# Why does my nozzle keep clogging?

Repeat clogs usually come from heat creep, a nozzle set below the filament’s range, a retraction that is too long, or debris in the hotend. A cold pull clears most of them. On a Bowden printer, check the gap in the PTFE tube.

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](/brand/polymaker/polylite-pla), 205 °C (401 °F) on [Prusament PLA](/brand/prusament/pla), 220 °C (428 °F) on [PolyLite PETG](/brand/polymaker/polylite-petg). A long retraction pulls soft plastic up into the cold side. The direct-drive band on the [ooze page](/answers/ooze) 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](/printer/bambu-lab-p1s) and [P1P](/printer/bambu-lab-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](/answers/drying), and read [how to tell a low-quality filament](/answers/filament_quality) if the strand is bubbled or the diameter wanders. Silk has its own clog note on [the silk page](/answers/silk). Fiber needs a hardened nozzle, covered on [carbon fiber](/answers/cf), which is a wear clog rather than this list.

Updated 2026-10-15. Sources accessed 2026-10-15. Use case: Troubleshooting.

## Ranked filaments

| Rank | Filament | Nozzle | Bed | Price per kg |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Polymaker Polylite PLA | 190–230 °C (374–446 °F) | 25–60 °C (77–140 °F) | — |
| 2 | Prusament PLA | 205–225 °C (401–437 °F) | 40–60 °C (104–140 °F) | — |
| 3 | Bambu Lab PLA Basic | 190–230 °C (374–446 °F) | 35–45 °C (95–113 °F) | — |
| 4 | Polymaker Polylite PETG | 220–250 °C (428–482 °F) | 70–90 °C (158–194 °F) | — |

## 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

- [Bambu PLA Basic technical data sheet V3.0](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0584/7236/6216/files/Bambu_PLA_Basic_Technical_Data_Sheet_bf3411ce-be39-4db7-9669-1b4671d2196b.pdf?v=1734060943) (datasheet)
- [PolyLite PLA technical data sheet](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0548/7299/7945/files/PolyLite_PLA_TDS_EN_V5.4.pdf) (datasheet)
- [PolyLite PETG technical data sheet](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0548/7299/7945/files/PolyLite_PETG_TDS_EN_V5.4.pdf) (datasheet)
- [Community source, r/prusa3d 1b4qo56](https://www.reddit.com/r/prusa3d/comments/1b4qo56/) (reddit)
- [Community source, r/FixMyPrint 12oqoig](https://www.reddit.com/r/FixMyPrint/comments/12oqoig/) (reddit)
- [Community source, r/FixMyPrint 1hvl2f1](https://www.reddit.com/r/FixMyPrint/comments/1hvl2f1/) (reddit)
- [Community source, r/ender3 123xyav](https://www.reddit.com/r/ender3/comments/123xyav/) (reddit)
- [Community source, r/FixMyPrint vz3bvj](https://www.reddit.com/r/FixMyPrint/comments/vz3bvj/) (reddit)

HTML: https://filamentfacts.com/answers/clog