Extruder Load Errors, Clogs, and Heat Creep

If the extruder clicks, skips, grinds a groove in the filament, or your printer reports an extruder load error, the filament isn't flowing as fast as the printer is pushing it. There are two common causes, and they need opposite fixes.

Cause 1: The nozzle is too cold for your speed

This is the most common cause on today's fast printers. The filament can't melt quickly enough to keep up.

• Signs: matte or rough surfaces, problems that get worse at higher speeds, a generic PLA profile at 200–220°C.
• Fix: raise the temperature to 240°C. Or lower the speed. See Settings for printers without a profile.

Cause 2: Heat creep

Heat creep happens when heat travels up past the melt zone and softens the filament too early. The soft filament swells and jams.

• Signs: jams after a print has been running for a while, especially in an enclosed printer, on slow prints, or on small features where the printer is barely extruding.
• Fix: improve cooling of the hotend heatsink. Open the printer's door and lid to let cool air in. Check that the hotend (heatsink) fan is spinning, and turn off chamber heating.

Learn more on our heat creep page.

One spool won't print, but others do

If the same file prints fine with another spool, check whether the problem spool is wet; drying it often fixes it. See Drying and storage. If it's dry and still won't print, request help with a possibly defective spool and include the lot number from the spool sticker.