Michael, I bought an Ender 3D Pro new in the UK in April 2020. It's now early January 2021 and I've just watched your piece on Thermal Runaway. I' have just checked my printer as per your demonstration and I'm pleased to say that Thermal Runaway has been enabled and works it fine. I like your teaching style and your tact in dealing with other UA-cam channels that stray off the mark. Thank you for your time and effort.
A fire caused by my 3d printer has been a concern of mine too. I keep a fire extinguisher right next to my printer and generally don't leave the room more than a minute while its printing anything. I sorta view the printer like anything that heats up in the kitchen... don't leave it unattended. Thanks for making the video to keep safety at the fore and providing practical steps to make our printers more safe.
Excellent video Michael. One of the first things i did, when I got my E10 was to install Marlin. So glad I did. I feel safer knowing those safety features are there
Why do these "know it all" types always seem to be wrong? I'm glad your fighting the good fight to help keep people safe!! Thanks for all your hard work.
Just built a fireproof enclosure, glad I upgraded my Ender 3 firmware to TH3D, default they have this thermal protection enabled after checking, now I feel pretty safe leaving my printer unattended, thanks!
Thanks for posting this... It's a subject that's been knocking about for the past few weeks on the forums that I follow.. I will need to look at doing the upgrades on my Ender 3... Thanks again.
@@TeachingTech I think there actually is an issue on ender 3 (pro) with motherboard cooling : the motherboard cooling fan is connected to the print cooling fan ! Therefore, motherboard is NOT cooled when fan print is OFF !! That seams crazy, but it's true... I print PETG with cooling disabled (for stonger prints). So during the hole print, my motherboard is not activelly cooled ! To solve this, it is possible to connect the motherboard fan to the hotend cooling fan (which is Always ON). I'm gonna do that asap.
Thank you for a thorough video on the topic of thermal runaway. I'll definitely be sharing this video as the lack of thermal runaway protection is a major safety hazard. Made worse when many manufacturers haven't really bothered to mention whether their printers have this feature or not. I have four 3D printers and I have never left any of them running over night, if I do step out of the room when they are printing I set an alarm on my smartphone to come back and check that the printer is behaving itself. My Ender-3 still has the 'stock' firmware and I have always assumed it did not have this important safety feature. Yes, I will be updating the firmware real soon. 😉 BTW: Qudos for sacrificing a 3D printer to demonstrate the safety features when they are present and more importantly when they are *not*! 👍
The mosfet problem is worrying and heard many people have this issues regardless of brand. I might install a smoke alarm that is linking to a power point that will shut the printer down as soon as it detects smoke.
the mosfet without the thermal paste is for the fan. It won't kill it self since the draw of that stock fan isn't much. The bed and hot end are the two with the thermal paste.
A very good video. Something to add: There are scenarios even firmware runaway protection wouldn't help. If you use an SSR or Relais, it can go defect in on-position. So no way to shut down by the controller. In case you use AC heated bed, maybe adding an bimetall swich f.e. 110°C to the bed and add it to wireing would help. Same principle an iron uses to control tenperature - but here absolutly independent from firmware limiting max temp to a save value. There should be an alarm out pin in marlin, to shut down the complete printer with external relais on thermal runaway. Shouldnt be hard to integrate in firmware... Also you could add an seperate ESP sending you an e-mail and let all the lights in the house flash (If you have a smarthome), maybe also start an alarm call... I havent done that now as I have not put my AC-heaters in use now, but I will try that ideas if I do so...
THIS is a fantastic video. One more item I'd recommend is replacing the power supply cables from the PSU to the XT60 plugs, the power cables to the main board, and new XT60 plugs with the cables soldered to them. The XT60 plugs on my first Ender 3 melted and actually caught on fire. Killed the printer. Was very happy I was in front of my printer when it happened. My current two Ender 3's both have incredibly hot plugs (to hot to touch) when getting into the 24+ hour print range. I'm pretty sure it's only a matter of time before the same thing happens. Specially as these printers print pretty much non stop. Because of this, I've been getting ready to replace the cables and XT60 outright with higher quality cable (and soldering the connections in the XT60).
The Tinker Dad stopped using one of my Ender 3s this week because the xt60 plug is showing signs of heat. Won’t be able to work on it until Sunday. Was talking with some in the Ender 3 Facebook group and it seems there have been a number of people posting about this.
Great video and very informative! Since this video was created one and a half years ago, can you give an update as to what Creality has done with their current firmware? Have they included Thermal Runaway Protection in their newest models? If so, can you tell us what versions of firmware this would be included in? If the firmware has been updated, is Thermal Runaway Protection turned on by default? It would also be helpful if you posted a video where to find the commented out lines and how to uncomment them.
I definitely appreciate your concern for thermal runaway. Unfortunately, you talk so fast and cover so many details in a short video so that I cannot keep up. I'll have to search for another video dumbing it down for me. Subscribed and liked anyhow.
Also about the ender 3 is that the xt60 connectors of the heat bed wires are not soldered but crimped, this could and in many cases led to a poor connection which cause these wires and the connector get extremely hot because of the high current that passes trough this wires and can led to a fire eventually
I want to add to be extra safe you can use a smart smoke detector such as nest protect and use an IFTT recipe and some smart outlets so if the smoke detector goes off it will automatically kill power to the printer(s). This is just an added layer or security and will provide useful if you have ever stepped out on the house.
I have a CR-7 rebuilt with an MKS Base board. I've set up Marlin to detect a thermal runaway within 15 seconds with a 7 degree window... I managed to trip thermal runaway protection while changing nozzles (adjustable pliers turned out to be a great heatsink for the heater block).
