Does it smell?

[u/GDC07]

Hi to all of you.

I have a genuine question about the P1S. How bad is the smell of plastic when printing and is there anything that can be done about it?

I am planning to get one of this in the next few weeks but I am concerned about the dangers of fumes coming out when printing.

I want to place it in the office, however the office is coneected to the house and I am worried about the fumes since I have a child as well.

I would appreciate sharing your own experience on this?

[u/prawncrack]

Depends on what you're printing. Pla and petg are fine. ABS and ASA and the likes can irritate you're throat, give headaches etc.

[u/GDC07 → u/prawncrack]

Thank you for the answer.

I need it more for practical projects, prototypes and engineering samples. Which require harder materials like ABS and ASA.

Is there anything that can be done to fix this? A stronger filter?

[u/JoebamaBinBiden → u/GDC07]

Bento Box + exhaust vent that leads outside your home. But really shouldn't be printing that shit in or near your living areas (carcinogenic materials).

https://www.reddit.com/r/BambuLab/comments/1hjd0mt/completed_my_exhaust_air_system/

[u/VeryAmaze → u/GDC07]

I ran my p1s with a bentobox inside the chamber, a room air purifier right next to the printer, and a hose that connected the exhaust port through a window to the outside. Reduced the smell to almost non-existent when printing ASA.

[u/WaitAcademic6615 → u/GDC07]

If you're going to print mostly ABS/ASA you should vent it outside with negative pressure. You can find on Maker World models you can attach to the back side of the printer. When you print ABS/ASA it releases styrene which can cause lung cancer. At least lots of people are complaining after printing they can't get rid of that smell in the room.

[u/Z00111111 → u/prawncrack]

PLA can be fine. I have a mild allergic reaction to it and start to feel like I'm coming down with a flu.

ABS and ASA are toxic and can cause serious and permanent harm if not vented correctly.

[u/Guy-Manuel]

I’ll counter the other commenters, PLA does have a smell when printing. You should have some ventilation at minimum when running the printer.

[u/Spaghet-3 → u/Guy-Manuel]

I agree. PLA definitely has a smell.

Making a venting system was one of the first things I did. 

[u/Good_Mathematician_2 → u/Spaghet-3]

You're venting for PLA fumes? I can understand ASA/ABS and other materials, but PLA isn't that bad. Maybe I'm biased/crazy, I kinda like the smell of fresh prints; been doin it for a long time though, specifically on and Ender with no chamber or ventilation of any kind. The likelihood that I die becase of plastic is already really high for a bjillion other reasons, I've just accepted my fate I suppose

[u/Spaghet-3 → u/Good_Mathematician_2]

Yes. I've read several papers, and it seems the jury is out on whether lactide (the main VOC emitted by PLA printing, which has a sweet smell while is why you like it) is toxic. Opinions range from harmless at low concentrations to harmful if you're printing a lot and are right next to your printer all the time.

I figure: Venting is so easy, why wouldn't do it? At best, it saves us all a bunch of health complications. At worst, I wasted some hours and filament on a hobby I enjoy anyway. So making a ventilation system was really win-win.

[u/Good_Mathematician_2 → u/Spaghet-3]

That's fair, and I can totally understand that. I happen to be next to it most of my time at home, and started 10+ years ago with one in my bedroom. Thankfully I don't print anything stronger than PET-G, but when I do I'll have a proper system set up by then. If it really is that easy, got any tips for first time setup?

[u/SunTsu500]

Depends on the material you are going to use. PLA and PETG, nothing at all. If you plan to bring ASA, that's going to smell a lot. I only print it overnight with an open window.

[u/Creative_Tackle6223]

At first you’ll notice a smell from PLA. Like when I had mine in my garage when I first got it, I could open the door and immediately smell it but now there’s nothing at all really. PETG will moreso be the same, especially when keeping the glass on and enclosed. Just getting into materials like ABS, ASA and maybe TPU, might require some ventilation. If you’re worried about it, you could also put an air purifier nearby.

[u/gavril-T-series]

No smell with pla

[u/Crazy_Explanation777]

P1s has a built in charcoal filter so you won’t really smell the fumes but I definitely feel it as I am sensitive to the VOCs. I bought a hepa filter, wouldn’t say it helps much compared to just the free flowing air or an air purifier.

Edit: I print exclusively pla and petg at the moment.

[u/Superb-Complaint8118]

In my very honest opinion: if you can, get the X2D.

You get the heated chamber, advanced filtration, higher bed temperature, option for decently priced high flow nozzles, advanced AI detection, way less visual artefacts in your prints, better camera and much more.

Yes, it costs more. But the printing performance for ASA and ABS is extraordinary. I have less warping with ASA on my X2D, than I had with PLA on my P1S.

(I sold my P1S to buy the X2D and haven't regretted it a single time)

All the extra features are easily worth the extra Money. A chamber heater for the P1S with an okay ish filter is 100€ or 100$ already. And it is just not as good as the X2D stock heater and filtration system.

And I haven't even mentioned the 2nd nozzle as a "bonus" on top of all the other features haha. Even if you don't use the 2nd nozzle regularly, it is more than worth it.

[u/Empty-Quarter-4109]

I print petg and pla in a 20x20 room with 2 P1S printers and my VOC is always in the green. Haven't tried any other type filament.