Raw & Post Processing, Printing > Printing: Printers, Papers and Inks
Anybody using a HUMIDIFIER in their printer room?
uintaangler:
I keep reading horror stories about large format Epson printers with clogged heads
Apparently low humidity is a serious contributor to this problem
I wouldn't be surprised to find out that during the winter months the humidity inside my house struggles to reach 10%
Can anybody recommend a humidifier that should work well in a room approximately 14' x 14' ?
Thanks,
Bob
hugowolf:
I use something like this. My print room is 15' x 15' x 12', and has doors that cut it off from the rest of the studio. I fill it once every 2-3 days, and first thing on Monday morning and at close on Saturday. The printer (9890) was fine the first year, but started gettting more missed nozzle print lines the second. I wished I had bought one from the start.
The price of them seems to rise, here on the east coast, as winter sets in. I think I may have paid $199 for it or a similar model.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Essick-Air-Products-AIRCARE-Decor-Series-5-gal-Evaporative-Humidifier-for-2900-sq-ft-HD1409/204364015?N=5yc1vZc4lvZ1z0u4xj
I would strongly advise against electrostatic humidifiers, they throw out white dust which is more detrimental than the lack of humidity. I would also avoid those that use heat to evaporate.
Brian A
Some Guy:
I made a vinyl 5-sided cover to cover the thing all the way to the bottom. Glued and seamed sealed all the corners. Then took about a tablespoon of those water-gel granules for plant moisture, sewed it into a sock, and put it in a soap dish under the cover. Good so far, knock on wood. Now it takes about 10-12 days to clog a nozzle, usually black followed by magenta.
I tried a couple of humidifiers in the room, but too many doors and hallways lead off so they really don't make much of a difference, maybe 3 points on the humidity scale. Poured several gallons in them every day with little effect. The A/C here runs a lot and the evaporator pulls what moisture we have out of the air and goes down the drain. Sometimes it might get as low as 5% humidity and the printers would clog in 2-3 days if not covered. The power bills hit $500 per month in this desert and 95% of that is probably the A/C unit that runs maybe 16 hours a day.
SG
Benny Profane:
--- Quote from: Some Guy on August 19, 2014, 12:33:33 am ---I made a vinyl 5-sided cover to cover the thing all the way to the bottom. Glued and seamed sealed all the corners. Then took about a tablespoon of those water-gel granules for plant moisture, sewed it into a sock, and put it in a soap dish under the cover. Good so far, knock on wood. Now it takes about 10-12 days to clog a nozzle, usually black followed by magenta.
I tried a couple of humidifiers in the room, but too many doors and hallways lead off so they really don't make much of a difference, maybe 3 points on the humidity scale. Poured several gallons in them every day with little effect. The A/C here runs a lot and the evaporator pulls what moisture we have out of the air and goes down the drain. Sometimes it might get as low as 5% humidity and the printers would clog in 2-3 days if not covered. The power bills hit $500 per month in this desert and 95% of that is probably the A/C unit that runs maybe 16 hours a day.
SG
--- End quote ---
Whoa! 5%? Jeez, you're the extreme example. What printer do you own and for how long have you owned it?
JayWPage:
--- Quote from: Some Guy on August 19, 2014, 12:33:33 am ---I made a vinyl 5-sided cover to cover the thing all the way to the bottom. Glued and seamed sealed all the corners. Then took about a tablespoon of those water-gel granules for plant moisture, sewed it into a sock, and put it in a soap dish under the cover. Good so far, knock on wood. Now it takes about 10-12 days to clog a nozzle, usually black followed by magenta.
SG
--- End quote ---
Although I have a much smaller desktop printer (an Epson 3880), I use a similar concept. I have a clear plastic tub which I invert over the printer when the printer is not in use. Inside I have a hydrometer and a small plastic dish with a wet sponge in it. The tub has some notches cut out of the rear edge for the printer cables. This set up works well at keeping dust off the printer and maintaining a higher local relative humidity around the printer. I can read the hydrometer through the plastic tub to see what the humidity is inside. I have left the printer like this for up to 3 weeks at a time without any problems.
I live in a semi-arid location which is normally pretty hot and dry in the summer, and I do have a heat pump which keeps my house at 26C when we are away.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version