Thanks Michael, my daughters just bought me a Ender 3 and I was concerned about runaway and was considering to get a TiVo flash instead for that reason. Now i know I can test it and I feel more reassured. Look forward to assembling and using the printer with much more confidence.
Great video! I wish people would also resist buying garbage printers with wood and plastic frames. (Anet a8, CTC) Maybe they will go away if people don't buy them
Great advice Michael. I hope everyone ensures that their printers have all the safety features enabled, or ask someone to check if they aren't comfortable with doing it. All my printers have their safety features enabled, I have checked myself. I would not use a printer that didn't.
Very useful checklist to verify the firmware is correct and to have a good safety check list. I remember someone giving me a hard time for suggesting a smoke detector and fire extinguisher.... Im glad to see that common sense will eventually prevail.
Great video. I'd also add to point 3 to keep combustible material away from the printer. Whoever is enclosing their 3D printer in photo tent or cardboard box is asking for it.
Maybe we should have printers or printer power supplies connected via the relay connected to PS_ON. You'd get two buttons, one is a power-on button which you hold until Marlin can assert the PS_ON line for a couple seconds that just bridges the relay, and another a red emergency button which breaks the connection. The benefit is that then maxtemp error has something to actuate when a MOSFET is gone shorted. Is this kind of mod something you'd be willing to explore? Since no rapid frequent switching is necessary, a solenoid (mechanical switching) relay is probably appropriate - they are inexpensive and can be sourced locally from trusted suppliers.
Firstly, I just wanted to thank you for all of the knowledge you have imparted in previous comments. I've just spent several hours catching up with reading and replying to comments, your name came up a lot. It's greatly appreciated, especially when you clearly know your stuff and are still so humble. I am interested in playing with a relay between the PSU and mainboard, influenced by the output of something like this: ua-cam.com/video/PvEmrNJB_xw/v-deo.html Your solution sounds really good, having the maxtemp trigger an output too. Any links you can post to steer me in the right direction would help a lot.
Tested by heating to pla temp, disconnected one heater wire... no alarms for over 3 minutes. heat went down from 185c to about ~40c in that time. Got mine little over 2 weeks ago with stamps that it was manufactured 2018. So no thermal runaway protection enabled. Will be definitely updating firmware asap.
Clarifying that the actual issue is about the heater cartridge becoming detached and showing the result give the whole discussion a heap more credibility and makes a lot more sense. Even if it’s a low probability it’s definitely in the the “why wouldn’t you” category. The only problem I see is if you’re going to continue to use facts and science rather than myth an legend it will significantly reduce hits on the facebook groups.
Thanks for the video. I currently have the thermal runaway issue where mine appears even when everything is in spec. I haven’t checked physical cables yet but I also don’t know if I have to replace the thermistor, which is the correct part when I look it up. Also Creality isn’t very good about labeling firmware by version. I found it by “which motherboard do you have” or “which accessory are you using” like CR Touch bed leveler, etc.
I received my new Ender 3 Pro one week ago (Dec 04, 2018). Shouldn't it already have the new firmware on it with Thermal Runaway protection enabled? I'll watch this again several times and try to figure out how to test it on my printer. THANK YOU for posting this.
Hey Michael, thanks for this. I've discovered thermal runaway after flashing th3d (without knowing what it was) when i've placed my just-washed cold glass bed on the printer already heated, the thermal runaway got the shit out of me, with one week after buying the printer lmao.
I use OctoPrint on my Ender 3. The Raspberry Pi will power the Ender 3 display. I forgot to turn on the printer itself as the display was already lit. When I tried to print something I got a Thermal Runaway error. That's because the printer wasn't actually powered on. That was a safe test that showed the protection was actually working. Afterwards I checked the firmware and confirmed that I had the latest version installed.
Very good explanation of how this works. Unfortunately my printer is repitier based so I don’t have this feature in firmware. Looking at making something external to provide the same safeties, unless there’s already something out there...
I'm interested in making a simple Arduino module that detects smoke and kills printer power with a relay. Something like this would be firmware independent and even help against a busted MOSFET.
Since I've updated my firmware long ago, I have no way of testing if my Ender 3 shipped with thermal runaway enabled or not. Can I please request that anyone with a newly received printer complete my test at 9:06 and post the results here. Some viewers have kindly pointed out that the uncooled third MOSFET is for the part cooling fan. This fan draws very little current, therefore I would consider what I showed an optional fix.
I have one en route, but I am not very educated at understanding what the codes mean. Your videos are helping with this and I appreciate your consistent effort to get us all up to speed. Thanks again Michael.
I just got 3 Ender 3 units this past week I can confirm non of them shipped with thermal runaway protection. These units were purchased directly from Amazon.
@@GuyWhoReviewsStuff could be older stock, not sure if the printers have manufacture date on them any where, i have a gen 1 Ender 3 so i know it wasnt enables but TH3D fw fixed that
Please note, that the latest Ender 3's have the TRP enabled. I got mine at the beginning of December 2018...it had TRP enabled. This version also has the "Motion" menu enabled as well.
Great video, thanks. I got myself an Ender 3 max two days ago. I am getting numerous thermal runaway shutdowns. Would this be an error on my behalf or should I return the printer and exchange It?
I had a brainwave earlier today that made me search for this topic. Would it be a good idea to implement a fire suppression system into an enclosure? It doesn't need to be a very complicated or expensive affair. I'm thinking of for example triggering a 13g CO2 cartridge inside the enclosure if the "alarm" is set off. Those are pretty cheap. Alarm can for example be enclosure temperature. A system like that would also need to cut any fans from simply circulating fresh air to feed the fire. Perhaps close the vents somehow and also kill the power to the printer.
