Turn off or turn down Heated Bed mid-print?

[willdeng 0]

I am new to the 3d printing community so I apologize if this is a dumb question. I tried searching this answer up but I haven't found anything definite.

I'm in the middle of a 24+ hour PLA print and the heated bed is still on. Is there a particular reason(s) why the heated bed should stay heated throughout the print? What would happen if I were to turn it off or decrease the temperature to save energy?

[IRobertI 516]

It's heated to prevent the plastic from cooling down which causes the plastic to shrink. As it shrinks it can pop off the platform or become warped. So in short, don't turn off/down the heat, you will not like the result

[willdeng 0]

It's heated to prevent the plastic from cooling down which causes the plastic to shrink. As it shrinks it can pop off the platform or become warped. So in short, don't turn off/down the heat, you will not like the result

 

That sounds terrifying. Thanks for the knowledge!