Changing the spittoon in Z3100

[sloow]

At the left side of the interior of the printer is a "spittoon" for ink used in cleaning the heads. My printer doesn't see a huge amount of action, but with time that pad has come to look pretty grungy with a lot of old ink. I'm concerned that it will eventually start putting as much ink back on the head as it's wiping off. I have a few questions: Is there a standard interval to change the thing, how is it done, and can I just use something like a disposable diaper as a collector?

thanks

[Ernst Dinkla]

At the left side of the interior of the printer is a "spittoon" for ink used in cleaning the heads. My printer doesn't see a huge amount of action, but with time that pad has come to look pretty grungy with a lot of old ink. I'm concerned that it will eventually start putting as much ink back on the head as it's wiping off. I have a few questions: Is there a standard interval to change the thing, how is it done, and can I just use something like a disposable diaper as a collector?

thanks

At the left side is a spittoon and that's what it is, no pad or wiper there that will touch the head. It's at the right side that a plastic "lid" covers the nozzle surface. No wiper and pads there though. If you set the headcarriage in the head exchange mode you can look inside the right side interior with a torch. I clean that area from time to time as there's a chance that ink + paper fibers accumulate on the lid and go on a ride with the heads when printing, leaving ink marks on the print.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

New: Dinkla Canvas Wrap Actions for Photoshop
http://www.pigment-print.com/dinklacanvaswraps/index.html

[Ron Steinberg]

At the left side is a spittoon and that's what it is, no pad or wiper there that will touch the head. It's at the right side that a plastic "lid" covers the nozzle surface. No wiper and pads there though. If you set the headcarriage in the head exchange mode you can look inside the right side interior with a torch. I clean that area from time to time as there's a chance that ink + paper fibers accumulate on the lid and go on a ride with the heads when printing, leaving ink marks on the print.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

New: Dinkla Canvas Wrap Actions for Photoshop
http://www.pigment-print.com/dinklacanvaswraps/index.html

Hi Ernst,

That's exactly what happened to me last week. I had made a test print, everything was fine, and then the next print, a huge blob of black gunk was deposited in the middle of my print. It looked like a bird had done it's business on my print! Moving the head over by putting it into head exchange mode allowed me to see that the "plastic lid" was covered in ink. I can only imagine that it had built up, adhered to the bottom of the carriage and dropped on the print.

How do you access that plastic lid, do you disassemble the printer at all? (I have the service manual) It was very hard to reach in there with a Qtip to just touch the ink deposited, I can hardly imagine being able to remove all of it. My printer sees very little use, but it is turned on at all times so it goes through it's daily cleaning routine.

Thanks for any assistance!
Ron

[Ernst Dinkla]

Hi Ernst,

That's exactly what happened to me last week. I had made a test print, everything was fine, and then the next print, a huge blob of black gunk was deposited in the middle of my print. It looked like a bird had done it's business on my print! Moving the head over by putting it into head exchange mode allowed me to see that the "plastic lid" was covered in ink. I can only imagine that it had built up, adhered to the bottom of the carriage and dropped on the print.

How do you access that plastic lid, do you disassemble the printer at all? (I have the service manual) It was very hard to reach in there with a Qtip to just touch the ink deposited, I can hardly imagine being able to remove all of it. My printer sees very little use, but it is turned on at all times so it goes through it's daily cleaning routine.

Thanks for any assistance!
Ron

That daily cleaning routine accumulates the ink there. Compared to Epsons the wasted quantity is low but still enough to cause trouble after some time. It is difficult to get there. I have written before that it would be a big step forward if HP allowed the user to remove the right side panel like one can remove the left side panel for cutter replacement. One improvises with a syringe + Windex + tods. I use a small Led torch that I put in the printer itself to get a better view.



met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

New: Dinkla Canvas Wrap Actions for Photoshop
http://www.pigment-print.com/dinklacanvaswraps/index.html

[marclw]

I have the same exact problem. Last year, HP came and replaced the entire service station on warranty. My warranty expired and I had to purchase the service contract for ~$850 per year, just in case it happens again, which it will. I, too, use the printer sparingly. I find that the rightmost print head is always dirty and full of gunk. I have to clean it before any printing session. None of the other print heads does this. I wonder if everyone is running into this problem? I think the service station, which includes the spittoon, (right?) is a huge problem. I think it'll need replacement each year. :-( Is there any way of cleaning it using a syringe, windex and tods? BTW, what's a tod?? Thanks,

Marc

That daily cleaning routine accumulates the ink there. Compared to Epsons the wasted quantity is low but still enough to cause trouble after some time. It is difficult to get there. I have written before that it would be a big step forward if HP allowed the user to remove the right side panel like one can remove the left side panel for cutter replacement. One improvises with a syringe + Windex + tods. I use a small Led torch that I put in the printer itself to get a better view.



met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

New: Dinkla Canvas Wrap Actions for Photoshop
http://www.pigment-print.com/dinklacanvaswraps/index.html

[Ernst Dinkla]

I have the same exact problem. Last year, HP came and replaced the entire service station on warranty. My warranty expired and I had to purchase the service contract for ~$850 per year, just in case it happens again, which it will. I, too, use the printer sparingly. I find that the rightmost print head is always dirty and full of gunk. I have to clean it before any printing session. None of the other print heads does this. I wonder if everyone is running into this problem? I think the service station, which includes the spittoon, (right?) is a huge problem. I think it'll need replacement each year. :-( Is there any way of cleaning it using a syringe, windex and tods? BTW, what's a tod?? Thanks,

Marc

Marc,

The Z3100 that I have is 2 years in use now and I have had the dirt on my prints quite early so kept the station clean from time to time after that. I see no reason why the station should be exchanged every year. The printer has been on power for almost 100% of the time with intermittent use. It is possible that heavier use gives more problems but as written cleaning that lid helps a lot.