I think upgrading to a copper hot end not only offers performance upgrades but also safety. This is what Im about to do, after seeing how the aluminium ones can melt i think going for copper as an extra safety feature is worth the cost.
Very good video, congratulations. May I suggest, please, if you can talk a little slower? For those of us who are not particularly good at English it would be helpful. Thank you so much for your time.
To catch the situations thermal runaway protection doesn't catch, it would be possible with some tinkering to set up a smoke detector to trigger a smart outlet to cut power to the printer
your thermal runaway is way too compliant, i run it (and have tested it to be safe) at 20 seconds and 8°c, that way you ensure nothing Will Burn in the time it takes to trigger thermal runaway, and for the bed 15 sec and 2°, the thermal runaway settings should be very strict, as much as you can get it to, that way you don't risk a fire, the heater cartridge can heat up to 300 from 200 in 15-30s, so be careful
this is one of the most important things about it, because I see people's settings being too compliant, that's dangerous as it wouldn't trigger, it should know something's wrong in less than 30s, and the °c should be very close, +- 3-5°c is good, that won't have problems with the fan cooling the nozzle as it gives time to recover, but if something goes wrong it's quick to know, I can tell you from experience why I set my thermal runaway so strict, my heater cartridge reached 350° in 25s when it fell out one time, (you can tell as it has a purple-blue temper now)
@@l3d-3dmaker58 So you say that it should look like this, if I understand well: #if ENABLED(THERMAL_PROTECTION_HOTENDS) #define THERMAL_PROTECTION_PERIOD 20 // Seconds #define THERMAL_PROTECTION_HYSTERESIS 8 // Degrees Celsius #define WATCH_TEMP_PERIOD 20 // Seconds #define WATCH_TEMP_INCREASE 8 // Degrees Celsius #endif
Hey Michael great info, I updated my Ender3 to 1.1.9 a while ago and all of the protection is there my concern now is that i Just received my CR-10S Pro and am going to have to put it through it's paces.
I just got my BL Touch kit from creality (with metal mount and all). I did download and update to their firmware, version 1.1.62. I figured that since it was a 1.1.6x, it should have the thermal runaway protection enabled. I just checked by disconnecting the heater cartridge and in just over a minute, it did trigger the protection (Although I thought over a minute was a little too long). But when I disconnected the bed heater wire (+24V), and I tried to heat the bed, the bed temp stayed ambient at 24º, and the multimeter connected to the connection on the MB displayed +24V, but after 3 minutes, no thermal runaway protection kicked in. Does the latest marlin firmware for the ender 3 (pro) have thermal runaway protection enabled for the heated bed as well?
Could you maybe investigate some more into this? I have checked the 20181208 firmware for Ender 3 on the Creality website. Inside that firmware i can find code for Thermal runaway protection. But wich printers are updated with this firmware already ? I bought my printer 3 weeks ago. How do i know what firmware it runs ? Also, is the Panic Power feature included in the flashable Marlin releases that you speak of? Are they updated ?
Great video - thank you. I followed your bootloader video a while back and I know it was done correctly because I see the Marlin logo on boot up. Now that I have this bootloader, I should not have to worry about thermal runway, correct? Assuming no physical wiring/board issues, of course. Thanks again.
I really want to update the firmware on my CR10 mini but I'm a little apprehensive for fear of bricking my main board. I am somewhat tech savy and I've watched your videos but not sure I feel comfortable doing it. Are there places that you can send your board out to for reflashing?
Running 2 thermal sensors on bed, and on hotend. One on the bed (CR10S) is set into the aluminium bed, another on my silicone bed heater. Any prolonged delta between them (50°C delta allowed for the 1st 20 seconds of heatup from ambient) cuts power to the bed heater. Bed heater also has a an inline ceramic thermal fuse bonded to the pad as a last line of defense, should the sensors or firmware fail. On the hotend there's the one in the block, and one bonded to the rear of the heater cartridge. Any significant delta, or lack of reading change when expected, cuts power. Tested by pulling the cartridge partway out from the block, sensor on the back of the cartridge registered the spike and cut power to the cartridge in about 4-5 seconds. Any abnormal reading from any of the sensors (wire or sensor damage isn't always a clean break or full short) also triggers. I've been looking to find some high temp thermal fuse to mechanically mount to the heater block, but haven't been able to find any yet with a reasonable margin above 330°C. At least not small enough or non-reset. They need to be full mechanical break so that if it somehow fails to electrically shut down, it won't come back on if temps go bsck down.
Hi Michael another great video, I disconnected the red thermal cable as shown and turned up my nozzle and got message E1 Heating failed printer halted please reset. is that the same thing? cheers Michael
Does the upgraded ender 3 silent board (sold as a creality upgrade) have thermal runaway on? Based on their install video the 1.1.6 firmware already has it on.
How sure am I that Thermal Runaway protection is enabled? Well I know my Ender 3 (purchased Jan 2021) screamed at me about it once but I don’t know that IT did anything to stop it or it was me turning it off manually that stopped it. Also don’t know what caused it or if it was a false alarm.
I just bought and Ender 3 V2. I find when doing maintenance if I remove the thermal sock and bring the nozzle up to 210c I get an alarm with the warning on the LCD saying THERMAL RUNAWAY. Will I still need to update my firmware? it's version 1.0.2 . Cheers!
Got thermal runaway alarm activated for the first time on my Ender 3 Pro today. I installed the thermistor incorrectly after disassembling the hot-end for cleaning and I think it wasn't tight enough in.
