PLA floods hotend, MAXTEMP error, can't dissassemble
 
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PLA floods hotend, MAXTEMP error, can't dissassemble  

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Adrian Garcia
(@adrian-garcia)
New Member
PLA floods hotend, MAXTEMP error, can't dissassemble

I am very new to 3D printing, so please take my comments below in that context.

I recently assembled and have been using the Prusa i3 MK2S with success on PLA prints. Today, I was printing an object (PLA), stepped away for 30 mins, and came back to see that print had broken free of bed. Somehow, the majority of PLA flow was diverted up and into the hotend housing and fan area (see two attached photos). Now I have several problems and looking for advice on how to proceed:
[1.] The MK2s now gives MAXTEMP error, so it wont let me heat up the hotend (there may be a short inside hotend assembly).
[2.] Since I can't heat the unit, I am not sure how to go about cleaning off all the PLA and trying to restore the hotend assembly to working order.
[3.] At least one plastic part of the Prusa MK2S on the extruder assembly has broken. So even if I can get the assembly apart, I can't print plastic replacement parts for them since the printer won't heat up.
[4.] With so much dried PLA around the hotend and the inability to heat the unit, I am not sure if I will be able to salvage the hotend at all - freeing it from the plastic tomb using pliers and cutters is probably going to irreparably damage the hotend (the melted PLA got right in between all the hotend wires - see photo)

Any thoughts on how to move forward and minimize costs of doing so would be most welcome.

Thank you in advance for your advice.

Posted : 13/08/2017 8:56 pm
Hobby Hoarder
(@hobby-hoarder-2)
Trusted Member
Re: PLA floods hotend, MAXTEMP error, can't dissassemble

I'm sorry about what happened. I can only help with the cleaning - use a hair dryer, it should soften the PLA considerably and then use a knife or something similar to clear it away.

Good luck

Posted : 13/08/2017 9:35 pm
Adrian Garcia
(@adrian-garcia)
New Member
Topic starter answered:
Re: PLA floods hotend, MAXTEMP error, can't dissassemble

Thanks, rincewind. I'll try the dryer approach to try and loosen the pla.

If there are any other suggestions regarding the best approach to getting the printer back in working order, I'd appreciate additional perspectives. My guess is that fixing the MAXTEMP issue will be the most important - but how do you do that? Should I just replace the cartridge heater and thermistor?

Thank you.

Posted : 14/08/2017 3:45 pm
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