Whooshing noise when printer is at idle  

Re: Whooshing noise when printer is at idle

I have been really thrilled with how quiet the MK3.. My previous printer is a Printrbot and you can't imagine how much louder it is.. I can hear that all over the house as it plays what can be best described as "music" as it prints.

In some ways the Mk3 is unsettling as atleast with the Printrbot I knew it was OK when it was printing.

Anyway... Last night, the Mk3 was powered on but idle and the room was quiet and I could hear an 'whooshing' noise a bit like a fan.. I listed all around the printer and can't be 100% sure where its coming from, but I think its the PSU.. Its crossed my mind that it IS a fan, but I can't see anything..

Has anyone else noticed this? To be honest its not a problem as its going in an environment where noise isn't an issue.. But I am just curious.

Jon

When you power on the MK3 it runs both fans at high power for a few seconds as part of its self-test.

It will also run the extruder fan any time the extruder is above a certain temperature.

I don't think the PSU has an internal fan, but I could be wrong. I don't remember hearing one.

Re: Whooshing noise when printer is at idle

Sorry.. I wasn't clear.. This was after a print when it was totally at idle and at room temperature.. Both fans were off.... But I have a whooshing noise which is coming from somewhere and can't quite put my finger on it... But it seems to be the bottom of the PSU.

Re: Whooshing noise when printer is at idle

Sorry.. I wasn't clear.. This was after a print when it was totally at idle.. Both fans were off.... But I have a whooshing noise which is coming from somewhere and can't quite put my finger on it... But it seems to be the bottom of the PSU.

Re: Whooshing noise when printer is at idle

I hear the noise and like you not sure where it is coming from exactly. However, to me it sounds more like an electrical hum,

Re: Whooshing noise when printer is at idle

I have it too, and it is the power supply. You are hearing the audible byproducts of a very lightly loaded power conversion circuit in a cheaply produced power supply. It will sound different to different people, both because of power supply variations, and because of hearing variations. To me it sounds a bit like a hiss with a little squeak in it here and there.

Re: Whooshing noise when printer is at idle

I've attached a zipped MP3, with the sound I have noticed just a few hours ago coming from my mk3 power supply simply when it is turned, which is quite worrying.

I am wondering what it is, my printer is only nearing a month old. But is this the sound that you hear as well?

note: sound in file is amplified by 15db for easier hearing on various devices with full range speakers.

Re: Whooshing noise when printer is at idle

I've attached a zipped MP3, with the sound I have noticed just a few hours ago coming from my mk3 power supply simply when it is turned, which is quite worrying.

I am wondering what it is, my printer is only nearing a month old. But is this the sound that you hear as well?

note: sound in file is amplified by 15db for easier hearing on various devices with full range speakers.

powersupply.zip

Yes.. Similar.. I have learned to live with it now and just accept it as one of those things.

Re: Whooshing noise when printer is at idle

I've attached a zipped MP3, with the sound I have noticed just a few hours ago coming from my mk3 power supply simply when it is turned, which is quite worrying.

I am wondering what it is, my printer is only nearing a month old. But is this the sound that you hear as well?

note: sound in file is amplified by 15db for easier hearing on various devices with full range speakers.

powersupply.zip

Yes.. Similar.. I have learned to live with it now and just accept it as one of those things.

That is at least something.

Re: Whooshing noise when printer is at idle

I've attached a zipped MP3, with the sound I have noticed just a few hours ago coming from my mk3 power supply simply when it is turned, which is quite worrying.

I am wondering what it is, my printer is only nearing a month old. But is this the sound that you hear as well?

note: sound in file is amplified by 15db for easier hearing on various devices with full range speakers.

powersupply.zip

If it makes you feel better, I replaced the Prusa supply with a high power MEAN WELL and it is actually louder, at idle, than the Prusa supply. I'd bet good money that your computer power supply makes the same kind of noise. You just can't hear it because of the environmental noise.

Re: Whooshing noise when printer is at idle

just wait a few years and all these concerns about the way things sound will be a thing of the past and If, Like i did in my 20s in the 1960s, you enjoyed the sound of live concert rock and roll you will find that high frequency sound fades out as you age.

the down side is you find that when you visit younger relatives you have to ask that they turn on the captions on the TV... I can barley hear the MK3 on normal and 5 feet away from where I sit. I have not even bothered with the quiet mode... I guess when my sister visits next year I will give it a try... she was a lot more careful of her hearing in her youth than I was.