Have you tested any Creality firmware's recently? I've been in contact with them via Facebook and they told me that thermal runaway is enabled on the Ender 5. Is this true? Mine won't arrive until next week so it'll be a while till I can check it. They also said that the v1.1.3 board is better than the V1.1.4 (not silent just standard) which makes me wonder why they would release a newer board that's not as good as the older one. It doesn't make sense to me!!
We recently had a alert warning of HTERMAL RUNAWAY and several loud beeps short and long beeps to get our attention. We were able to manually turn off the ender 3 printer. Do you think think thermal protection is enabled? Or should we still be updating the software?
my ender 3 arrived 08.01.2019 (late 2018 model i think) and after test it today wait 3 mins and no errors no termal protection firmware i ll update firmware after that xt60s and mosfets same as yours need to be fix too 3 most important things firmware, xt60, mosfet heatink
I just got a Thermal Runaway warning on my Ender 3 v2 that I got about 2 days ago. The print stopped and the printer started beeping, but apart from that nothing happend. I'm not sure what caused the problem. After a restart the printer seems to work normal again, but I haven't run any bigger prints since the warning. The print that caused the problem was the biggest I've done so far with about 4 hours in before the error occurred (and about 7 more to finish). I hope I can find and fix any problems with it, would annoying if I can't print anything bigger.
Is there any solution to cut off PSU power if the onboard mosfet fails closed? Maybe: If heating element is continuously on for more than 60 seconds then trigger a switch to cut off 12V/24V PSU main power.
I've recently bought an ender 3 and i've had an issue with an octoprint plugin that set the hotend temp to 400°C. The protection triggered at 275. So i think they've eventually added it to the firmware
Noob question. I have ender 3 flashed with Marlin 1.26a. I ran the test and it shuts down but says 'E1 Heating Failed PRINTER HALTED please reset'. Is that still thermal runaway protection? Have they just changed the message?
Just did this test (9:07) on a Creality3D V1.1.5 (silent) board, was shipped with Marlin 1.1.8 less than two weeks ago, which I fitted to an Ender 3 Pro. The printer halted within 20 seconds or so of the hot end not heating up as demanded. Error message was different to yours. Mine read "Heating Failed, System stopped"
Message on the Ender LCD panel was in actual fact "Heating Failed PRINTER HALTED please reset" - I'm not convinced this is derived from a thermal runaway check. Anybody care to put my mind at rest? Rather not do a destructive test on my printer. ;-)
Thermal runaway is a stopgap, proper protection is not allowing hardware (heaters) to draw more current than normal operating conditions, 3d printers should be fused, and thermal fused.
If you enter M503 from a computer when connected via USB, you will get some info such as the compilation date. The most foolproof way to check for thermal runaway is the test at the end of this video.
Michael, I bought an Ender 3D Pro new in the UK in April 2020. It's now early January 2021 and I've just watched your piece on Thermal Runaway. I' have just checked my printer as per your demonstration and I'm pleased to say that Thermal Runaway has been enabled and works it fine.
I like your teaching style and your tact in dealing with other UA-cam channels that stray off the mark.
Thank you for your time and effort.
A fire caused by my 3d printer has been a concern of mine too. I keep a fire extinguisher right next to my printer and generally don't leave the room more than a minute while its printing anything. I sorta view the printer like anything that heats up in the kitchen... don't leave it unattended. Thanks for making the video to keep safety at the fore and providing practical steps to make our printers more safe.
Excellent video Michael. One of the first things i did, when I got my E10 was to install Marlin. So glad I did. I feel safer knowing those safety features are there
Why do these "know it all" types always seem to be wrong? I'm glad your fighting the good fight to help keep people safe!! Thanks for all your hard work.
Just built a fireproof enclosure, glad I upgraded my Ender 3 firmware to TH3D, default they have this thermal protection enabled after checking, now I feel pretty safe leaving my printer unattended, thanks!
It's not foolproof but goes a long way. Your enclosure sounds great!
Thanks for posting this... It's a subject that's been knocking about for the past few weeks on the forums that I follow..
I will need to look at doing the upgrades on my Ender 3...
Thanks again.
As someone already noted, the heat sink not touching the third mosfet is not an issue. It’s for the fan.
You are right, I will update my pinned post.
@@TeachingTech
I think there actually is an issue on ender 3 (pro) with motherboard cooling : the motherboard cooling fan is connected to the print cooling fan !
Therefore, motherboard is NOT cooled when fan print is OFF !!
That seams crazy, but it's true...
I print PETG with cooling disabled (for stonger prints). So during the hole print, my motherboard is not activelly cooled !
To solve this, it is possible to connect the motherboard fan to the hotend cooling fan (which is Always ON).
I'm gonna do that asap.
Thank you for a thorough video on the topic of thermal runaway.
I'll definitely be sharing this video as the lack of thermal runaway protection is a major safety hazard. Made worse when many manufacturers haven't really bothered to mention whether their printers have this feature or not. I have four 3D printers and I have never left any of them running over night, if I do step out of the room when they are printing I set an alarm on my smartphone to come back and check that the printer is behaving itself.
My Ender-3 still has the 'stock' firmware and I have always assumed it did not have this important safety feature. Yes, I will be updating the firmware real soon. 😉
BTW: Qudos for sacrificing a 3D printer to demonstrate the safety features when they are present and more importantly when they are *not*! 👍
Dude... you’re awesome. All your videos are 10/10. You’re smart as hell, and the makers of the internets are in your debt. Thank you!!!
The mosfet problem is worrying and heard many people have this issues regardless of brand. I might install a smoke alarm that is linking to a power point that will shut the printer down as soon as it detects smoke.
the mosfet without the thermal paste is for the fan. It won't kill it self since the draw of that stock fan isn't much. The bed and hot end are the two with the thermal paste.
Thank you I have updated my pinned post.
A very good video.