There's a spittoon at the left side. The right side hasas far as I know the droplet detector etc + the parking lid.

Alright, will not use the word tod in the future. Either it doesn't exist anymore in its meaning of cleaning cotton or I made that up in my mind long ago. Dutch boy and it was UK English what we learned in the sixties.



met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

Try: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/

[marclw]

Thanks, Ernest! How would you actuallt clean the spittoon area? And, while I use coffee filters to try to clean out the gunk on the rightmost printhead and it's holder, I can't seem to get it's holder clean. Can I use alcohol to help clean both the printhead and the holder ? Thanks in advance.

Marc

Marc,

The Z3100 that I have is 2 years in use now and I have had the dirt on my prints quite early so kept the station clean from time to time after that. I see no reason why the station should be exchanged every year. The printer has been on power for almost 100% of the time with intermittent use. It is possible that heavier use gives more problems but as written cleaning that lid helps a lot.

There's a spittoon at the left side. The right side hasas far as I know the droplet detector etc + the parking lid.

Alright, will not use the word tod in the future. Either it doesn't exist anymore in its meaning of cleaning cotton or I made that up in my mind long ago. Dutch boy and it was UK English what we learned in the sixties.



met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

Try: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/

[Ernst Dinkla]

Thanks, Ernest! How would you actuallt clean the spittoon area? And, while I use coffee filters to try to clean out the gunk on the rightmost printhead and it's holder, I can't seem to get it's holder clean. Can I use alcohol to help clean both the printhead and the holder ? Thanks in advance.

Marc

The Wiki Z3100 pages have the Service Manuals. If skilled enough you could use that as a guide to clean that area. Use Windex and cloths but take care not to spray fluids everywhere. Electronics, optics ....... so use it carefully.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

New: Dinkla Canvas Wrap Actions for Photoshop
http://www.pigment-print.com/dinklacanvaswraps/index.html

[Colorwave]

Nothing but distilled water should touch the gold contacts inside the printhead compartment or the printheads themselves  I'm able to get all of the surface residue off of my printhead compartment, but it still has some ink staining.  The printheads seem to come clean with just water for me.

[marclw]

Ah, thanks! And, I would be very, very careful!!

Marc

The Wiki Z3100 pages have the Service Manuals. If skilled enough you could use that as a guide to clean that area. Use Windex and cloths but take care not to spray fluids everywhere. Electronics, optics ....... so use it carefully.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

New: Dinkla Canvas Wrap Actions for Photoshop
http://www.pigment-print.com/dinklacanvaswraps/index.html

[marclw]

Thanks, Ron. I never thought of using distilled water. I'll try that. When you clean the printheads with water, do you also wipe clean the tiny little ink jets? I've been using a dry coffee filter for cleaning in the printhead compartment and the printhead themselves. Thanks in advance.

Marc

Nothing but distilled water should touch the gold contacts inside the printhead compartment or the printheads themselves  I'm able to get all of the surface residue off of my printhead compartment, but it still has some ink staining.  The printheads seem to come clean with just water for me.

[Colorwave]

Marc-
The distilled water is to avoid the possibility of salt or mineral deposits which might interfere with the metal of the contacts and encourage corrosion.  A gallon of distilled water is cheap, and lasts a looooong time.  I use a coffee filter soaked in water to clean everything that I can get to with that approach.  You can fold them around a popsicle stick or something similar to make them more precise.  What I cant get to with that, I use the smallest size of disposable makeup applicators from the drugstore, which are like little flat Q-tips with foam instead of cotton on the business end.  They are somewhat like the ones that come with new printheads from HP.  If things are really gunky, I use a slightly wet coffee filter on the bottom of printheads, but normally just a dry one.  A wet filter encourages ink to come out more than a dry one.  Try not to wipe sideways, just blot directly up and down.  Mostly you want to avoid lint, not deposit impurities, and not plug the tiny little printhead nozzles.

[marclw]

Thanks so so much for the great response! You probably helped save my sanity!

Marc

Marc-
The distilled water is to avoid the possibility of salt or mineral deposits which might interfere with the metal of the contacts and encourage corrosion.  A gallon of distilled water is cheap, and lasts a looooong time.  I use a coffee filter soaked in water to clean everything that I can get to with that approach.  You can fold them around a popsicle stick or something similar to make them more precise.  What I cant get to with that, I use the smallest size of disposable makeup applicators from the drugstore, which are like little flat Q-tips with foam instead of cotton on the business end.  They are somewhat like the ones that come with new printheads from HP.  If things are really gunky, I use a slightly wet coffee filter on the bottom of printheads, but normally just a dry one.  A wet filter encourages ink to come out more than a dry one.  Try not to wipe sideways, just blot directly up and down.  Mostly you want to avoid lint, not deposit impurities, and not plug the tiny little printhead nozzles.