Why Your Prints Are Stringy — and How Drying Filament Fixes It

If your prints are suddenly covered in fine hairs, or you hear popping from the nozzle, the filament has probably soaked up water from the air.

Signs your filament is wet

• Stringing that retraction tweaks don't fix
• Crackling or popping sounds while printing
• Rough, bubbly or dull surfaces
• Weak, brittle parts that snap along the layers

Which filaments suffer most

PLA copes reasonably well. PETG, TPU and nylon absorb moisture much faster. In a damp Welsh garage that can happen within days.

How to dry it

• PLA: around 50°C for 6–8 hours
• PETG: around 65°C for 6–8 hours
• TPU: around 70°C for 8 hours or more

Use a filament dryer, an AMS with drying, or the printer's heated bed with a cover. Avoid kitchen ovens, because their temperature swings can deform spools.

Keep it dry

Store opened rolls in sealed bags or boxes with silica gel, and put a roll back as soon as you've finished with it. Fresh, sealed filament from our shop goes straight onto the printer. If a print still won't behave, ask us.