Something to add: There are scenarios even firmware runaway protection wouldn't help. If you use an SSR or Relais, it can go defect in on-position. So no way to shut down by the controller.
In case you use AC heated bed, maybe adding an bimetall swich f.e. 110°C to the bed and add it to wireing would help. Same principle an iron uses to control tenperature - but here absolutly independent from firmware limiting max temp to a save value.
There should be an alarm out pin in marlin, to shut down the complete printer with external relais on thermal runaway. Shouldnt be hard to integrate in firmware... Also you could add an seperate ESP sending you an e-mail and let all the lights in the house flash (If you have a smarthome), maybe also start an alarm call...
I havent done that now as I have not put my AC-heaters in use now, but I will try that ideas if I do so...
Thanks, great input.
THIS is a fantastic video. One more item I'd recommend is replacing the power supply cables from the PSU to the XT60 plugs, the power cables to the main board, and new XT60 plugs with the cables soldered to them. The XT60 plugs on my first Ender 3 melted and actually caught on fire. Killed the printer. Was very happy I was in front of my printer when it happened. My current two Ender 3's both have incredibly hot plugs (to hot to touch) when getting into the 24+ hour print range. I'm pretty sure it's only a matter of time before the same thing happens. Specially as these printers print pretty much non stop. Because of this, I've been getting ready to replace the cables and XT60 outright with higher quality cable (and soldering the connections in the XT60).
Wow, gotta check those plugs too. :O
The Tinker Dad stopped using one of my Ender 3s this week because the xt60 plug is showing signs of heat. Won’t be able to work on it until Sunday. Was talking with some in the Ender 3 Facebook group and it seems there have been a number of people posting about this.
Great video and very informative!
Since this video was created one and a half years ago, can you give an update as to what Creality has done with their current firmware? Have they included Thermal Runaway Protection in their newest models? If so, can you tell us what versions of firmware this would be included in? If the firmware has been updated, is Thermal Runaway Protection turned on by default?
It would also be helpful if you posted a video where to find the commented out lines and how to uncomment them.
Updated my firmware on the ender 3 pro, did both tests and my printer passed both tests. Thank you for educating on our safety!
I definitely appreciate your concern for thermal runaway. Unfortunately, you talk so fast and cover so many details in a short video so that I cannot keep up. I'll have to search for another video dumbing it down for me. Subscribed and liked anyhow.
Also about the ender 3 is that the xt60 connectors of the heat bed wires are not soldered but crimped, this could and in many cases led to a poor connection which cause these wires and the connector get extremely hot because of the high current that passes trough this wires and can led to a fire eventually
I want to add to be extra safe you can use a smart smoke detector such as nest protect and use an IFTT recipe and some smart outlets so if the smoke detector goes off it will automatically kill power to the printer(s). This is just an added layer or security and will provide useful if you have ever stepped out on the house.
A great suggestion and something I may consider exploring and making a guide for in future.
@@TeachingTech Please do it!
I have a CR-7 rebuilt with an MKS Base board. I've set up Marlin to detect a thermal runaway within 15 seconds with a 7 degree window... I managed to trip thermal runaway protection while changing nozzles (adjustable pliers turned out to be a great heatsink for the heater block).
I think I might tighten my parameters to make it kick in sooner too.
Thanks Michael, my daughters just bought me a Ender 3 and I was concerned about runaway and was considering to get a TiVo flash instead for that reason. Now i know I can test it and I feel more reassured. Look forward to assembling and using the printer with much more confidence.
Best channel to learn 3d printing for beginners
Probably one of your best videos to date. Thanks for doing this one!
Thanks Dory.
Great video! I wish people would also resist buying garbage printers with wood and plastic frames. (Anet a8, CTC) Maybe they will go away if people don't buy them
Great advice Michael. I hope everyone ensures that their printers have all the safety features enabled, or ask someone to check if they aren't comfortable with doing it.
All my printers have their safety features enabled, I have checked myself. I would not use a printer that didn't.
Very useful checklist to verify the firmware is correct and to have a good safety check list. I remember someone giving me a hard time for suggesting a smoke detector and fire extinguisher.... Im glad to see that common sense will eventually prevail.
So easy and cheap to do so makes sense to do so.
Great video. I'd also add to point 3 to keep combustible material away from the printer. Whoever is enclosing their 3D printer in photo tent or cardboard box is asking for it.
Maybe we should have printers or printer power supplies connected via the relay connected to PS_ON. You'd get two buttons, one is a power-on button which you hold until Marlin can assert the PS_ON line for a couple seconds that just bridges the relay, and another a red emergency button which breaks the connection.
The benefit is that then maxtemp error has something to actuate when a MOSFET is gone shorted.
Is this kind of mod something you'd be willing to explore?
Since no rapid frequent switching is necessary, a solenoid (mechanical switching) relay is probably appropriate - they are inexpensive and can be sourced locally from trusted suppliers.
Firstly, I just wanted to thank you for all of the knowledge you have imparted in previous comments. I've just spent several hours catching up with reading and replying to comments, your name came up a lot. It's greatly appreciated, especially when you clearly know your stuff and are still so humble.
I am interested in playing with a relay between the PSU and mainboard, influenced by the output of something like this: ua-cam.com/video/PvEmrNJB_xw/v-deo.html
Your solution sounds really good, having the maxtemp trigger an output too. Any links you can post to steer me in the right direction would help a lot.
Tested by heating to pla temp, disconnected one heater wire... no alarms for over 3 minutes. heat went down from 185c to about ~40c in that time. Got mine little over 2 weeks ago with stamps that it was manufactured 2018. So no thermal runaway protection enabled. Will be definitely updating firmware asap.
