Power supply makes electrical smell
Hi all,
When I completed my build a few days ago, I noticed that my power supply makes a bit of an electrical smell. I wasn't sure if the electrical smell is normal for a brand new power supply, so I've been watching it carefully. Now after a few days of printing, it still makes the electrical smell, so I figured I'd ask this forum whether the electrical smell is normal.
The electrical smell comes from the top of the power supply (when hooked up vertically to the printer). When I stick my nose a few inches from the power supply, the electrical smell is very strong. It can be readily smelled a foot away when facing the power supply side of the printer.
Is this normal? Do other owners of the printer have a similar experience?
Thanks in advance!
Ceryen
Re: Power supply makes electrical smell
No smell for my unit.
Is the smell like plastic, ozone like when running a drill, oil?
Re: Power supply makes electrical smell
Not plastic, ozone, or oil. It's darker, closer to a burning smell.
Re: Power supply makes electrical smell
This smell, does it come from the printer when powered up and just sitting there? Or when printing < if so what material are you printing? Have you set the right AC voltage setting for the power supply and your country? ie 110V or 230V AC Theres a switch to set within the power supply cage.
Nigel
Life is keeping interested and excited by knowledge and new things.
Re: Power supply makes electrical smell
This smell, does it come from the printer when powered up and just sitting there?
As far as I can tell, it only happens when the printer is actually printing something, so while under load.
if so what material are you printing?
I'm printing PLA. It's definitely not the smell of the plastic melting, I'm pretty familiar with that smell as I own and operate another 3D printer. Also, putting my nose next to the power supply fills it with noxious gasses =P
Have you set the right AC voltage setting for the power supply and your country? ie 110V or 230V AC Theres a switch to set within the power supply cage.
Yes, it's set correctly
Re: Power supply makes electrical smell
I think the PSU only needs a bit of burn-in to get rid of that smell. Setting bed temperature to 100°C (only bed, not hotend) and leaving the printer for few hours should do the job.
Re: Power supply makes electrical smell
Personally, I would be contacting support ASAP.
If there is a fault in the PSU, then it could be fatal.
No point in taking any chances. Use the "Live Chat" on the shop pages and give them a link to this thread.
Peter
Please note: I do not have any affiliation with Prusa Research. Any advices given are offered in good faith. It is your responsibility to ensure that by following my advice you do not suffer or cause injury, damage…
Re: Power supply makes electrical smell
PJR your comment above maybe prudent. However many components can fail within a switch mode power supply, and blow safely, ie electrolytic caps they have scores in the top to allow venting. Other components usually burn out and the supply fails. Switch mode power supplies are an industry standard and safe. Most electronic goods TV's and 24hour electronics run them. Lets not over scare people.
Nigel
Life is keeping interested and excited by knowledge and new things.
Re: Power supply makes electrical smell
@David.t2 some new electrical goods do smell when first switched on ie ovens and irons, most modern electronic goods TV's, radios, all the 3D printers I have owned, using switch mode power supplies do not.
Nigel
Life is keeping interested and excited by knowledge and new things.
Re: Power supply makes electrical smell
@ceryen.t I suspect a cap has vented, it does smell awful when they blow/fail. Use chat to request a replacement PSU. One cap blowing and the printer will still work, maybe, if capacitor has blown open circuit. The smell does linger well after failure of an electrolytic capacitor.
Nigel
Life is keeping interested and excited by knowledge and new things.
Re: Power supply makes electrical smell
@David.t2 some new electrical goods do smell when first switched on ie ovens and irons, most modern electronic goods TV's, radios, all the 3D printers I have owned, using switch mode power supplies do not.
One of my printers uses PSU ordered from banggood.com. It smelled like hell for first 50 hours of printing, no problems after that and still no problems after 16 months of duty.
Re: Power supply makes electrical smell
@david.t2 Yes. Some cheap power supplies do smell at first. Lingering smell means damage. All I am saying.
Nigel
Life is keeping interested and excited by knowledge and new things.
Re: Power supply makes electrical smell
Personally, I would be contacting support ASAP.
If there is a fault in the PSU, then it could be fatal.
No point in taking any chances. Use the "Live Chat" on the shop pages and give them a link to this thread.
Peter
Sorry for the lack of response, I hadn't realized that this thread had received additional replies.
While this thread was open, I also had some correspondence with e-mail support. E-mail support did not see anything unusual about my case, but suggested continuing to monitor the power supply. I stressed that I was very certain that the smell was not melting filament and that the smell was closer to a burning smell than an ozone smell, but did not hear anything further to suggest action was necessary.
Since then, I've continued printing and the smell has died down a bit, so I hope everything is okay
Re: Power supply makes electrical smell
ie Burning in was all the case. Sheesh, I could charge for this info. And in the past, that and the smell seemed overstated, as always. That's the problem. Some knowledge of electronics is required. And that the Genuine Prusa I3 Kit builds, anyone can follow the instructions but do not know what they are doing! ie Makers Muse and 3D Printing Nerd. < Never a diagnostic tool between them ie a Multimeter or Digiital Scope or anything to find problems, that could be easily solved in their builds.
Nigel
Life is keeping interested and excited by knowledge and new things.
Re: Power supply makes electrical smell
ie Burning in was all the case. Sheesh, I could charge for this info. And in the past, that and the smell seemed overstated, as always. That's the problem. Some knowledge of electronics is required. And that the Genuine Prusa I3 Kit builds, anyone can follow the instructions but do not know what they are doing! ie Makers Muse and 3D Printing Nerd. < Never a diagnostic tool between them ie a Multimeter or Digiital Scope or anything to find problems, that could be easily solved in their builds.
Overstated? I can still smell the power supply from a distance. When I say that the smell has died down a bit, I mean it's at 75% of what it was, it's mostly still there. I now have over 100 hours of printing time, how much additional burn in time should I expect to go from 75% to 0%?
My lack of knowledge is precisely why I asked for other people's experiences, there's no need to berate me for it.
Re: Power supply makes electrical smell
Sorry and my apologies ceryen.t I was over the top in my comment. If your power supply still smells you have had an issue.
In view of very recent news of others having power supply issues, I suggest you go onto Prusa support chat and get a replacement power supply. As soon as possible. There is obviously a faulty batch as supplied by Prusa.
It seems Prusa and others here were in the know, about the power supply issues and kept quiet, until exposed. Not a good way to do things. Currently I would avoid Prusa kit, until they sort themselves out.
Just my opinion.
Nigel
Life is keeping interested and excited by knowledge and new things.
Re: Power supply makes electrical smell
It seems Prusa and others here were in the know, about the power supply issues and kept quiet, until exposed. Not a good way to do things. Currently I would avoid Prusa kit, until they sort themselves out.
Just my opinion.
Where is your proof?