Filament broken inside the PTFE  

RE: Filament broken inside the PTFE

i think you already did, but detach the ptfe from the festo fittings, then try and try again to push (towards the extruder). Try using a stronger filament to push or a wire (like a straightned crutch with blunt tip) .

I have this issue with a esun/sunlu crappy pla filament that constantly break when i leave it for one day or two inside the tube.

RE: Filament broken inside the PTFE

Thank you Antonio. I did it but nothing helped. Finally, Prusa has sent new PTFE and now everything is OK. 😎 

Incredible but true I never could extract the blocked filament. Remaining filament and pool is in my trash. 🤐 

RE: Filament broken inside the PTFE

Have you contacted the people you bought the filament from. I bought some filament from MaterHackers last year. It stuck in the PTFE tube for my Creality. I sent them pictures of the problem and after a weeks negations they sent me  a new spool of filament. 

RE: Filament broken inside the PTFE

Hi Henry, It's a shining filament bought 2 years ago from Hello3D. Difficult to say if the problem comes from my storage or the making, even I unsealed the roll only one week before.

RE: Filament broken inside the PTFE

I had the same issue, could not push it out. Unhook the tube, and coil it into approximately the same diameter as the filament on the spool. I held it in that position with a small clamp. Once coiled into that diameter, I was able to push the broken filament out easily.

RE: Filament broken inside the PTFE

Posted by: @pincoyo

The filament broke inside the PTFE tube. What is the best thing to do.

I pulled out the PTFE at both ends and tried to insert another filament to push the broken filament. I was able to get a few inches out, but not all of it, the filament broke again.

There is still about 50cm of filament stuck, probably in several pieces. If I push with a filament nothing comes out from the extruder side and if I insert the filament on the extruder side, the broken filament blocks the insertion.

Apart from changing the PTFE as if I had a common Ender3, what can I do? Which PTFE should I buy? Disassemble the head to avoid the PTFE to be bent? Any other solution?

If the filament is stuck inside the PTFE tube and can't be fully pushed out, here are some steps you can try before replacing the tube:

Heat the Hotend: Heat the nozzle to the printing temperature of the filament (around 200°C for PLA). Sometimes heating up the hotend will soften the filament enough to push it through or pull it out.

Manual Extraction with Needle or Thin Rod: Use a long, thin rod or a special filament cleaner tool to manually push the filament from the extruder side while the hotend is still heated. A flexible wire or even a guitar string can sometimes work to push the filament through.

Disassemble the PTFE Tube: If heating doesn't work, disassemble the PTFE tube completely and try to remove the filament manually. You can soak the tube in warm water if the filament is PLA, as it may help soften the filament for easier removal.

Replace the PTFE Tube: If the filament is too difficult to remove, you may need to replace the PTFE tube. Look for Capricorn tubing (premium PTFE) or any standard PTFE tube for an Ender 3. You can buy a 1.75mm PTFE tube of the appropriate length (around 50-60cm) online or at a 3D printing store.

Prevent Future Jams: To avoid bending the PTFE tube, ensure proper alignment when reassembling the hotend and extruder. Also, periodically check the tube for wear or blockages.

If you're getting to the desperation point try flushing it out with a jet of water - effectivly join it to the mains water supply...

You will then need to dry it thoroughly but as a side effct any dust and debris should be flushed out too.

In future keep your filament dry, fragile, snapping PLA is a classic sign of dampness.

Cheerio,

RE:

Please guys, for your own sake, don't purchase PTFE tubes of 1.75mm. internal diameter. If the filament is slightly out of specifications ( i.e. 1.80 mm.instead of 1.75) it will jam inside that PTFE tube.  Even if ithe filament OD is 1.75mm or smaller, such tight tubes will increase the friction a lot and you don't want that. Just get the regular tubes of 4x2 mm. like Capricorn and other reliable brands.