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Heat Creep

The plastic melts in the nozzle. Sometimes heat from the nozzle will creep up and filament will melt before it should. Sometimes as the filament is pushed through the melted filament will harden and cause a clog.

You got the nozzle, screwed into a block of aluminum that gets hot, there is a metal tube connecting the block to what’s on top. Usually some fins. Newer designs may not have the aluminum block but just the nozzle with a heater around it.

There are two fans on the hotend. One blows on the part you are printing and its speed is controlled in the slicer. The other blows on the fins and is on whenever the heat is on, you have no control of it. If you have heat creep check the second fan. Be sure it is working OK and it’s not rubbing on anything.

A well designed printer will keep the fin part cool enough to not melt the filament. A fan that is starting to go bad, bearings, etc. will not do the job it was supposed to do and you may get a clog.