I just got an Ender-3 V3 KE and am currently keeping it in my garage until I can free-up space inside. My question is how cold is too cold for the printer to be okay if not in use and powered off?
I know that temps matter if I am using it (and for the filament in general). But the little bit of searching I have done focuses on the printers being powered on and in use.
Currently the past few days have stayed above 5c due to some very warm days. Just want to not damage anything while not being used.
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Mine live in my garage year round, I have a space heater for print days which has worked into into the -20c, lucky of I hit 5c ambient but enclosed printer helps. Have had no issues with the setup for years, it’s super dry in the winter so never had any issue with condensation, maybe a different story if I brought it in, but still idk if I’d be worried, you could use some dielectric grease if you’re really concerned but I personally think it’s overkill.
Cold enough things get brittle, but I wouldn’t be concerned for storage.
It should be fine to well bellow freezing, you just want to make sure it heats back up slowly(ish) and try to prevent condensation. Most electronics is rated to -20°C for storage.
Worst off maybe the belts don’t survive, but that’s unlikely. Remember this stuff get transported all over the world in barely conditions planes and vans. Left at the doorstepzof houses in Canada at -30°C.
Thanks for the reply! Would have been pissed if I bricked it thinking it would be okay without asking around.
yeah most all of them are good to -30c easy, as with most electronics, just make sure it stays dry and let it sit inside to acclimate for a few hours before you turn it on.
when very cold rubber and wire insulation might crack if moved, but sitting stationary it’s fine.
Thanks! I will definitely make sure to give it a chance to get warmed up slowly before my next print. Once the space frees-up in the house, the next step will be putting an enclosure together for fumes (and get a dryer/heater for filament).
Only thing I’ve ever heard of being an issue is that if it’s too cold the thermistor (I think) will throw and error and the heating bed won’t work, but nothing is broken, just might not function until in a warmer environment or using a heat gun to get the sensor above 0c or something. I don’t think you have anything to worry about for storage
Only watch out for condensation, temperature should be fine for well below 0C.
Also the act of printing in such space does not like it to be too cold. Your quality would start to fail. But I have successfully printed at 5C before and your ymnot trying to print there (yet… ) Another note is that your bed/nozzle temps are expected to be withing limits, mine can’t be below 0 to start printing.
