Every beginner thinks they have printer problems.
Nope.
It’s moisture — the invisible ninja that ruins everything.

You can tune your slicer, swap nozzles, pray to the 3D gods…
but if your filament is wet, it will destroy your prints like a psycho ex.

🧨 What moisture does to filament

When filament absorbs water, something stupid happens:

The moment it hits the hotend →
💥 steam pockets form →
they expand →
they pop →
they push molten plastic unevenly →
your part gets:

• bubbles

• zits

• spaghetti strings

• layer gaps

• weak walls

• surface acne

It’s like printing with carbonated plastic water 🤢

📉 Symptoms of wet filament (aka the sadness checklist)

• Hissing or popping during extrusion 🔫💦

• Stringing everywhere like spider webs 🕸️

• Random weak layers

• Matte, fuzzy surface

• Exploding corners

• Parts snapping for no reason

If your print suddenly looks like trash…
99% chance your filament drank humidity like a sponge.

🧠 Why some materials are worse than others

Some filaments absorb moisture like a hookah pipe:

• PLA — takes a sip 💧

• PETG — drinks a little more 🍻

• ABS — meh, not too thirsty 🤷♂️

• ASA — same as ABS but UV-resistant 😎

• Nylon — water vacuum cleaner 🧽

• PC — also thirsty but angry 💢

“Hydroscopic” is the technical word.
But real talk?
They drink humidity and then explode inside your nozzle.

🔥 Why this matters for car parts

Automotive parts aren’t art projects.

Wet filament gives you:

• weak bolt holes,

• brittle tabs,

• delaminated surfaces,

• parts that die in heat + vibration.

You’re not printing a Pokémon figure.
You’re printing parts that sit in a 50–70°C cabin with UV stress and mechanical load 💀

Moisture → failure.

🥵 How to actually dry filament

⚙️ Proper ways

• Filament dryer box — best long-term solution

• Food dehydrator — works great

• Oven 50–60°C — emergency but effective

💣 DO NOT

• Microwave ⚠️

• Hair dryer 💀

• “Sun method” ☀️ (UV + uneven heating = cracked sadness)

⏱️ Drying times (rule of thumb)

• PLA → 2–4 hours @ 45–55°C

• PETG → 4–6 hours @ 60°C

• ABS / ASA → 2–3 hours @ 70°C

• Nylon → 8–12 hours @ 70–80°C (yep, it’s a monster)

• PC → 6–10 hours @ 70–80°C

If you think that’s too long, wait until you reprint a 10-hour part twice 😅

🔒 Storage: the unsexy part that saves your life

Humidity doesn’t care where you live.
Cyprus? Coastal US? UK? Basement?
Your filament will absorb moisture.

Store like this:

• Airtight box

• Silica gel packs (big ones, not the tiny “for shoes”)

• Avoid windows

• Avoid open spool holders

If you leave filament hanging on the machine →
you’re feeding it humidity like it’s breakfast cereal 🥣

🏁 Real talk

Moisture doesn’t make your printer “bad”.
It makes your filament lie to you.

Dry filament = consistent extrusion, solid walls, clean surface.
Wet filament = headaches, wasted time, weak parts.

Respect your filament or it will punish you. 😎