Fans and Room temperature effect on Printing

[printerfan 5]

I have an Ultimaker Original with no printer fan installed. The room I print in is around 54-57 degrees on average and I have had to increase my printing temperature for PLA to 220 to get decent prints. It appears to me that a cold environment makes the PLA harder much faster.

Can anyone comment on the effect of room temperature on print quality?

How does a printer fan improve print quality?

 

[valcrow 144]

Oh hey again! Sounds like you got the leveling done

You should post a picture of your print, along with the settings it's much easier to diagnose.

A fan is essential for some prints, it is particularly helpful on bridging and fine details. On the UMO where the fan is only on the left side, you generally orient the print so that the surface details and overhangs are on the left side because it prints cleaner and sharper.

You can get away without using the fan by printing at the lowest possible temperature for your extrusion volume. You need to print at higher temperatures if you're extruding a lot (high layer height + high speed)

The ambient temperature can affect your prints especially if there is a draft. Inconsistent ambient temperature can cause layers to shrink at different rates causing the surface to be not perfectly straight but slightly stripey.

I would recommend getting a fan. they are cheap generic ones, and print a fan shroud to hold it.