Thanks for doing the test and sharing your results.
what firmware did it ship with?
Clarifying that the actual issue is about the heater cartridge becoming detached and showing the result give the whole discussion a heap more credibility and makes a lot more sense. Even if it’s a low probability it’s definitely in the the “why wouldn’t you” category.
The only problem I see is if you’re going to continue to use facts and science rather than myth an legend it will significantly reduce hits on the facebook groups.
Thanks for the video. I currently have the thermal runaway issue where mine appears even when everything is in spec. I haven’t checked physical cables yet but I also don’t know if I have to replace the thermistor, which is the correct part when I look it up.
Also Creality isn’t very good about labeling firmware by version. I found it by “which motherboard do you have” or “which accessory are you using” like CR Touch bed leveler, etc.
I received my new Ender 3 Pro one week ago (Dec 04, 2018). Shouldn't it already have the new firmware on it with Thermal Runaway protection enabled? I'll watch this again several times and try to figure out how to test it on my printer. THANK YOU for posting this.
Hey Michael, thanks for this. I've discovered thermal runaway after flashing th3d (without knowing what it was) when i've placed my just-washed cold glass bed on the printer already heated, the thermal runaway got the shit out of me, with one week after buying the printer lmao.
I use OctoPrint on my Ender 3. The Raspberry Pi will power the Ender 3 display. I forgot to turn on the printer itself as the display was already lit. When I tried to print something I got a Thermal Runaway error. That's because the printer wasn't actually powered on. That was a safe test that showed the protection was actually working. Afterwards I checked the firmware and confirmed that I had the latest version installed.
Very good explanation of how this works. Unfortunately my printer is repitier based so I don’t have this feature in firmware. Looking at making something external to provide the same safeties, unless there’s already something out there...
There's no reason you cannot move your printer to Marlin just because it's running Repetier.
I'm interested in making a simple Arduino module that detects smoke and kills printer power with a relay. Something like this would be firmware independent and even help against a busted MOSFET.
@@TeachingTech maybe the present PRI can do this if one uses Octoprint anyways, so no new board needed (except the relay and smoke detector)
Since I've updated my firmware long ago, I have no way of testing if my Ender 3 shipped with thermal runaway enabled or not. Can I please request that anyone with a newly received printer complete my test at 9:06 and post the results here.
Some viewers have kindly pointed out that the uncooled third MOSFET is for the part cooling fan. This fan draws very little current, therefore I would consider what I showed an optional fix.
I have one en route, but I am not very educated at understanding what the codes mean. Your videos are helping with this and I appreciate your consistent effort to get us all up to speed. Thanks again Michael.
I'll do it tonight when my now sketchy 24 hour print in a flammable IKEA lack finishes 😂
I get my new and first enter 3 pro this Thursday, I’ll post the result ASAP.
I just got 3 Ender 3 units this past week I can confirm non of them shipped with thermal runaway protection. These units were purchased directly from Amazon.
@@GuyWhoReviewsStuff could be older stock, not sure if the printers have manufacture date on them any where, i have a gen 1 Ender 3 so i know it wasnt enables but TH3D fw fixed that
Please note, that the latest Ender 3's have the TRP enabled. I got mine at the beginning of December 2018...it had TRP enabled. This version also has the "Motion" menu enabled as well.
Great video, thanks. I got myself an Ender 3 max two days ago. I am getting numerous thermal runaway shutdowns. Would this be an error on my behalf or should I return the printer and exchange It?
I had a brainwave earlier today that made me search for this topic. Would it be a good idea to implement a fire suppression system into an enclosure? It doesn't need to be a very complicated or expensive affair. I'm thinking of for example triggering a 13g CO2 cartridge inside the enclosure if the "alarm" is set off. Those are pretty cheap. Alarm can for example be enclosure temperature. A system like that would also need to cut any fans from simply circulating fresh air to feed the fire. Perhaps close the vents somehow and also kill the power to the printer.
I think upgrading to a copper hot end not only offers performance upgrades but also safety. This is what Im about to do, after seeing how the aluminium ones can melt i think going for copper as an extra safety feature is worth the cost.
Really important stuff that all 3d printer types need to know. I think they don't though!
Great video Michael. Thanks for posting.
Very good video, congratulations. May I suggest, please, if you can talk a little slower? For those of us who are not particularly good at English it would be helpful. Thank you so much for your time.
Noted. Thanks for watching.
You can also watch at a slower speed in YT settings, buen suerte!
To catch the situations thermal runaway protection doesn't catch, it would be possible with some tinkering to set up a smoke detector to trigger a smart outlet to cut power to the printer
Is the test you mentioned at 8:45 safe to do? Like if you left it for 2 minutes and didn't have thermal runaway protection would it catch on fire?
your thermal runaway is way too compliant, i run it (and have tested it to be safe) at 20 seconds and 8°c, that way you ensure nothing Will Burn in the time it takes to trigger thermal runaway, and for the bed 15 sec and 2°, the thermal runaway settings should be very strict, as much as you can get it to, that way you don't risk a fire, the heater cartridge can heat up to 300 from 200 in 15-30s, so be careful
this is one of the most important things about it, because I see people's settings being too compliant, that's dangerous as it wouldn't trigger, it should know something's wrong in less than 30s, and the °c should be very close, +- 3-5°c is good, that won't have problems with the fan cooling the nozzle as it gives time to recover, but if something goes wrong it's quick to know, I can tell you from experience why I set my thermal runaway so strict, my heater cartridge reached 350° in 25s when it fell out one time, (you can tell as it has a purple-blue temper now)
Great suggestion, I will tweak mine.
