Skip to content

🧼 Nozzle Cleaning – Maintenance Guide

🎯 Objective

This guide explains how to clean the nozzle of a 3D printer effectively to ensure smooth extrusion and avoid partial or complete clogs.

⚙️ Important: These instructions apply only to printers equipped with an extruder that includes a manual release mechanism for separating the drive gears (such as a lever).

🛠️ Required Tools

  • Flat wrench suitable for the nozzle (typically 7 mm)
  • Brass wire brush (recommended)
  • Cleaning needle or thin wire (0.35–0.4 mm)
  • Tweezers or pliers
  • Clean cloth
  • Heat-resistant gloves (optional)
  • Cleaning filament or standard filament (e.g. PLA or PETG)

⚠️ Safety Precautions

Warning

  • Release the extruder manually using the provided lever or system before inserting or removing filament.
  • Perform cleaning only when the nozzle is at operating temperature.
  • Never touch the hot nozzle with bare hands: burn hazard.
  • Unplug the printer if you need to disassemble any part.

🧽 Cleaning Steps

1. Heat the Nozzle (via Mainsail / Klipper)

  • Open Mainsail (your Klipper web interface).
  • Set the nozzle temperature to the working temperature of the loaded filament (e.g. 200°C for PLA).
  • This will soften any internal residue, making it easier to clean.

2. External Cleaning

  • Use a brass wire brush to clean off visible debris and burnt filament around the nozzle.
  • Do not use steel brushes, as they may damage the nozzle coating.

3. Internal Cleaning (Needle or Cleaning Wire)

  • Carefully insert a cleaning needle or thin wire into the nozzle tip while it’s hot.
  • Gently push and move the wire to dislodge any melted or partially carbonized material.

4. Cold Pull Method

  1. Load cleaning filament (or PLA) into the hotend.
  2. Heat the nozzle to ~200°C using Mainsail.
  3. Manually extrude some filament until it flows through the nozzle.
  4. Lower the temperature to about 90°C and wait until it stabilizes.
  5. Firmly pull out the filament manually. Residue inside the nozzle should come out stuck to it.
  6. Repeat this process 2–3 times if necessary, trimming the filament tip between each pull.

Tip

If the filament breaks during removal, heat up to ~100°C and try again.

5. Extrusion Test

  • Load clean filament.
  • Extrude 5 to 10 cm at working temperature using Mainsail.
  • The extrusion should be smooth and continuous, with no bubbles or inconsistencies.
Printer Usage Suggested Cleaning Interval
Occasional Every 2 months
Regular Once per month
Intensive (daily) Every 2 weeks

✅ Additional Tips

  • Always use high-quality filament from the Yumi brand to reduce clog risks.
  • Do not leave heated filament idle in the nozzle for long periods.
  • If issues persist after cleaning, consider replacing the nozzle.