Change nozzle in a 3D printer easily and quickly in a few steps

If you've never changed a nozzle on a 3D printer before, you might be wondering why you should ever do it. There are several reasons for this. The standard nozzle is made of brass and has a diameter of 0.4 mm. But you can choose from a wide range of other materials and sizes. Brass nozzles are the most common, and due to their properties, they heat up easily and maintain a consistent temperature. Nozzles made of stainless steel and hardened steel when working with abrasive materials (such as composite materials with admixture of copper, carbon or glass fibers) do not wear out nearly as quickly as brass nozzles.

The reason for replacing the nozzle may also be that you want to print faster. A nozzle with a larger diameter allows you to reduce the printing time without having to increase the printing speed. Large 1.2 mm nozzles allow you to print incredibly strong construction parts. The most common nozzle size is 0.4mm, but you can use a 0.6mm or 0.8mm nozzle size for faster printing. The change in nozzle size translates into wider profiles and higher layer heights for prints. With a smaller nozzle (0.3mm or 0.2mm), you can increase the quality of your final prints by using lower layer heights. Nozzles in sizes from 0.25 mm are great for high detail prints. This change may increase quality, but keep in mind that it may also increase print time.

In addition to changing the nozzle due to its material and size, another reason to replace the nozzle may be that the original nozzle is damaged. Such a nozzle can also result in poor print quality, problems with filament passage or poor dimensional accuracy.

Before starting the replacement, take into account that you need to be careful when replacing the nozzle, as you will be working with hot parts and could get burned.

Step 1: Prepare your tools

Depending on what kind of 3D printer you have, the tools you will need can change slightly. But in most cases you will mainly need two things - a set for replacing and maintaining nozzles or a wrench / siko pliers for the heating block and a wrench for tightening the nozzle (or a universal wrench for 3D printers). You can use a 7mm wrench on E3D, Ultimaker 2+ and many other nozzles that have an M6 thread. But you need to keep in mind that not all nozzles are the same size. Other accessories that might come in handy include heat resistant gloves.

You can find the tools you can use when changing the nozzles together here. 

Step 2: Warm up the hotend

When the heating block, heatbreak, and nozzle are heated to their maximum temperature, the metal expands, allowing the threads to loosen a bit more. For PTFE hotend, the maximum temperature is usually 260 °C. Temperatures above 240°C can damage the PTFE tube, but since it only takes a few minutes to change the nozzle, there is nothing to worry about. If these components were in a cold state, the material would shrink to such an extent that the thread of the heating block or heatbreak could be torn off when the nozzle is unscrewed. This has happened to many of us. If you are using a silicone case, remember to remove it from the hotend before heating. 

Step 3: Remove the filament

Do not forget to remove any filament that is in the 3D printer before unscrewing. When the hotend reaches approximately 130°C for PLA and 150°C for PETG, remove the filament with a quick pull to prevent filament snagging. It's not exactly a "cold pull" but it will help you remove most of the filament. This will facilitate the nozzle replacement process.

Step 4: Unscrew the nozzle

When the hotend is warm, use a wrench or pliers to grasp the heating block. You don't need to clamp it tightly, it's enough that it doesn't rotate when you unscrew the nozzle. With the other hand, grasp the nozzle with a suitable wrench and start unscrewing it in a clockwise direction (if you are looking at the hotend from above). Once the thread loosens it should be easy, you just need to keep unscrewing until the nozzle can be pulled out. If you use protective gloves, you don't have to worry about unscrewing the nozzle by hand after initially loosening it with a wrench. 

Step 5: Install the new nozzle Since the new nozzle won't be hot, it will be a little harder to turn, but you can screw it in by hand at first and then finish screwing it in with a wrench. Be careful not to overtighten the nozzle at this stage and tear off the thread. A gadget that you can print out to make your job easier is a printable nozzle wrench, specially designed so that once you've achieved adequate torque when screwing in, the wrench will click and prevent you from turning it any further. If you are new to nozzle replacement, it is sometimes difficult to estimate when the nozzle is seated correctly. Then this gadget will be a practical helper for you. Step 6: You can start printing! Replacing a nozzle really is that easy. Now you can screw the nozzle according to your preferences and boldly start printing!