@@l3d-3dmaker58 So you say that it should look like this, if I understand well:
#if ENABLED(THERMAL_PROTECTION_HOTENDS)
#define THERMAL_PROTECTION_PERIOD 20 // Seconds
#define THERMAL_PROTECTION_HYSTERESIS 8 // Degrees Celsius
#define WATCH_TEMP_PERIOD 20 // Seconds
#define WATCH_TEMP_INCREASE 8 // Degrees Celsius
#endif
#if ENABLED(THERMAL_PROTECTION_BED)
#define THERMAL_PROTECTION_BED_PERIOD 15 // Seconds
#define THERMAL_PROTECTION_BED_HYSTERESIS 2 // Degrees Celsius
#define WATCH_BED_TEMP_PERIOD 15 // Seconds
#define WATCH_BED_TEMP_INCREASE 2 // Degrees Celsius
#endif
Can you explain like I'm 5, how to make it less complaint.
Hey Michael great info, I updated my Ender3 to 1.1.9 a while ago and all of the protection is there my concern now is that i Just received my CR-10S Pro and am going to have to put it through it's paces.
Their is no CR-10S Pro firmware on their site but the normal CR-10S firmware on their github has it. I would double check but it seems likely.
I just got my BL Touch kit from creality (with metal mount and all). I did download and update to their firmware, version 1.1.62. I figured that since it was a 1.1.6x, it should have the thermal runaway protection enabled.
I just checked by disconnecting the heater cartridge and in just over a minute, it did trigger the protection (Although I thought over a minute was a little too long).
But when I disconnected the bed heater wire (+24V), and I tried to heat the bed, the bed temp stayed ambient at 24º, and the multimeter connected to the connection on the MB displayed +24V, but after 3 minutes, no thermal runaway protection kicked in.
Does the latest marlin firmware for the ender 3 (pro) have thermal runaway protection enabled for the heated bed as well?
I'm having this same problem... Did you solved it? Mine seems to trigger after 3 minutes or so, it doesn't seems safe...
awesome video. Thank you for sharing. This sheds a lot of light on things that a lot of people have no idea about. Will be sharing for sure
I need to check this but I have ender board 4.2.2.2 and have updated the firmware. will be good to make sure it is on.
i triggered thermal runaway on my bed when i just layed down the magnetic bed while pre-heating. it shut down after just 5 seconds :)
How can you tell what firmware you have? I just bought a used 3D printer?
As of Dec 2019 it looks like Creality finally enabled it by default. At least their Github shows it enabled.
Could you maybe investigate some more into this?
I have checked the 20181208 firmware for Ender 3 on the Creality website. Inside that firmware i can find code for Thermal runaway protection. But wich printers are updated with this firmware already ?
I bought my printer 3 weeks ago. How do i know what firmware it runs ?
Also, is the Panic Power feature included in the flashable Marlin releases that you speak of? Are they updated ?
Great video - thank you. I followed your bootloader video a while back and I know it was done correctly because I see the Marlin logo on boot up. Now that I have this bootloader, I should not have to worry about thermal runway, correct? Assuming no physical wiring/board issues, of course. Thanks again.
If you followed that video and added TH3D Marlin then yes you should be good.
I use a smoke & flame sensor with an alarm through an Arduino Mega 2560 R3 (but a Nano, Leonardo or Uno would work just as well).
What does "uncomment" mean for the runaway feature
does the ARTILLERY SIDEWINDERS X-1 and X-2 have this protection ? ... these are the printers that i have.
I really want to update the firmware on my CR10 mini but I'm a little apprehensive for fear of bricking my main board. I am somewhat tech savy and I've watched your videos but not sure I feel comfortable doing it. Are there places that you can send your board out to for reflashing?
Tim from Th3d is my first guess. I know he goes main board fixes so I'm sure he could do this.
Running 2 thermal sensors on bed, and on hotend.
One on the bed (CR10S) is set into the aluminium bed, another on my silicone bed heater. Any prolonged delta between them (50°C delta allowed for the 1st 20 seconds of heatup from ambient) cuts power to the bed heater. Bed heater also has a an inline ceramic thermal fuse bonded to the pad as a last line of defense, should the sensors or firmware fail.
On the hotend there's the one in the block, and one bonded to the rear of the heater cartridge. Any significant delta, or lack of reading change when expected, cuts power. Tested by pulling the cartridge partway out from the block, sensor on the back of the cartridge registered the spike and cut power to the cartridge in about 4-5 seconds.
Any abnormal reading from any of the sensors (wire or sensor damage isn't always a clean break or full short) also triggers.
I've been looking to find some high temp thermal fuse to mechanically mount to the heater block, but haven't been able to find any yet with a reasonable margin above 330°C. At least not small enough or non-reset. They need to be full mechanical break so that if it somehow fails to electrically shut down, it won't come back on if temps go bsck down.
Hi Michael another great video, I disconnected the red thermal cable as shown and turned up my nozzle and got message E1 Heating failed printer halted please reset. is that the same thing? cheers Michael
That sounds very promising. What printer and firmware?
@@TeachingTech It's an Ender 3 and im using Marlin 1.1.9
Does the upgraded ender 3 silent board (sold as a creality upgrade) have thermal runaway on? Based on their install video the 1.1.6 firmware already has it on.
Edmund Martinez mine came with 1.1.8
this is why you always update marlin.
Mine has thermal runaway enabled! You didn't mention how loud the alarm beep is.
Thank you!
I will upgrade marlin.
Newbie question here: Can I simply flash the latest Marlin to my Ender 3 just like that? Or is there anything that makes Creality's firmware special?
Nope they use Marlin too. Just the version on their GitHub is formed from an old version, hence these issues.
