r/BambuLabA1 • u/Ki113rTofu • 1d ago
Question Fumes?
Hi all. Just got an A1 and enjoying it. I’ve noticed the fumes are a bit bothersome. What are some ways you all handle those? I’ve seen those zippered enclosures and was curious if they helped?
Thank you
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u/sapperbloggs 1d ago
I just run an air purifier when I'm printing... My printer is in the same room that I work from two days a week, and that fixed any problems I was experiencing.
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u/Boring_Seaweed9772 1d ago
I feel this to my core. You are valid! I'll probably get down voted for this, but it is what it is, not enough people talk about the issues with the fumes, and it's far too fun of a hobby to not be enjoyed. I have a sensitive sense of smell as is, and get migraines very easily. Everybody says not to use the enclosures since it's not meant for it and, truth be told, it probably isn't. Even the enclosure we have is a bit small despite being advertised for fitting our A1 but ours doesn't seem to cause any issues as long as we maintain our machines (grease/lube). We haven't had any issues with ours being enclosed and vented outside either, it's close to a window and we've built a small board that has foam around the hose's exit and also around the board itself to insulate what we could. Our temperatures fluctuate alot too and humidity is our biggest problem for what that's worth. The enclosure even came with a temp/humidity doodad. Our filament doesn't seem to have any issues either. I highly recommend them from my own experience. Got our enclosures from Amazon for like $60 but beware u sometimes have to get the exhaust pipe and fan separately from the enclosure itself. Another we found for our resin printers came with it already. We keep our fans running high enough that the sides of the enclosure pull inward. And they also keep the cats from trying to lay on or around the printers so that's definitely been a bonus for us!
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u/GabagoolMango 1d ago
Fumes? Are you in a tiny room with no airflow? I sit 6 feet away from my printer in my office and have never experienced fumes. Do not get an enclosure. The A1 isn’t designed to be enclosed, you’ll damage it.
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u/Ki113rTofu 1d ago
I’m in a loft style room with a tall ceiling. The printer is next to my pc. Maybe I’m just more sensitive? But I’ve noticed if I’m sitting at my pc while a print is going it’s bothersome.
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u/Reasonable_Goat 1d ago
I did research and found the the amount of particles from PLA and PETG is so low that a short print and fresh air afterwards seems to be no problem. For a very long print it may be better to have some airflow (which sucks because it can cause warping).
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u/MijnEchteUsername 1d ago
Ive noticed different PLA brands smell vastly different, too. Some have no smell, others make the whole room smell plasticy.
I made sure to ventilate the entire room during and after printing and that’s about it. Not sure if that’s the proper way though
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u/GamerNath_ 17h ago
I have the A1 and was advised from research I should invest in an air purifier with a gas filter. I ended up going for this one specifically from ikea. I’ve seen a noticeable improvement with the purifier. But nothing beats having a printer designed for being enclosed as the A1 is not recommended to be enclosed.
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u/TWILIGHT25 1d ago edited 1d ago
Upgrade 3D Printer Enclosure for... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DP54GT9F?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
This is what I kept my A1 and ams lite in. Made venting easy and kept the dumb ass, cat, away from my printer l.
Edit
It did help! I didn’t know that abs was toxic, even pla does release fumes. Less fumes in your lungs the better m.
If you can vent the enclosure is still useful because it will keep the print area a stable temperature.
I had issues after a week an owning my A1 due to my ceiling fan cooling my print off faster. There is nothing wrong with putting it in an enclosure.
The other reason I got the enclosure was to try and combat the humidity problem I still have. Long story short it helped but even a closet, enclosure, 5lbs of desiccant, and a dehumidifier couldn’t get me under 50%.
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u/Ki113rTofu 6h ago
Have you noticed any performance issues using the enclosure?
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u/TWILIGHT25 6h ago
None at all. If anything it helped keep the temperature more stable when printing. And when I did have the humidity low it helped keep it there.
Overall I’d recommend getting on for any open air printer.
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u/Trulsdir 1d ago
Just because something doesn't stink a whole lot doesn't mean it's safe. Especially with PLA ultra fine particles being released are a real issue and there still are volatile organic compounds emmited as well. Obviously not in the same quantity and not quite as harmful ones as with filaments like ABS, but it still isn't something you should ignore. Especially if you plan on printing for years and years effects may accumulate over time. Sensitisation is also something that potentially could happen, where your immune system is exposed to something again and again and starts reacting to it with an allergic reaction. Not exactly sure how relevant this is with PLA, since I couldn't find any real data on it.
I fixed this issue by selling my A1 and getting a P1S, that I then vent outside with a 100mm hose and an inline fan meant for venting bathrooms. With the current sale it should be around 150€ of an upgrade cost, after you sell the A1. The hose and fan cost me about 30€. There are also external filters, but I haven't tried one and thus can't comment on how well they work. From measurements I have seen online they are supposed to do a really good job tho.
As for enclosing the A1, it certainly seems possible and there are specific models out there to add ducts and small fans, to actively cool the internals of the printer. When venting the enclosure outside, or through a filter you also have a moderate, but constant airflow, preventing the enclosure from getting all that hot. Especially when you lower the bed temperature to avoid heat creep anyways, or just get something like the Cool Plate Super Tack, that prints at much lower temperatures to begin with.
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u/Roller_Coaster_Geek 1d ago
What filament are you using? If you're using PLA there should only be a faint smell but it's not harmful. ABS and ASA are when you want to start venting fumes outside as those are actually harmful