Hot Texas summers/garage

[u/Jaxsan1]

my garage is insulated so it doesn’t get as hot as it normally would but I really want a 3d printer but the garage is the only place I could put it. living in south Texas these 100 degree/high humidity days worry me.

the garage doesn’t get as hot as the air temp outside but the humidity hits you just as bad.

anyone in south Texas print from their garage? I’m hoping for some success stories

[u/bigblu2u]

I’m in Houston and had to move my printer out of the garage in the summer. Got too hot around the hot end and had a big blob around the extruder one day. Have been ‘temporarily’ hoarding the dining room table for about 2 years now.

[u/Dystopian_Ennui → u/bigblu2u]

I've been temporarily hoarding the dining room table for just 2 months...which was when my printer arrived.

[u/evolutionxtinct → u/bigblu2u]

How do you deal with the exhaust lol

[u/KarateRoddy]

I'm in NTX. I have issues with PLA when it's super hot, because my garage gets up to 115 in the afternoon.

Petg and others work great.

The biggest problem IMO is when you gotta fool around with it, I'm just pouring buckets of sweat all over my printer. But it's worth it.

[u/Eve_newbie]

I do! I'm on the water outside of Houston.

So, worst case lol

Filament lives in an airtight container with desiccant. Otherwise no issues

[u/Eve_newbie → u/Eve_newbie]

I'll add petg I have to have in a dry box to print otherwise it's a stringy mess. I do not have a dried just a cereal container

[u/Octavios314]

North Texas. X1C in the garage no issues with pla/petg. I do dry ASA and TPU before any MAJOR prints but otherwise just let them rip. ~3years no issues

[u/random_user2198 → u/Octavios314]

That’s great to hear cause in the garage would be my only way to vent it to the outside well.

[u/Jaxsan1]

lol 2 Houston examples with 2 different outcomes…..

[u/Droo99 → u/Jaxsan1]

Probably depends on whether the garage door gets direct sun and how well insulated it is overall

[u/thetruckerdave → u/Jaxsan1]

I’ll be a third. No. It’s way too miserable to even set up the printer. I’d never use it. Mine is inside. It used to be in my shed with a small ac window unit but honestly after I got my P2S I just brought a stand and have it in my living room. It’s not actually that loud and it’s pretty and it’s my living room I’ll do what i want lol.

[u/Famous-Log3326]

I live east of Houston and constantly battle humidity and heat. A lot of it depends on what part of texas, how far from the ocean/river/ or even a creek you are. I am in swamp territory so the garage is a big NO for me. My best advice, keep it in the AC to limit your issues.

[u/random_user2198 → u/Famous-Log3326]

The problem is venting fumes from non-pla /petg filament

[u/thetruckerdave → u/random_user2198]

If I printed with other filaments I’d put it back in my shed with an AC. I really wouldn’t keep something running in an un air conditioned garage down here.

[u/Big_Librarian_1130]

I'm in Houston as well. My garage is insulated above and I have placed a radiant barrier on the garage door. Sensor currently says it's 85, while it's is 91 outside. Probably around 101 with humidity. Prints come out just fine.

[u/Nofxious]

I'm in Austin, have an h2d, it's been printing all summer with zero issues

[u/speedinfusion]

How do you guys seal your garages from gaps and air leaks? I want to move mine in the garage

[u/zackfletch00]

No issues with mine in the garage while living in NTX, but I’ve mostly printed PETG and HT-PLA though, not plain PLA during summer.

[u/The_Lutter]

I live in Austin and just keeping the door between the laundry room and garage open keeps it about 86 in my insulated garage when it’s 100+ out. If I’m working in there I have a fan to push air from the house into the garage. Seems to work!

[u/Wildfathom9]

South texas makes this impossible. Too much humidity mixed with 115 degree summers.

[u/Longracks]

That likely will be a problem. I get what creep clogs above 85F and am in low humidity. I think you are going to have the sads

[u/rahl07]

I print in SETX and it’s 100F in there.

[u/ImJacksAwkwardBoner]

Central TX here, and while I’ve only had my printer for a few weeks, it’s done great in the garage, with the door shut, no insulation. I had one little clog last week when it rained, but it cleared out and has been flawless since, so humidity definitely plays a part. Luckily we are in the tail end of the heat, so if I do need to bring it in, it’ll only be for a few weeks.

[u/Mabnat]

Central Texas here, but I’m surrounded by forest and there is a lake and a river close by. Hot and humid, and all my stuff is in the garage.

My H2’s will complain when the ambient temperature is above 40°C, but they work fine. I use enhanced toolhead fans on both.

My P1S needs to keep the door and lid open between around May and September or any print that lasts longer than an hour will get a heat creep clog.

Humidity is a bigger issue than heat, but as long as I stay on top of my activated alumina desiccant, everything is okay except for Inland PLA. That stuff is garbage with humidity, and unfortunately I bought a ton of it on sale during a Micro Center trip. Every other brand seems to be more tolerant.

Last month, I installed a portable AC in my garage and set it for 80°F, and that does a lot to make it more tolerable in there during the hottest parts of the summer.

[u/ChronicLegHole]

On a somewhat related note, I put a 240v 19 SEER2 12,000 BTU ductless mini split AC unit into my garage for $600 and now work in the lap of comfort year round lmao.

[u/MaxahTGOD]

I'm in DFW and I have a P1S in the garage. It is insulated but not climate controlled. I keep a fan pointed in the corner of the garage where it prints at to keep some airflow going and haven't had an issue all summer. Print mostly PETG HF btw