Reading mode: Light Dark

Clogging of Epson printers

Go to last post
J H said:
I print almost everyday. I am trying to print now and have been doing cleanings for the last 5 hours non-stop. Still clogged. This is a frequent situation.
Click to expand...
Have you considered that your mentioned "doing cleaning for 5 hours" may be part of your issue.

Thorough Cleaning UNDER the printing unit (The print head and nozzles) is necessary to actually do a thorough job of cleaning "Caked and gummed up" and removed from that area so the print Nozzles can allow ink to be passed through the print nozzles freely.

You are probably just getting the already caked and partially dried ink to be slightly softer (more gummy) but NOT actually removing the "sticky MESS" from that area.
Another comment regarding newer vs older Epson Printers regarding clogging.

I have never initiated a Head Cleaning for my 8 year old Epson 2200. Likewise, I also have the same experience with my 10 month old Epson 3880.

Proper care, Maintenance, and usage is needed for ANY printer, any Model, and any Brand.
--
Vernon...
 
You will NEVER get the same print quality from a Caon 9000 as you do with the 3880. I had the 9000 1st and 2nd "series" as they were called. Prints looked great for a while, and then faded miserably, using OEM ink and OEM paper. Since getting an Epson 3880, the colors are deadly accurate, more realistic, blacks are blacks and neutral colors are neutral.

I never got the same color accuracy with the 9000 as I do with the 3880. And besides, dealing with 11 ml carts SUCKS!!!!. Print fade is a thing of the past with the 3880's pigmented ink!!!!

Canon Person
 
Well, just as a counterpoint, my Canon 9500 clogged repeatedly.
 
And pigment ink printers are more prone to clogging than dye.

Clogging also seems to be, based on admittedly limited anecdotal evidence, more prevalent in dry conditions than humid ones. And if you run heat in the winter, you're creating a dry climate no matter what it might be outside.

So, if you print infrequently, run a nozzle check once a week. It uses very little ink, and pushes ink through every nozzle in the print head.

And if your printer is in a dry environment, keep it humidified. A room humidifier or furnace humidifier can help, but watch out for dust from dissolved minerals in the water. A guitar humidifier ($10 to $15 from any musical instrument store) and a plastic cover (available in various sizes on ebay) will work to keep the printer itself from drying out.
 
Thought I would chime in and give my experiences with Epson printers. I just revived my R1800 after not using it on a regular basis for the past 2 years. In fact I know that until 3 weeks ago it hadn't been turned on in more than one year. I thought it was going to be a hopeless case but wanted to try. I did a lot of research on the web about cleaning the clogged nozzels on Epson printers.

One method I found seemed too easy and simple to be true but I tried it anyway. The process involves using Windex with ammonia D, not the new stuff that doesn't contain ammonia. I folded a small piece of paper towel that would fit under the print head when the head passed over it. I soaked the paper towel in the windex and let the print head rest over the top of the pad for several hours. I removed the piece of towel and plugged the printer in and ran a test print. It had made a big difference and almost half of the nozzels had feed up and were dropping ink. I replaced the towel with a new piece and more windex. I left it over night and the next day the print head was almost completely clear. The next thing I did was to check the sponge that the print head parks to when powering off. I carefully blotted the sponge dry and then placed a few drops of windex on the sponge and powered the printer back up then turned it off so that it would park the print head and cause the sponge to rise up and cover the print head. There are 2 sponges in the park area. The one on the right is the dump system that the head cleaning process dumps the ink to. The one on the left is the parking pad which rises up and contacts the head after the head locks and the sponge blots the print head.

The arthur of this method claims that it is the ammonia vapors that actually do the cleaning. All I know is that it works. I also unclogged my R300 CD printer the same way. It was also clogged from lack of use.

I now have a perfectly working R1800 back printing photo's and am a believer in this process. I'm going to keep putting a few drops of windex on the parking pad to help maintain the head performance. Now I will have to come up with an excuse to buy the new R3000 I want.

