3D printers are a fun but expensive hobby. You know the price of your tools, printers, and filaments, but they also require power to operate. When I bought my first machine, my dad saw it running and asked me how much electricity does a 3D printer use?
I was worried about his electricity bill but was surprised that 3D printers use less electricity than common home appliances.
On average, 3D printers use 50 to 150 watts of electricity while printing, about the same as a laptop computer or LED TV.
The amount of electricity a 3D printer uses depends on the printer’s size, hardware, and temperature settings.
How Much Electricity Does A 3D Printer Use?
3D printers typically use between 50 and 150 watts of electricity while printing. The exact power usage depends on several factors, such as the printer’s size, heated bed, hot end, LCD screen, power supply, stepper motors, and printing temperature.
The hot end, which melts the filament, usually heats up to around 401°F (205°C), while the heated bed gets up to around 140°F (60°C). Together, these two parts can use an average of around 70 watts.
A printer’s stepper motors, fans, and control board require electricity, increasing power usage.
For a 10-hour print, you might use about 0.7 kWh. If your electricity costs 13 cents per kWh, that’s around 9 cents per hour. Not bad when you consider how much work is done during those 10 hours.
How to Reduce the Consumption of the 3D Printer?
Although 3D printers don’t use much electricity, you can reduce your machine’s power consumption by some things.
- Choose Low-Temperature Materials: Choose filaments with a lower print temperature, such as PLA. Lower-temperature printing uses less electricity as the hot end doesn’t require as much heat.
- Adjust Print Settings: If your material allows, lower the print bed and nozzle temperatures, significantly reducing energy costs. You can also turn off the heated bed if you have sufficient bed adhesion at room temperature.
- Perform Regular Maintenance: Perform regular maintenance on your 3D printer to ensure it runs smoothly and efficiently.
- Print During Off-Peak Hours: If your power rates vary throughout the day, printing during off-peak hours can save electricity costs. Printing during off-peak hours is best for shorter print jobs.
- Turn Off When Not in Use: To reduce electricity costs, turn your printer off when it’s not in use. Your printer uses small amounts of electricity while idling.
- Modify Your Printer: Insulate the heated bed to retain heat, reducing the power needed to maintain temperature. Using an enclosure can further help retain heat and reduce energy consumption.
- Optimize Printing Habits: Print only what you need and combine smaller prints into larger jobs to save time and energy, making each print more efficient.
- Use Larger Nozzles: Printing with a larger nozzle diameter reduces print time and power consumption.
- Reduce Infill Density: Lowering the infill density or using simpler infill patterns decreases print time and energy usage.
- Calibrate Your Printer: Regular 3D printer calibration can prevent print failures and reduce the need for reprints, saving both energy and material costs.
