epson 9900 clogged

[csm]

Hi, I think my printer has one of the nozzles clogged. The next to last line of the nozzle check print pattern has a very small part of the line missing, the rest of the lines print fine. I tried several regular cleanings and a couple of powerfull of all the colors and a few color pair(normal and powerfull) cleanings. I tried the windex/paper towel cleanning method during a day( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lU6PbizbKaw&feature=share&list=FLN_dioua3QAHoKAbUALRSkg ). And the problem still persists. Does anyone have any idea how to solve this problem?
I hope my printer does not need a head replacement.
I'm attaching a scan of the pattern with the problem.

Thanks
Carlos San Miguel

[davidh202]

 forget Windex do not do any more power cleans and all colors cleanings, as you are unnecessarily wasting ink. Remove, clean the goop off the rubber on the wiper with plain warm water and a lint free rag, and reinstall  the wiper, then do a regular pair clean or two on the bad channel and print  some test prints on plain paper.

Instructions on wiper removal and replacement... http://myx900.com/clean-your-wiper/
http://myx900.com/wiper-blade-replacement/

David

[csm]

Thanks David, I'll try that tomorrow.

[davidh202]

when you do some test prints turn them magenta to exercise the channel more ;-)
I think you have a piece of junk on the nozzle and it will work it's way off by doing what I said (hopefully) just don't panic!
 By keeping the magenta flowing on the channel it hopefully will moisten the offending nozzle enough to free the clog after a few tries. I had a deflected nozzle that I had not noticed for over a month and was able to clear it this way.

[csm]

Hi David. How dow I turn the magenta to excersice the channel more?

Thanks David.

[csm]

It worked, kind of. The the missing part is smaller.

[davidh202]

Take any print and make it 8x10 with a magenta cast  in Photoshop or any other PP program and print on 8 1/2 x11 office paper .

[Mike Guilbault]

and check your humidity.  Should be above 40%, and I find above 45% works great. My print room now stays between 45 and 50% and virtually no clogs.

[csm]

Thanks David. It finally worked!

[davidh202]

Very happy to hear that !!!
 Set your machine to the auto detect and clean periodically setting in the maintenance mode, and let it do it's own thing. These machines are smarter than you think. The machine will auto check and clean only the channel pair for the nozzles it detects are clogged, and it will clean itself even if the carts are low.  The cost of ink usage in auto is minimal  compared to multiple manual cleanings or destroying a head !
In the future avoid any power cleans, they can lead to disaster if done too often without printing in between! Using paper towels around the head can cause more problems with lint.

David

[Garnick]

I agree with David, too many cleaning cycles.  That can have a negative effect on the print-head if continued.  Also, when running clean cycles it's a good idea to run a full colour print between cycles to exercise all nozzles.  There is some question about whether or not what you have shown here is actually a "clog" or simply a slight decrease in pressure in that cart.  This morning I had the cyan drop out completely on the 9900, not a new situation at all.  Still, rather disconcerting when it does happen.  Before doing any cleanings I first removed the cyan cart and agitated it gently.  Then I shut the printer down and then back on again.  The "reboot" forces the printer to re-pressurize all of the carts for a fresh start.  I then ran one pairs cleaning and had a full cyan nozzle check.  Printed from then on with no problem at all.  One more thing...I learned a long time ago that I can still print with a slight nozzle gap such as you have shown, with no visual effects at all.  If the nozzle gap is within the bottom 3 or 4 lines there seems to be no negative affect on printing.  If it's higher than that I would run a full print to check for banding or other tell tale signs of a problem.  A small gap such as that doesn't mean you can't still print.  I have what I call a control image that I print occasionally to compare against one that was been printed with all nozzles firing.  If I'm in doubt about a small gap I'll print the control image and compare, usually finding no negative visual effects at all.  This can save you from running unnecessary cleaning cycles.  I hope this helps.

Gary  

[Mike Guilbault]

Great tip Gary!  I too have printed quite successfully with some some nozzle check drop-outs.  I was having problems with my yellow channel doing just that.  I went away when I installed a new cartridge and Epson said it was probably a pressure problem with the cartridge.  The problem cart wasn't empty so I've been swapping it in and out, but since my humidity is controlled now, even that one is working fine.

[wlemann]

Best way to control humidity?

[Ken Doo]

Best way to control humidity?

First step is to purchase a Hygrometer and place it near your printer to measure the humidity in the room.

Avoid using heaters and a/c near the printer/print room.  Don't use a de-humidifer!  Use a humidifier if necessary and aim for a target humidity level of 40-60%.

ken

[Mike Guilbault]

This is the one I purchased: http://www.sears.ca/product/kenmore-md-454-litre-digital-humidifier/642-000017871-758_3_29982OC

I keep the humidity usually between 45-50% and I haven't had a clod on either the 4900 or 9900 since doing so. And I'm in Central Ontario, Canada - RH is usually around 25-30% at this time of year.

The humidifier is about 3 feet away from the printers in a 500-600ish sq ft room.  I usually fill it up in the morning and then again when I leave at the end of the day.