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Author Topic: Epson X900 - Temperature vs. Clogging  (Read 635 times)

DeanChriss

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Epson X900 - Temperature vs. Clogging
« on: March 24, 2014, 02:11:00 pm »

I'm on the coast of Lake Erie where winters are cold and indoor relative humidity is in the 25 percent range. I've had an Epson 7900 for 5.25 years. It resides in a basement, and so is relatively cool. I'm away several times each year for between two and 5 weeks, during which the printer is never turned on. In the early days a nozzle check would always show numerous missing nozzles when I returned. In addition I'd always have more clogging in the warmer and more humid days of mid-summer than in the cold and dry winter. This seasonal variation in clogging still happens, but to a far lesser extent over perhaps the last 2.5 years or so. Now it is common to find no missing nozzles on a nozzle check after the printer sits unused for several weeks, especially in winter and occasionally but not often in summer. Most recently this happened in late January through early February, which was some of our coldest weather on record, and therefore the driest indoors. I don't understand why, but the cooler the room is, regardless of humidity, the fewer clogging issues I have. In winter the RH is around 25%, but the room temperature can be as low as 63ºF unless I'm in there with the heat turned up to around 69-70ºF. The hottest the room ever gets in summer is 72ºF. In summer the humidity is limited to 55% with a dehumidifier.

Two things seem to happen. First, after a couple years of use the clogging decreased noticeably overall. Second is the very noticeable temperature vs. clogging relationship, which has always existed. Make of this what you will. I'm just adding it as a data point and YMMV. Humidity probably matters, but at least in my case it seems to matter a lot less than temperature.
« Last Edit: March 24, 2014, 02:13:32 pm by DeanChriss »
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dgberg

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Re: Epson X900 - Temperature vs. Clogging
« Reply #1 on: March 24, 2014, 03:23:38 pm »

I still think controlling the RH is the biggest factor at least for me here in se Pennsylvania.
My gallery,studio,cabinet shop is large so my thermostats are set quite low in the winter. 50 degrees at night and no higher then 60 to 65 during the day. Before I purchased a humidifier I would have some sort of clog at least once or more times a week on my 9900 with cool temps being the norm. Now that I have the humidity controlled to 45% I get maybe 1 or 2 small clogs a month.
Bottom line for me when the temps have always been cool is there is about a 75% improvement (less clogs)with humidity control.
« Last Edit: March 24, 2014, 03:32:50 pm by Dan Berg »
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