Vacuum Storage

Filament storage for humid Australian conditions: vacuum seal bags sized for 1kg rolls, silica gel desiccant, a starter kit with hand pump, an electric USB pump and refill packs to keep every open roll dry and printing cleanly.

Why filament storage matters in Australia

Most filaments slowly absorb moisture from the air, and humid weather speeds that up. When damp filament reaches the hot end, the trapped water turns to steam. You hear popping or crackling at the nozzle, see extra stringing and bubbles, and end up with rough surfaces and weaker layer bonds. A roll that printed perfectly last month can start failing simply because it sat on the printer.

Some materials are far more sensitive than others. Nylon and PVA soak up moisture quickly, and TPU and PETG also cause trouble when left out. PLA is more forgiving but still prints best when kept dry. Most of our spools arrive vacuum sealed with desiccant, so the real job is keeping each roll that dry once it has been opened. For more background, read How to Store Filament in Australia's Humidity.

Filament drying temperatures by material

If a roll has already picked up moisture, dry it before sealing it away. These figures come from our product data, but always confirm the recommendation on the product page for your exact filament. A dedicated dryer that holds a steady temperature makes this easy; our filament dryer review compares options.

Material	Temperature	Time
PLA+, Matte, Silk family, Glow, Rainbow, Marble, Metal, Wood, Glitter, Chameleon, Colour Change and High Speed PLA	40-45°C	4-6 hours
PLA Basic	50°C	5 hours
PLA-LW	55°C	6 hours
Flexible PLA	60°C	6+ hours
PLA-CF	60°C	At least 5 hours
PVA	50°C	At least 3 hours
PETG Basic, PETG+ and Tool Colours	70°C	5 hours
Transparent PETG, PETG-CF, PETG-GF and Metallic PETG-HS	70°C	At least 5 hours
TPU 95A	70°C	At least 5 hours
ABS-ESD	70°C	At least 5 hours
ABS Basic, ABS+, ABS-HS, ABS-GF, ABS-FR, ASA family and HIPS	80°C	At least 5 hours
PA6-CF, PA12-CF, PC, PC-CF and PC-ABS	80°C	At least 12 hours
PA6 Nylon	80°C	12+ hours (24 hours recommended)
PET-CF	100°C	At least 5 hours
PPA-CF	120°C	8 hours

How to keep filament dry in a vacuum bag

Dry it first. If the roll has been sitting out, dry it at the temperature above and let it cool.
Bag it with desiccant. Slide the roll into a Filament Roll Vacuum Seal Bag with a 5 gram silica gel desiccant bag. Add a humidity indicator card or mini hygrometer if you want to check on it later.
Seal and evacuate. Close the seal, then pump the air out until the bag pulls in tight around the spool.
Label it. Note the material, colour and the date it was dried or sealed, so you know what is inside and how long it has been stored.
Store it well. Keep bagged rolls somewhere cool, dark and dry until you need them.

Hand pump or USB pump?

The hand pump in the Filament Storage Starter Kit does the job well for a handful of rolls. If you reseal rolls after every session, the Electric USB Vacuum Pump with USB Cable empties a bag at the press of a button and recharges through its included cable. That is why the Dual USB Wall Charger 2A sits in this collection: it powers the USB vacuum pump from a standard power point, has two USB ports and is RCM compliant for use in Australia.

Keep an eye on humidity

Dry boxes and tubs that you open often need more attention than a sealed bag. A mini hygrometer shows temperature and humidity at a glance, and a reading that keeps climbing tells you the seal is leaking or the desiccant is spent.

Filament storage products compared

Product	What you get	Best for
Filament Storage Starter Kit	5 vacuum bags, 1 hand pump, 5 humidity indicator cards and 5 desiccant bags	Starting out with dry storage
Filament Roll Vacuum Seal Bag	One tough polypropylene bag, 340 x 300 mm, for standard 1kg rolls	Adding a bag for each new roll
Filament Storage Refill Pack (10 Vacuum Bags and 10 Desiccant Bags)	10 vacuum bags and 10 desiccant bags of 5 grams each	Growing a collection when you already own a pump
Silica Gel Desiccant Bags 5 Gram	Non-woven bags in packs of 5, 50 or 100	Replacing spent desiccant in bags, boxes and tubs
Electric USB Vacuum Pump with USB Cable	Rechargeable, button operated pump	Sealing lots of bags quickly
Dual USB Wall Charger 2A	Two USB ports, 2A output	Powering the USB pump from the wall
Mini hygrometers	Round or rectangular, reading temperature and humidity	Monitoring dry boxes, tubs and bags

Buying filament storage from OzFDM

Our vacuum bags are sized for standard 1kg rolls, including every 1kg roll in our range, so one bag and one desiccant bag per open roll is the simple rule. Orders dispatch from our Perth and Melbourne warehouses, with free shipping Australia-wide on orders over $299 (excluding PO Boxes).

Filament storage FAQs

Which filaments need dry storage the most?

Nylon and PVA are the most moisture sensitive, with TPU and PETG close behind. Nylon is also slow to dry: PA6 needs 80°C for 12 hours or more, with 24 hours recommended. Keep these materials sealed with desiccant whenever they are off the printer, and check the product page in our nylon filament range for drying guidance.

Do I need to dry new filament before storing it?

Usually not. Most of our spools arrive vacuum sealed with desiccant, so a roll fresh out of its packaging can go straight into a vacuum bag after use. Dry it first if it has been left out in humid weather, if you hear popping at the nozzle, or if it strings noticeably more than it used to.

Will the vacuum bags fit my spools?

The Filament Roll Vacuum Seal Bag measures 340 x 300 mm and suits standard 1kg rolls, including every 1kg roll we sell. For spools from other brands, compare the spool's diameter and width with the bag size before ordering, as larger or unusually wide spools may not fit with room left to seal.

Do I need the USB pump, or will the hand pump do?

The hand pump in the starter kit seals bags properly; it just takes a little effort each time. The Electric USB Vacuum Pump suits makers who open and reseal several rolls a day, because a press of a button does the work. It recharges over USB, and our Dual USB Wall Charger 2A lets you power it from a wall socket.

How often should I replace the desiccant?

Swap it when the humidity reading inside a bag, box or tub starts creeping up and stays up. It also pays to give every freshly opened roll its own new 5 gram bag. The Silica Gel Desiccant Bags come in packs of 5, 50 and 100, so even a large collection is easy to keep topped up.