@@TeachingTech Oh, good to know, thank you! So it's only their special bitmaps that is added, nothing else - well, I can live with it. :)
Thank you for the mosfet comment, i have that problem.
How sure am I that Thermal Runaway protection is enabled?
Well I know my Ender 3 (purchased Jan 2021) screamed at me about it once but I don’t know that IT did anything to stop it or it was me turning it off manually that stopped it. Also don’t know what caused it or if it was a false alarm.
I just bought and Ender 3 V2. I find when doing maintenance if I remove the thermal sock and bring the nozzle up to 210c I get an alarm with the warning on the LCD saying THERMAL RUNAWAY. Will I still need to update my firmware? it's version 1.0.2 . Cheers!
Got thermal runaway alarm activated for the first time on my Ender 3 Pro today. I installed the thermistor incorrectly after disassembling the hot-end for cleaning and I think it wasn't tight enough in.
Have you tested any Creality firmware's recently? I've been in contact with them via Facebook and they told me that thermal runaway is enabled on the Ender 5. Is this true? Mine won't arrive until next week so it'll be a while till I can check it.
They also said that the v1.1.3 board is better than the V1.1.4 (not silent just standard) which makes me wonder why they would release a newer board that's not as good as the older one. It doesn't make sense to me!!
We recently had a alert warning of HTERMAL RUNAWAY and several loud beeps short and long beeps to get our attention. We were able to manually turn off the ender 3 printer. Do you think think thermal protection is enabled? Or should we still be updating the software?
If it gave that error and shut things down, the thermal protection is doing its job.
my ender 3 arrived 08.01.2019 (late 2018 model i think) and after test it today wait 3 mins and no errors no termal protection firmware i ll update firmware after that xt60s and mosfets same as yours need to be fix too 3 most important things firmware, xt60, mosfet heatink
What about Klipper? Have you tried it? I'm thinking of using it with the Ender 3 + Rpi2 but can't find if there's any cons of using Klipper vs Marlin.
It's on my list to try and test over the holiday break.
Awesome video.. Thanks.... But only 800 likes so far? (may 2019).. This video it's a must and any 3d printer owner should watch it.
got my ender 3 month ago (it's from june 2020) and i had thermal runaway protection enabled, i triggered it once
Great Video. Thank you Michael.
I just got a Thermal Runaway warning on my Ender 3 v2 that I got about 2 days ago.
The print stopped and the printer started beeping, but apart from that nothing happend.
I'm not sure what caused the problem. After a restart the printer seems to work normal again, but I haven't run any bigger prints since the warning.
The print that caused the problem was the biggest I've done so far with about 4 hours in before the error occurred (and about 7 more to finish).
I hope I can find and fix any problems with it, would annoying if I can't print anything bigger.
Thank you, time to load new firmware on my ender 2 i'll use your ender 3 guide it should be the same. merry christmas to you!
Can I assume that this problem is fixed in the firmware in new printers?
Is there any solution to cut off PSU power if the onboard mosfet fails closed? Maybe: If heating element is continuously on for more than 60 seconds then trigger a switch to cut off 12V/24V PSU main power.
I never tried this yet but I got CR10-S does this have Runaway protection?? thanks
what about prusa mk3s
I'm planning on adding an external temperure controller that shuts of the power if the temperature goes above a certain level.
Well, I have a printer with reprap firmware. Can you add thermal runaway to printers with reprap firmware? If you can, how?
Reprap is a style of printer, it probably already has Marlin firmware. If you connect via USB it will tell you the version and when compiled.
I've recently bought an ender 3 and i've had an issue with an octoprint plugin that set the hotend temp to 400°C. The protection triggered at 275. So i think they've eventually added it to the firmware
Noob question. I have ender 3 flashed with Marlin 1.26a. I ran the test and it shuts down but says 'E1 Heating Failed PRINTER HALTED please reset'. Is that still thermal runaway protection? Have they just changed the message?
How does a heater cartridge just fall out?
Does the printer have to be on when you remove the red cable?
Just did this test (9:07) on a Creality3D V1.1.5 (silent) board, was shipped with Marlin 1.1.8 less than two weeks ago, which I fitted to an Ender 3 Pro. The printer halted within 20 seconds or so of the hot end not heating up as demanded. Error message was different to yours. Mine read "Heating Failed, System stopped"
Message on the Ender LCD panel was in actual fact "Heating Failed PRINTER HALTED please reset" - I'm not convinced this is derived from a thermal runaway check. Anybody care to put my mind at rest? Rather not do a destructive test on my printer. ;-)
Thermal runaway is a stopgap, proper protection is not allowing hardware (heaters) to draw more current than normal operating conditions, 3d printers should be fused, and thermal fused.
Hmm, looking through both configuration.h and configuration_adv.h in TH3D unified and can't find any of the options you've mentioned?
I had uncommented both lines, but no warning/shotdown message after cable disconnection. Any suggestions?
Great tutorial. Why would there be a thumb down?
I welcome constructive criticism but sometimes people just have an axe to grind.
Excellent advice - Thanks!
Great video Micharl
is SD card still working with updated firmware? I noticed with some bltouch videos mention that it does not
In my guide it is. There are others things to disable to save room that are much less important than the SD card support.
Just tested my old Ender 3 and there is no thermal runaway protection! I'm going to install a 32-bit mobo soon!
Have updated my Ender 3, thanks to you.
Have not testet thou.😓
I have an ali framed Anet A8 but i dont know how to check what firmware is installed in it.......
If you enter M503 from a computer when connected via USB, you will get some info such as the compilation date. The most foolproof way to check for thermal runaway is the test at the end of this video.
humm i wonder if my anycubic meg I3 and my anycubic chiron as that ?