Seeing how gummed up the head fan was and how much I have tried to clean up the passages to the exhaust, I am wondering if the exhaust fan could get similar issues. @markwkruse, have you had any issues with the head fan not blowing properly?
Once it finally does start, it runs normally for the duration of the rest of the print without any issues, removing smoke as required. Most of the time it starts and runs correctly (90% of the time). The secondary exhaust fan removes most of the smoke on its own so its not an issue, however the Glowforge exhaust fan shouldn’t be doing what its doing. The intake fan has never failed to start.
My fan may very well have material on the blades, but I haven’t looked. Assuming that it was an item that would require servicing, you would expect Glowforge to provide an easy way to do it, called out in a manual somewhere. I am aware that there are people who have posted a fastidious cleaning regimen, however I’m not that kind of person. I clean the laser lens surfaces as called out in the manual and that is all.
Do you notice any pattern related to when this happens? For example, does it always happen on the first print when your unit has been off for a long time?
Can you take a photo of your exhaust connection like this one? This will help me see if anything is obstructing your fan or preventing it from starting up.
The fan doesn’t look particularly dirty. I haven’t kept a journal to log event occurance timing, but my usage pattern is typically 2-3 times a week (mainly weekends). I think it occurs after it’s been down for approximately a day, but I’ll keep closer track if you’re working on it.
Can you explain both the location of those heat sink fins, and how you managed to get such a clear view of them ?
It looks like my fear of the fins getting coated in gunk is borne out, and might go some way to explaining several over heating issues people are having.
John
Thanks, and yes I do have a Pro, so I think that for Pro owners, at least, that’s cause for concern.
At least it looks to be accessible for cleaning !
John
I used it last week, and was keeping an eye on the exhaust fan operation. As you had suggested as a possibility, the first cut had an exhaust fan start with a delayed response in starting up. Subsequent starts didn’t have the delay. (This is just 1 day’s worth of cuts, so not a conclusive cause/effect).
Hi @markwkruse, and thanks for your patience! We released an update a few days ago that should address this issue. Could you please try a few prints and let us know if you’re still seeing this behavior? Thanks in advance!