So, now Im waiting for the Glowforge to arrive, and in the meantime Im thinking about the best spot to place it. I was think about the garage, but Im uncertain if there is any temperature restrictions. In the summer the temperature would not be a problem… but it migt maybe be a bit cold in there during the winter.
Can someone with insight give me some advice here please =)
The Tech Specs page is really helpful here:
It’s worth noting that the GF monitors the temperature of the liquid coolant, not the air inside the unit, nor the ambient air.
Plus the info in the next post.
60-75F (basic, plus)
60-81F (pro)
But that means a few degrees warmer on the low end and cooler on the upper end for ambient temps as when operating with the lid closed it will warm the coolant up higher than ambient.
Think it starts giving me issues in the very low 50s. 51F-52F
Replied to the wrong person, but no matter.
Whats the issues?
Yeah, I think it’s situational. I don’t have problems until the high 50s. On the top end I only lose a degree or two which can be chalked up to thermometer error or air temp variations across the room.
Others here have reported temp warnings or pauses at temps within the published range and Support said the temp inside the GF was what mattered and it could get too warm from light shining in or too cold from air coming in a vent hose.
I think the “specs” are engineering vs the vagaries that will occur in the real world which is what people bump up against.
My biggest worries would not be running temps but sitting temps. You could heat a small area up to operational temps but if it falls below zero I don’t think happiness will follow.
An orange light and refusal to print. Same if it gets too warm.
No one has mentioned it for the GF, but I had a 40W CO2 laser that used water to cool it (we don’t know what the GF fluid is). I had it in my garage but fearing possible freezing & knowing moving water doesn’t freeze, I would leave the pump running so it kept recirculating the water.
Something happened and it froze (at least enough to shatter the tube) and I ended up with a broken tube and water all over the garage floor as the pump drained to coolant tank.
Butting in here, If it’s just measuring the coolant why would it have a cooling alert when you have not used it?
My husband suggested the garage for mine and I had palpitations.
I tried to put it in my Grandson’s crib…lol.
If stored in an environment that is too warm or too cold, the coolant will eventually warm/cool. For example, you store your GF in an unheated garage that averages 40F in the winter (my winter garage temp), the coolant is going to cold soak and go out of specs. Folks in Hawai’i have the opposite problem – the air temp can easily be in the 80s or 90s and all that heat is going to heat the coolant until it’s out of specs.
I’m curious of the sitting temps as well. At what point would an at rest machine have an issue? It gets pretty chilly in South Dakota.
If GF is listening, I can do testing if they want to give me a Pro model for my effort 
Our Room temp is 72…that where we keep it - I keep the ceiling fan on even when the machine is off. I want it to be ready to go. I set this machine up on Saturday - last saturday.
If I just turned it on for the first time in 24 hours and the ambient temp in 72…why would it do that?
Location, location, location. 72 by thermostat is not an accurate description of the temp inside the GF. Sunlight, drafts, etc. can cause temp within a room to fluctuate wildly. Ceiling fan is not going to effect the temp inside the GF, either.
If you feel that your GF is not performing to spec, either email Support or open a P&S post, including the date and time of the temp error. They can look at your logs to determine the the measured temp of the coolant.
Good luck!
The ribbon to the head has been the culprit on many occasions when no other explanation made sense, not sure about other issues on the head but P&S can look if you email or post there.
What should I look for? The tab fits and it snaps in place. This machine came out of the box on Saturday. Maybe it was a fluke that it worked right out of the box and the ribbon isn’t adjusted right?
It is a weak point that can look good but the slightest bad or weak connection, and you get the symptoms you report. I had that and it looked good but making double sure it fixed the problem and has not happened again. YMMV but it has been the case several more times for others here.
Thanks… I think you are right. Its not the exhaust.