4800 clogging

[nihil]

I've been having more and more clogs with my epson 4800 lately. It usually needs two cleaning cycles for each startup before it's good (I only use it once a week probably). But yesterday the 4800 sucked 93ml(!) ink down the drain during repeated nozzlecheck/cleancycles. Now I wonder if I'm brave enough to turn it on again.

The oldest ink cartridges have not yet reached six months, only five months. But I wonder if that causes the problem still. Sadly I now use a lot more ink for cleaning than for printing.

Can anyone give me some advice? Would it help to take out the cartridges and shake them a bit every now and then?

[Tim Gray]

I think you have to bite the bullet and do a power clean.  It will chew up a whack of ink but if you're constantly running basic cleaning cycles it should help and will be more economical in the long run.  My (successful) experience is with a 4000 but it should be similar.  FWIW this is the advice I got from the epson pro help line.

[Gene Coggins]

I've been having more and more clogs with my epson 4800 lately. It usually needs two cleaning cycles for each startup before it's good (I only use it once a week probably). But yesterday the 4800 sucked 93ml(!) ink down the drain during repeated nozzlecheck/cleancycles. Now I wonder if I'm brave enough to turn it on again.

The oldest ink cartridges have not yet reached six months, only five months. But I wonder if that causes the problem still. Sadly I now use a lot more ink for cleaning than for printing.

Can anyone give me some advice? Would it help to take out the cartridges and shake them a bit every now and then?
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Check to see if you are getting bubbles in the ink transfer tubes. This may be the problem rather than a clog.

As soon as the printer starts to run a nozzle check, open the lid. The printer will stop and the print head will be free to move it by hand. Look between the gray ribbon cable and the ink tubes for bubbles. If you see a lot of big bubbles, do a regular head check (as opposed to auto). I did this a couple of times to clear the bubbles and its a lot cheaper than a power clean.

I am having a similar problem but with bubbles in the lines. Just not as frequently. I plan to call Epson tech support about this matter tomorrow.

Gene

[nihil]

Thanks for the replies. I will try the head check instead next time. I've seen some bubbles appear often in the yellow lines, which is most visible on the top.

I forgot to tell I have disabled the auto cleaning procedures in the control panel for a long time, and instead started cleanings only when needed. Should this rather be left on, as it is by default?

Another thing, when running the auto nozzle checks, and it prints the pattern and then automatically examines them to see if a cleaning cycle is needed - I've usually found the initial color clogged is fine after one round of cleaning, but then another has gone wrong, and after cleaning that maybe three others are clogged again. What's up with this?

[Peter McLennan]

Another thing, when running the auto nozzle checks, and it prints the pattern and then automatically examines them to see if a cleaning cycle is needed - I've usually found the initial color clogged is fine after one round of cleaning, but then another has gone wrong, and after cleaning that maybe three others are clogged again. What's up with this?
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Your experience mirrors mine exactly.  Auto head clean always results in clean heads, but with initially worse clogging as cleaning progresses and significant ink use while doing so.

[Brian Gilkes]

I too have had the experience of cleaning ,only to find other nozzles become blocked. What happens is that crud is being smeared from one place to another. Power cleaning does the trick, but there must be some way of washing the print head and bed to clean things up with something less expensive than ink. Does anyone have experience with such a procedure?

If this type if blocking happens repeatedly it is also worthwhile to attempt to ascertain the cause, and to try to reduce the problem.
A few things to look for:
Dust in air, cotton fibres from cutter or original packing, insects , flakey coatings.
It would help a lot of people if manufacturers designed printers so that dust cannot fall into printing area and also provided fitting plastic  dust covers with the printer.
On our part we have to look at sealed studios, air filters, electrostatic dust removers and vacuumed papers.
Any other suggestions?
Cheers,
Brian
www.pharoseditions.com.au

[Montelle]

On the advice of Epson, I have started turning off the printer when I won't be running a print for more than half an hour.  I have noticed an improvement, but not complete elimination of the problem.  Instead of running cleaning cycles, when I have a clog I have learned to just turn off the printer for a few hours or overnight.  This is often successful, though not always.  At least it doesn't cause a number of other heads to clog up, as described above by Nihil, and it doesn't waste ink.

This is a serious problem, and Epson needs to hear from us - and Michael.

[tsjanik]

Nihil:

Bubbles in the lines is normal, the print head is designed to eliminate them (I got this from an Epson tech).  I’ve had bubbles since I got the 4800 with few problems.   As for shutting off the auto clean, I did that once and decided it was penny-wise and pound-foolish.  I’ve had only one clog since October and that, I’m convinced, was caused by Innova gloss curling into the print head.

[nihil]

As for shutting off the auto clean, I did that once and decided it was penny-wise and pound-foolish.  I’ve had only one clog since October and that, I’m convinced, was caused by Innova gloss curling into the print head.

Thanks. I'll try and see what happens with auto clean ON for a while. I can't believe you only got a single clog since last year! Got some special trick to share?  

[tjanik]

Thanks. I'll try and see what happens with auto clean ON for a while. I can't believe you only got a single clog since last year! Got some special trick to share? 
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I wish I could tell you why my 4800 has been so clog free, I can only describe how it’s used:  I am a light and sporadic user (only on my 2nd set of inks).  Sometimes I leave the printer on, sometimes off, no real pattern although generally it’s on unless I know it won’t be used for awhile.  It is in a fairly cold room, high 50’s F in the winter and when the weather warms the humidity rises so  evaporation from the head should be at a minimum (evaporation has been suggested as a possible cause for clogs).

I also shake the cartridges during an ink change, not just the one I’m changing.  I have no information that the pigment settles over time, but just a precaution. I don’t perform many nozzle checks, only if the printer hasn’t been used or if I’m using a particularly expensive paper.  Two nozzle checks usually clear any blockage.  I’ve done only three head cleanings in the time I’ve had the printer. Two of which occurred after my recent disaster will the curling Innova.  Like other posters I saw new nozzles blocked after one cleaning.  In my case the LLK was blocked, so head clean, then the M was completely blocked, clean, everything fine.  Who knows?

Good luck

[Jack Flesher]

This is a serious problem, and Epson needs to hear from us - and Michael.
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Good luck.  I reported this very issue with my 4800 over a year ago when I first got it and no help or even aknowledgement from Epson there was a problem, nada...