Kevin
 
interesting!

thanks i will give it a try with my R800 maybe I can sell it then (too clogged to sell at this point; just got an R3000)
kcbeatty said:
Thought I would chime in and give my experiences with Epson printers. I just revived my R1800 after not using it on a regular basis for the past 2 years. In fact I know that until 3 weeks ago it hadn't been turned on in more than one year. I thought it was going to be a hopeless case but wanted to try. I did a lot of research on the web about cleaning the clogged nozzels on Epson printers.

One method I found seemed too easy and simple to be true but I tried it anyway. The process involves using Windex with ammonia D, not the new stuff that doesn't contain ammonia. I folded a small piece of paper towel that would fit under the print head when the head passed over it. I soaked the paper towel in the windex and let the print head rest over the top of the pad for several hours. I removed the piece of towel and plugged the printer in and ran a test print. It had made a big difference and almost half of the nozzels had feed up and were dropping ink. I replaced the towel with a new piece and more windex. I left it over night and the next day the print head was almost completely clear. The next thing I did was to check the sponge that the print head parks to when powering off. I carefully blotted the sponge dry and then placed a few drops of windex on the sponge and powered the printer back up then turned it off so that it would park the print head and cause the sponge to rise up and cover the print head. There are 2 sponges in the park area. The one on the right is the dump system that the head cleaning process dumps the ink to. The one on the left is the parking pad which rises up and contacts the head after the head locks and the sponge blots the print head.

The arthur of this method claims that it is the ammonia vapors that actually do the cleaning. All I know is that it works. I also unclogged my R300 CD printer the same way. It was also clogged from lack of use.

I now have a perfectly working R1800 back printing photo's and am a believer in this process. I'm going to keep putting a few drops of windex on the parking pad to help maintain the head performance. Now I will have to come up with an excuse to buy the new R3000 I want.

Kevin
Click to expand...
 
I hope it helps you. Time will tell if I can reduce the number cleaning cycles it takes sometimes to clear a clog. That really wastes a lot of ink.

Kevin
 
My 2 cents. My 4880 sits idle for weeks, sometimes even months now, and I can't buy a clog. It does a clean after sitting for so long, but I don't even bother with a nozzle check any more as the damn thing refuses to clog. I don't even know what a clog looks like, as this machine has yet to clog ever in the 17 months since I bought it new. The humidity in my print room is probably higher than average as some of my older prints can show a touch of mould. I also have it under a sheet of plastic when not in use.
 
Hi Rod (if I may be so bold)

I get no clogs in my 1400 - now over 2 years with the IJF pigment inks and occasional trips away of around 3 weeks, when I have always advised wrapping (as far as possible) the printhead with plastic - I use Kitchen Cling Film.

Here in rural Spain, at 750m above sea level, humidity for 95% of the year is very low but that does not seem to cause me any problems, nor the fairly high temperatures for many months. At this time, we have had but a couple of showers since early May.

--
Zone8

Although I am a handsome geniearse, when I stand in front of a mirror, I vaguely recognise the ugly idjit standing on the other side!

LINK: For B+W with Epson 1400 (and other models) using black ink only PLUS other useful tips:
http://www.photosnowdonia.co.uk/ZPS/epson1400-B&W.htm
Cleaning DSLR Sensors, including Kodak DSLR Factory Cleaning method:
http://www.photosnowdonia.co.uk/ZPS/KodakDCS-sensorcleaning.htm
 
J H said:
I print almost everyday. I am trying to print now and have been doing cleanings for the last 5 hours non-stop. Still clogged. This is a frequent situation.
Click to expand...
Which model is it and what on earth are you doing to it? If I had ever had a printer that behaved like that would have put it through the shop window long ago. Do you use third party inks or have extraordinary low humidity perhaps?

My printer history is the Epson 1200, 2200, 2400 and now 3800. None were used more than every couple of days and I can count the number of clogs on one hand. None ever needed more than one cleaning cycle to clear which is why I have never been able to understand the experiences of some other users. RH in both my homes was typically 40-50%. I always chuck a clean tablecloth over the top when not in use so as to keep out the cat hairs when she sleeps on top.

