Epson R1800 ink pad blockage

[free1000]

I have an R1800 that I've recently had working beautifully after not using it for a couple of years.

I printed about 100 6x4 to 7x5 size prints on Epson Glossy before trying some watercolour paper to make a B&W print that the printer handled poorly, feeding several pieces at once resulting a lot of black ink being smeared around.

I then cleaned out the obvious ink and nozzle checked,  the nozzle checks show black ink polluting the red/blue/and gloss optimiser outputs.

Opening up the printer and moving the printer head aside reveals that the right hand of the two pads which the dirty heads rest upon is very wet with black ink.  The attached image shows this.

I thought that the issue might be that the waste ink reservoir was now full, and backing up so making the pad wet with ink, so I fitted a product called the 'Printer Potty' which provides an external waste ink tank. This installed very easily and is showing some ink draining into it.

However after running a nozzle check, it seems that the black ink pad is still soaked with ink and the photo shows this current state.

I'm now wondering if some kind of cleaner or solvent might work its way into that pad and clear whatever is causing this amount of ink to build up.

Does anyone have an experience of fixing this issue?
 

[Ferp]

Your best bet is probably to run the Inkjetmall small format printer cleaning routine using their Piezoflush cleaning solution and related products, although the phrase "after not using it for a couple of years" may imply difficult-to-solve problems, despite it appearing to work well recently.  Plus it must be an old printer by now, and these things don't last forever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUysQFDH6u0

[free1000]

Thanks for that link.

Yes, it may just need dumping, worth a last attempt at cleaning. It has done pretty good service. 

[Ferp]

Please let us whether or not you have any success. 

I read your initial post again and I noticed that your problems seemed to have started around the time that you had a paper misfeed with several sheets going through at once.  Didn't pick that up at a quick first read.  My hunch is that there is ink smeared around under the print head as a result, and the under the print head cleaning routine in that IJM video may be needed, although that capping station looks ugly and I'd give that a thorough clean as well.  You can minimize how much Piezoflush you use on the capping station by switching to distilled water once the flush has dissolved the worst of the ink.  Take your time and be careful and you may get lucky.

[snowrs]

Check out this YouTube video for he R2000 by Jose Rodriquez.  Same applies to your printer.  really good.  Also, I think there is one on the InkJetMall for 'cleaning epson inkjet heads' that is well worth watching.

bob snow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRZU1_XD7xE

[Ferp]

The Injetmall video is the one that I linked to in post 2.  The IJM video has several advantages over Jose's:  (i)  It's way shorter at 7:36 compared to 36:18; (ii) Dana is way more concise and to the point than Jose, who seems to waffle on because he likes the sound of his own voice; and (iii) Dana recommends Piezoflush whereas Jose recommends (at 4:55) ammonia-based window cleaner.

This last point is one of those hotly-debated issues, but my sense is that the LULA consensus is against using ammonia-based Windex.  The concern is that fast drying solvents can damage the print head.  It may be less damaging when used to clean the capping station, although I'd use distilled water afterwards to wash it away and avoid any risk of Windex getting on the print head.  People may say that IJM are just promoting their own, more expensive products, and while that's true, it is a safer and still effective option, and it doesn't stink!