FilamentFacts

Troubleshooting

Why does my nozzle keep clogging?

First in this ranking: Polymaker Polylite PLA.

Ranked filaments

RankFilamentMaterialNozzleBedPrice / kgDatasheetBuy
1Polymaker Polylite PLAPolyLite PLA stores a nozzle minimum of 190 °C (374 °F). Printing under that floor is the too-low case on this row. Drying is listed at 55 °C (131 °F) for 6 h. The row does not store a retraction length.PLA
190–230 °C (374–446 °F)
25–60 °C (77–140 °F)
—Datasheet
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2Prusament PLAPrusament PLA stores a higher floor, 205–225 °C (401–437 °F). A profile copied from a 190 °C (374 °F) PLA is already under this minimum.PLA
205–225 °C (401–437 °F)
40–60 °C (104–140 °F)
——
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3Bambu Lab PLA BasicPLA Basic’s sheet lists 190–230 °C (374–446 °F) and retraction of 0.6–1.0 mm. A direct-drive retraction far above that band is the long-retraction case, not a tune.PLA
190–230 °C (374–446 °F)
35–45 °C (95–113 °F)
—Datasheet
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4Polymaker Polylite PETGPolyLite PETG stores 220–250 °C (428–482 °F). Debris and a cold nozzle apply here too. The row does not say PETG clogs more than PLA.PETG
220–250 °C (428–482 °F)
70–90 °C (158–194 °F)
—Datasheet
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A nozzle that clogs again after you clear it is usually the same cause. Work through the list before you replace the hotend.

The four causes

Heat creep softens the filament above the melt zone. Too low means under the minimum on the spool you loaded: 190 °C (374 °F) on PolyLite PLA, 205 °C (401 °F) on Prusament PLA, 220 °C (428 °F) on PolyLite PETG. A long retraction pulls soft plastic up into the cold side. The direct-drive band on the ooze page is about 0.5–1 mm, and PLA Basic’s sheet lists 0.6–1.0 mm. Debris is dust, a scrap of the wrong material, or a piece of a tangle.

Clear it

A cold pull is what the consensus says clears most clogs. It does not publish a temperature in this batch, so none is printed here.

On a Bowden printer, check the gap between the PTFE tube and the nozzle. The P1S and P1P records are direct drive. That gap check is not their first step.

When it is the filament

Popping and a brittle strand are moisture or a bad spool. Dry using the drying guide, and read how to tell a low-quality filament if the strand is bubbled or the diameter wanders. Silk has its own clog note on the silk page. Fiber needs a hardened nozzle, covered on carbon fiber, which is a wear clog rather than this list.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • The causes are ordered the way the consensus states them, and the clear is a cold pull.
  • Too low is defined by the row’s minimum, so two PLA spools do not share one floor.

Cons

  • The consensus does not give a cold-pull temperature. This page does not invent one.
  • Silk and fiber can clog for extra reasons. Those claims live on their own pages, not in this cluster’s summary.

Printer considerations

Printer limits

What the community says

The consensus is that clogs usually come from heat creep, a temperature that is too low, a retraction that is too long, or debris. Cold pulls clear most of them. On a Bowden setup, check the PTFE gap. An all-metal hotend is also named.

Sources & notes

Accessed 15 October 2026.

Answer JSON · Markdown

Related questions

Questions

What temperature is a cold pull?

This consensus does not say. It says a cold pull clears most clogs. Use the procedure for your hotend, and do not borrow a number from a different printer’s wiki via this page.

Will drying stop a clog that comes back every layer?

Dry if the spool is old or the strand pops. A clog that returns at the same retraction and a nozzle set under the minimum is still heat, retraction, or debris. Drying is on the drying page. It is not the whole list.