According to the specifications in the 3800 service manual the normal humidity range for the printer should be 40-60% RH and the max allowable range is 20-80% RH.

--
Brian
Fine Art Print sales of the Isle of Skye at:
http://www.eyeofskye.co.uk/
 
Thanks for all this info everybody! I've always had Epson photo stylus printers R800 etc and the clogging was infuriating. After tossing my last one (I even tried a cleaning cartridge) I bought a B&W laser and printed photos at a local service. I'm now interested in revisiting higher end color printers and leaning towards Canon because of the replaceable heads. But still drawn to the quality of Epson... such a quandary. And I don't think I should have to care for my printer as I do a pet, there's just no way an inkjet will get me the way my cat does!
--
Michael
 
Dabbler said:
And I don't think I should have to care for my printer as I do a pet, there's just no way an inkjet will get me the way my cat does!
Click to expand...
Well, my Epsons don't clog - they give purrrrfect nozzle checks! :-P

--
Zone8

Although I am a handsome geniearse, when I stand in front of a mirror, I vaguely recognise the ugly idjit standing on the other side!

LINK: For B+W with Epson 1400 (and other models) using black ink only PLUS other useful tips:
http://www.photosnowdonia.co.uk/ZPS/epson1400-B&W.htm
Cleaning DSLR Sensors, including Kodak DSLR Factory Cleaning method:
http://www.photosnowdonia.co.uk/ZPS/KodakDCS-sensorcleaning.htm
 
On advice from Epson, I leave my 1400 turned on all the time except when
out of town for months. Low humidity due to always on a/c.
I just got back from 3 months in Europe, turned it on and ran a nozzle check.
Perfect.
Except for the big black blob in the leading corner of the first print and
black tracking marks running the length of the paper.

After running about 10 sheets of regular inkjet paper through it (printing a
very light full color image), the tracks were gone. Too bad Epson doesn't
sell 'clean-up' sheets.

As for clogging, in 3 years of regular use, I've only gotten one clog in one
cartridge (OEM only) which resolved with 2 cleaning passes. Yes, ink is
expensive but lots cheaper than paper, chemistry and a darkroom -- at
least for those of us not doing commercial volume.

I wish it was easier to do maintenance on it as seems to be the case with the Canons.
As for the quality of the prints -- I'm very satsfied.
 
jeffcpix said:
On advice from Epson, I leave my 1400 turned on all the time except when
out of town for months. Low humidity due to always on a/c.
I just got back from 3 months in Europe, turned it on and ran a nozzle check.
Perfect.
Except for the big black blob in the leading corner of the first print and
black tracking marks running the length of the paper.
Click to expand...
Since my first Epson - have forgotten what but was over 20 years ago - have always left printers on and only turned off (and wrapped head with plastic) if away for 3 weeks or so - low humidity up here in the mountains too.

If you change the waste pad to a drainage bottle system - that will solve the slight ink leakage when resting. It's the build-up on the pad that transfers to underside of the printhead causing the blobs. Temporarily, you could move head to change cartridge position and then remove power lead (NOT just turn off!) then you can freely move head side to side. That way, with some absorbent pads of kitchen paper, you can blot the excess ink from the waste pad (over to right area) where the head rests when not being used = between printing sessions. Also, of course, put a folded pad of same paper on base and move head to and fro to wipe away those blobs.

--
Zone8

Although I am a handsome geniearse, when I stand in front of a mirror, I vaguely recognise the ugly idjit standing on the other side!

LINK: For B+W with Epson 1400 (and other models) using black ink only PLUS other useful tips:
http://www.photosnowdonia.co.uk/ZPS/epson1400-B&W.htm
Cleaning DSLR Sensors, including Kodak DSLR Factory Cleaning method:
http://www.photosnowdonia.co.uk/ZPS/KodakDCS-sensorcleaning.htm
 
Thanks for the info about cleaning the pad.

"Also, of course, put a folded pad of same paper on base and move head to and fro to wipe away those blobs."

