How to Remove a Stuck Nozzle on Your 3D Printer – Quick Fix

There have been several people who have had their nozzle stuck in the heater block, and they just could not remove it.

This is a frustrating problem as it troubles the designers and causes delays in their designing the product, but there is definitely a solution that you can try today to solve this kind of issue whenever it occurs before going to a technician to get your 3D printer checked.

One of the best ways to remove a stuck nozzle on your 3D printer is to heat the nozzle up to at least 245°C then use a ratchet to undo it. You can also use a wrench and implement a heat block holder for better results.

Make sure you are turning the nozzle the correct way (clockwise). Stay tuned as I am going to tell you the detailed procedure to do it so keep on reading, but first, we must know why it gets stuck in the first place so that we could avoid any such happenings in the future.

Why Does the Nozzle Get Stuck on a 3D Printer?

The main reason of a nozzle getting jammed or stuck on a 3D printer is that it gets clogged either due to dust particles because of the filaments stripping in the extruder gear, which then solidifies into a plug.

Another reason which could clog your nozzle is not cleaning it regularly, and this bad habit could make different materials get stuck on the nozzle’s inside area and makes it stuck to its exterior part.

Now, there is a way through which you can check whether your nozzle is functioning properly or is stuck/clogged.

How to Remove a Stuck Nozzle on Your 3D Printer?

The video below takes you through each part of the hotend so you know what you are working with. It’s important to hold your heat break with pliers so you aren’t twisting other fragile parts which can break.

Now comes the main part, i.e., to remove that stuck nozzle on the 3D printer, which is affecting your work. You will need different tools to perform this function, and here I am going to give you the list of the tools.

There are some things that are required and some that are just helpful.

Here is a list of those items:

• Cleaning filament
• Brass wire brush
• Socket wrench
• Spanner
• Nozzle cleaning kit or acupuncture needle
• Blowtorch/heat gun

Many times, someone can simply use a spanner and a wrench of the correct size to hold things in place and unscrew the nozzle.

Using the Brass Wire brush to Clean: Use the Brass wire brush to clean off all the debris that was left on your nozzle and make sure you are not using a steel wire brush as it can damage the nozzle. The trick is to unjam the nozzle gradually so it has a clear path.

Acupuncture Needle to Break the Particles: After cleaning it, you should use the acupuncture needle, remember, you are not using it to remove the particles, but only using it to break them.

For that, you should preheat your nozzle to the last temperature on which it was working, and then put the needle inside the nozzle to break the particles which are attached to the nozzle.

If you happen to have an Olsson Ruby tip nozzle, I would avoid doing this.

The Heating Process and Use of Filament: Then comes the use of the cleaning filament, which you will use to pull out all the dust particles and other material stuck in the nozzle, which is causing it to stay stuck.

You can heat the nozzle first to 250°C, and once it reaches the temperature, you should put the filament inside the nozzle and watch that it does not come out from the other end.

Then let the nozzle cool down to a temperature of 90°C and yank out the nozzle with a sudden pull, which will leave the mark of the shape of the nozzle on the filament.

You will be able to see all the particles on it clearly, and you must keep repeating the whole process until the Filament comes out clean.

Usage of Wrench to Remove Nozzle: This last step should enable you to pull out the nozzle without any delay. It would help if you heated the nozzle again to the last temperature before you use the necessary wrench.

It would help if you used a spanner to hold onto the heater block and use the socket spanner to twist off the nozzle. But be careful and stay away from all the hot parts. The socket wrench, with its twisting function, will remove the nozzle for you.

Other ways to Assist the Removal of Nozzle: This last step has worked for some people. You can use a blow torch to burn the remaining particles in the nozzle and use the filament to remove it and then repeat the twisting procedure.

Moreover, if your printer gets clogged because of using ABS, in this case, you can use Acetone as it will dissolve the ABS away.

Ender 3 Nozzle Stuck – How to Fix

To fix the stuck nozzle on the Ender 3, you first need to remove the fan box and clear the way to the heat block and the nozzle.

You can remove the fan shroud by using a screwdriver and push it to a side to save it from any damage. You can use a wrench to keep the heat block on its place and keep it tightened so that it does not move.

Then use another socket wrench of 6mm to open up the nozzle, but if the nozzle is badly stuck, you need to heat it for its removal.

After you have removed it, you can repeat the same process of using the acupuncture needle or nozzle cleaning needle to break the particles present in the nozzle and then heating it and removing the particles with the use of filament.

Again if you failed to clean the nozzle of Ender 3, you could put in the solution of Acetone to remove the particles from it.

Conclusion

You have to follow these simple steps to clean and remove your stuck nozzle to keep your work going. However, as a friendly reminder, to avoid any such incident in the future, I would like to tell you that keep your nozzle clean and keep cleaning it regularly so that it never gets stuck.