Using compact filter

I’m using my compact filter and turned it on thru the app which shuts off the internal glowforge fan. Smoke is filling the house really bad. If I turn on the glowforge internal fan and the compact filter it seems better. Is there any damage that can happen to the glowforge if I do this?

You’ll want to turn up the fan on the compact filter until the smoke is being pulled out of the :glowforge: at an acceptable rate. There’s a dial on the front, rotate it clockwise a little bit, see how the smoke is doing, then rotate again, test again - until it’s good.

You won’t damage your :glowforge:, but pushing the exhaust into your filter instead of pulling it through will likely cause it to get dirty even faster - and at $250/replacement filter you want to extend its life for as long as you can!

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When your Glowforge and Compact Filter are properly set up, you may have some harmless odor during printing which will rapidly dissipate. You may also smell something when you open the Glowforge lid after a print is complete. This is not harmful.

However, if you notice a strong, unpleasant or irritating odor when printing, or see smoke, shut off your Glowforge unit immediately. Smoke and fumes could be entering the room in excessive concentrations.

We’ve created a troubleshooting guide with illustrations. You can see it here: https://support.glowforge.com/hc/en-us/articles/360034142593-Excessive-Smoke-or-Fumes-During-Print


As deirdrebeth mentioned above, be sure to check the knob setting on your Air Filter. The knob on the Glowforge Air Filter controls the power to the fan. If the power is too high or too low, your filter will not work properly. I’d like to make sure it’s turned to the right setting.




  1. What setting is the knob on your Glowforge Air Filter turned to?

  2. If it’s currently on “New,” would you turn it to use the middle setting, halfway between “New” and “Full” and let us know if that eliminates the smoke and fumes while you print?



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