What do you mean by 'base'?
 
jeffcpix said:
"Also, of course, put a folded pad of same paper on base and move head to and fro to wipe away those blobs." What do you mean by 'base'?
Click to expand...
Literally, the base inside the printer that the printhead passes to and fro over. In other words, you would be wiping the underside of the printhead to clean off any existing ink deposits. You may actually find it easier to use something like, say, a couple of layers of folded cotton material (like your best hanky - without bogies of course!) and if you can get hold of some Windex (in USA) or around 5% Ammonia solution (If Windex is not available - it isn't in many countries - then look for products like Cilit Bang - with the Ammonia in or better still, a bottle of Ammonia - which I can easily get here in Spain for example) and use that (diluted for 5%-ish - not critical) as cleans especially well and generally recommended for unclogging nozzles (if you suffer from that). Lay the hanky or whatever along the bottom inside with the ammonia (or just use water if you cannot get any) so the cloth is just damp - not soaking wet of course and once the head is over the middle, lift ends of cloth and wipe pulling left and right. That should clear away any deposits.

--
Zone8

Although I am a handsome geniearse, when I stand in front of a mirror, I vaguely recognise the ugly idjit standing on the other side!

LINK: For B+W with Epson 1400 (and other models) using black ink only PLUS other useful tips:
http://www.photosnowdonia.co.uk/ZPS/epson1400-B&W.htm
Cleaning DSLR Sensors, including Kodak DSLR Factory Cleaning method:
http://www.photosnowdonia.co.uk/ZPS/KodakDCS-sensorcleaning.htm
 
Petruska said:
You can use Windex with ammonia in place of their Piezoflush.
Click to expand...
Yes Bob BUT .... Windex is certainly not available, as far as I can tell, outside of the USA. Thus Ammonia itself is the thing that matters. Either get that (preferable) or, for example in UK and here in España, one of the many Cillit Bang products is same makeup as Windex. At least I can get things like Ammonia (80% proof!) and Metanol (Methanol) 99.5% proof at the local Farmacia and both about ¼ the price of Windex - tell that to Pharmacists in the UK and they would shudder at the thought! Local Chino Emporiums (sell all sorts of things) also sell bottles of Industrial (Isopropyl) Alcohol for peanuts. Hic! :-P

A litre of the Metanol was available at the local Farmacia within a couple of hours of enquiring and cost about €2.50. Compare that to pricing for sensor cleaning kits that use it as the liquid - and very little in the kits too. Marketing is what they call it.

--
Zone8

Although I am a handsome geniearse, when I stand in front of a mirror, I vaguely recognise the ugly idjit standing on the other side!

LINK: For B+W with Epson 1400 (and other models) using black ink only PLUS other useful tips:
http://www.photosnowdonia.co.uk/ZPS/epson1400-B&W.htm
Cleaning DSLR Sensors, including Kodak DSLR Factory Cleaning method:
http://www.photosnowdonia.co.uk/ZPS/KodakDCS-sensorcleaning.htm
 
Good day,

I've also been an Epson customer for about 13 years now, my first printer was the Epson Stylus 640, and it did clogged, then found out that third party ink cartridges were 'partly' the issue.

The 'other' issue, at the time, I was using a power bar to shut everything off, one switch for all, turned out, I learned that when you turned off that printer via it's own power switch, it was actually doing a process of removing any ink from its heads.

So, ever since that time, and still with my RX595 and Artisan 710, which I use and then sometime not use for months, I always shut down the printers via their power switch, but do turn them off when not in use, and always use Epson cartridges, and have NO issues whatsoever.

So, Epson ink only, always turn off the printer using the switch, and DO turn it off, has saved me from clogging for over 10 years now.

Bernard

--

I measure my success in life not by my awards, but by the amount of smiles, hugs and kisses I get from my family on a daily basis !
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Keyboard shortcuts

f
Forum
m
My threads
Mobile site
About
Editorial content
Cameras & Lenses
Community
All content, design, and layout are Copyright © 1998–2025 Digital Photography Review All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited.
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.
©GPS Media - Guides, Products, Services.
Back
Top