Hi I had my Glowforge for about two months now. I have the Glowforge air filter as well. For the past two weeks when I use any material proofgrade material and non proof. My Glowforge has smoke coming from all directions. The smoke is so bad it’s hard to breathe and it causes the smoke alarm to go off in my house. I have taken off the hose and clean the opening on the back of the GF and checked to see if the hose has any holes/cracks. On a few occasions the Glowforge has stopped in the middle of printing saying that it has to cool down and will resume printing afterwards. I have my GF sitting on a sturdy table and my house is usually 69 degrees. I also have two small fans going in the room with my GF.
Maybe the filter is full?
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Yup. Sounds like you need to replace the filter.
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Oh wow, the filter goes bad that fast. I don’t use the GF everyday maybe 2-3 times a week and I have only had the machine for 2 months.
It depends what you cut with it. Draftboard/MDF is about the worst, and I think the Proofgrade plywoods have the same core as draftboard, so it’s quite possible to clog the filter very quickly if you use those materials.
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Thank you so much! If that is the case is there a way to unclog the filter or would I need to order a new filter.
Just like an oil filter for your car, it is consumable, not made to be cleanable. Venting outside is the preferred option if it is possible.
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Thank you!
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I’m so sorry to hear that you’re running into trouble. Based on the behavior you’ve been experiencing, I’d like to take a look at an image of your Air Filters cartridge to see if it may be full.
Would you mind sending over a photo of the top of the filter cartridge?
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Turn off and unplug your Compact Filter
The power switch is located on the back, next to the cord. Turn it off first, then unplug it from the wall. -
Open Compact Filter
There are four latches holding the top of the Compact Filter in place. Lift the bottom of all four latches to release them. -
Take a picture
Without removing it, take a picture of the top of the cartridge seated in the Compact Filter and send it in to us.
Once we can review the photo, we’ll send over the next best steps.
Hi,
I sent a picture on Monday. Were you able to view it so I could get help.
Thanks
Thank you for the update. Unfortunately I was unable to find a photo sent to support@glowforge.com from the same email address you use to log into the forum. Would you be able to send it to us from the same email you use to log into the Glowforge Forum, or send it from a different email address and let us know that it’s related to your forum thread “Smoke coming from Glowforge”. Another option would be to share it here on the forum thread.
Thanks the picture has been sent again!
Thank you for taking the time to re-send the photo via email, and for posting in on this forum.
I’ve confirmed that the reduced airflow to your Compact Filter is due to a full filter cartridge. There are a lot of factors that go into the lifespan of your filter cartridge. You can read more about our cartridge lifespan estimates here: Hardware | Glowforge
To get up and printing, you can find replacement cartridges in our Shop. They are $249, with free shipping.
When the new cartridge arrives, we recommend running air through your Compact Filter after each print to prolong the life of the cartridge. I’ve included that part from the manual here:
For best results, leave it running one minute for each minute that you print. For example, when you finish two 30-minute prints, leave it running for an hour after they finish.
I hope this information helps! If you happen to run into the same behavior after replacing the filter cartridge, please let us know, and we’d be happy to help. I will now close this thread.