait. Your print may take a little longer when it’s warm, but your Glowforge will protect itself and make sure it cools enough to prevent any loss of power or damage. It’s clever enough to pick up from exactly where it left off, even if it needs to pause to cool down during the print!

  • Ensure that the sun isn’t shining on the lid. This could cause the inside of your Glowforge to heat up.

  • If you are venting outdoors, ensure that extreme temperatures or humidity do not enter the Glowforge unit through the exhaust hose. Disconnect the hose from the outside air when the Glowforge is not in use.

  • Turn your Glowforge off and open the lid for a few minutes before trying again. It’s possible for the air in your Glowforge to heat up, just like a car in the sun on a hot day, opening the lid will help that warm air to escape and your Glowforge to cool down.

If you are still running into trouble, please let us know the following so that we can investigate further:

  1. A description of the things you tried and what happened

  2. If possible, place a thermometer next to your Glowforge on the right hand side and measure the temperature there; if not, estimate the room temperature

  3. The date and time (including time zone) when you had the problem

  4. Take a picture of the exhaust hose behind your Glowforge that includes the part where it connects to your Glowforge, and the part where it exits the room

Please let us know if you have any questions. Thank you!

It has been relatively cool I would guess around 75 degrees. Thanks for the advice I will get a thermometer to check heat and the temp.

It’s been a little while since I’ve seen any replies on this thread so I’m going to close it. If you still need help with this please either start a new thread or email support@glowforge.com.