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Author Topic: Epson 7800 maintenance tank pickle...  (Read 7799 times)

Jakub

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Epson 7800 maintenance tank pickle...
« on: December 03, 2008, 09:30:57 pm »

I needed to do a power cleaning and everything went quite well until about 90% thru when the message:
"Replace maintenance tank" came up and everything came to a standstill. Now I can't finish the cleaning!
I can't replace the tank till I buy another maybe tomorrow or maybe have to mail order one. My question is will I do
any damage to the printer by leaving it on till I can replace the tank?

thanks,
Walter
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Walter
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bill t.

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Epson 7800 maintenance tank pickle...
« Reply #1 on: December 03, 2008, 10:45:46 pm »

Now that's a fine mess you've gotten yourself into!  

I've never done it, but over on the Epson Wide Format Yahoo forum there are plenty of guys who have managed to "reset" the chip on a saturated maintenance cartridge.  Don't know the how-to of it, but you can search there for an answer.  Beyond that you can have nightmares about your print heads drying up like the Sphinx, did you hear the heads "thunk" onto the parking pads?  Hopefully yes.
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DougMorgan

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Epson 7800 maintenance tank pickle...
« Reply #2 on: December 04, 2008, 12:29:36 am »

To reuse the waste tank is simple but a little messy.   The plastic grid over the top simply snaps off and then the saturated sponges can be thrown away.   The sponges are friction fit and will slide out once you get hold of an edge.    I used to use sponges from the hardware store that were similar to the original.   I hate to say what I use now but it's available at any drug store, comes in large packages, no man wants to be caught buying them, and has a handy adhesive strip to attach to the lining of the tank.   I just stick one to each side and the bottom.

Here's the reset procedure that I used to use for the 4000 (middle of the page)

http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/article...nance_tank.html

I don't know if the 7600/9600 procedure will work with the 7800 but it's probably worth a try.  

With the xx80 versions of the epson printers you have to get a chip resetter which is cheaper than buying even a single waste tank from epson.  I got mine on ebay from a guy in Montreal (ebay ID=computerknow) and it works fine.

 Epson is one of the LEAST green companies on earth, sorry to say, and they actively prevent owners from re-using anything by changing firmware, lawsuits against cartridge refillers, refusing to recycle etc.   Shame on them.

Good luck
Doug
« Last Edit: December 04, 2008, 12:48:40 am by DougMorgan »
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Doombrain

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Epson 7800 maintenance tank pickle...
« Reply #3 on: December 04, 2008, 02:47:30 pm »

Quote from: DougMorgan
Epson is one of the LEAST green companies on earth, sorry to say, and they actively prevent owners from re-using anything by changing firmware, lawsuits against cartridge refillers, refusing to recycle etc.   Shame on them.

Good luck
Doug

Sorry, but that's a ridiculous statement.

http://www.epson.co.uk/environment/index.htm

Re the tank. there's no way of resetting by the panel, you'll need to replace the tank.
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TylerB

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Epson 7800 maintenance tank pickle...
« Reply #4 on: December 04, 2008, 03:42:08 pm »

a standard chip resetter for that model for both carts and tank works fine. clean it though
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DougMorgan

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Epson 7800 maintenance tank pickle...
« Reply #5 on: December 04, 2008, 04:38:38 pm »

Quote from: Doombrain
Sorry, but that's a ridiculous statement.

http://www.epson.co.uk/environment/index.htm

Re the tank. there's no way of resetting by the panel, you'll need to replace the tank.

Funny thing is they had a similar program in Canada and disbanded it without comment several years ago.    I would bet it is still continuing in the UK due to your government or other pressure and not any genuine interest on Epson's part.

They also changed the firmware between the 4000/7600/9600 and the current models to prevent resetting the waste tank from the panel, forcing the consumer to buy another hunk of expensive plastic that ends up in the landfill (or to buy a 3rd party resetter).

Though it didn't effect us here in Canada (and I admit I didn't pay too much attention) there have been recent court cases south of the border involving epson's battle with refilling cartridges.

So while you might have a different experience in the UK I stand by my statement.
Doug

Post script --> I guess I should have looked on epson's Canadian website before posting but I didn't think of it.  Looks like Epson Canada now lets you mail empty inkjet cartridges to them and they dump it in the provincial general recycling in Ontario.  Nothing is reused (chinese plastic is cheap) and shipping is at the users expense.   I had emailed the head office when they disbanded the original program (which included free shipping of empty charges and recycling of the plastic when the local recycling was unwilling to take it) and the response I received was decidedly unrepentant.   A truely green solution would be to reuse at least the plastic components.    I still see no need to replace the plastic ink tank every time it fills with $500/litre ink.
« Last Edit: December 04, 2008, 05:05:21 pm by DougMorgan »
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Jakub

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Epson 7800 maintenance tank pickle...
« Reply #6 on: December 07, 2008, 08:36:22 pm »

Well Epson support told me leaving the printer on till I replaced the maintenance tank was no problem.
Luckily I was able to replace it the following day and all was well in never-never land.
The End.
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Walter
h
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