Epson 900 Series Anecdote: American Inkjet Systems Fluid

[John Caldwell]

This is a simple report of a personal experience with the American Inkjet Systems cleaning fluid in our 4900 and 9900 machines. I don't misrepresent this as a randomized, double-blind, clinical trial. The experience has impressed me enough that I wanted to offer it as a data point to the group.

I've been applying the CLF007P fluid to the 4900 & 9900 capping station ~ 3 times weekly on both machines, for the last several months. I've had mixed feelings about this process, based upon a lingering concern over the lack of general discussion about the cleaning product, and why Epson would not themselves offer a similar product if the idea had such genuine merit. Having said that, my rate of head clogs really has appeared to decline, and I'm inclined to point to the fluid application as a possible source of the improvement in clogs. Still though, I felt reluctance given a bad experience many months ago with a 4900 channel dropout when I first began fluid application, and for which my 4900 machine was replaced under warranty. I now believe, in retrospect, that that channel failure may have represented air entrainment rather than a clog, but I can't say that with certainty. I don't know what role, if any, the cleaning fluid played in that channel dropout.

What I did want to report today is that our 4900 and 9900 sat completely unused, idle and not turned on, an entire 9 week period - ending two days ago. Knowing that I would not be not able to operate the printers, I did apply the CLF007P solution to the capping stations before final shutdown. The period of non-use was associated with a change to early Pittsburgh winter weather, with humidity levels falling in a typical way. On rebooting the printers two days ago, the 9900 nozzle check was 95% intact before any cleaning; 100% intact after a single regular cleaning. The 4900 nozzle check was only 15% clean on reboot, but about 98% clean after a single regular cleaning. I began printing with both machines after these regular cleanings, and prints show no banding.

To me this is news. In the pre-cleaning solution days, I'd scarcely get away with two or three days of non-use, let alone 9 weeks. I am inclined to point to the use of the cleaning solution as a benefit here, but I insist that this is simply my personal anecdote to share. I have no angle whatsoever with American Inkjet, and share here only because I felt some might be interested.

Any and all comments are welcomed, of course.

John Caldwell
Pittsburgh, PA

[Stefan Wood]

I have been using this cleaning fluid for a year, on both an EPSON 9600 and a 4000.  I wet the capping stations regularly, once a week.  Both printers are in a large room on the ground floor in my townhome where it stays cool no matter the season.  No clogging issues.  I highly recommend it.  They even sell a stronger cleaning fluid for those with more stubborn clogs.

[Mike Guilbault]

John... I applied the solution to my 4900 and 9900 before I left for the holidays a week and a half ago. 

My 4900 had a bad (6 weeks or more) PK clog and minor VLM & LC clogs and after applying the 7P+ solution, the PK cleared up completely, but it still has some problems with the VLM and LC channels that were not nearly as bad as the PK - but still there.  I turned the printer on today after 12 days and nothing has changed - at lease it didn't get worse.

On my 9900 I applied the 7P solution just before leaving and today when I turned it on I had a complete block of my Yellow - but that has been ongoing and talking to Epson, they say it could be the cartridge.  It's just starting to run out so I have a new one to replace it with and we'll see. So I did a cleaning and as usual it cleared up completely.  Looking good.

However, I just ran a print through and I'm getting banding - which I never did before - and using the same settings I've always used on Epson Cold Press Natural paper.  In fact, the last print I made before leaving was a similar image on the same paper with no banding. 

Here's a photo with the banding in the shadow area.  The skin tones look awesome and it doesn't show up there - only in the shadow. (the exposure is off in this photo to show the banding).

[Mike Guilbault]

I just did a normal clean on all channels and the banding is gone.

[JeffW]

John,

Is the cleaning solution you are talking about the same as piezo flush? I have had a complete dropout of the VM channel. I put in the cart full of Piezo flush and did a line charge procedure with the serviceman program. For whatever reason, I am still not getting anything thru the channel.

Do you think that if I place the cleaning solution in the capping station I might get it to start printing again? I am desperate at this point and willing to try something else

Jeff

[BrianWJH]

John,

Is the cleaning solution you are talking about the same as piezo flush? Jeff

Jeff, PiezoFlush is a Jon Cone (Inkjetmall.com) product,however it should do the job for you, after installing the flushing cart and doing a line charge did the nozzle check print with a pink color?

If not then you need to do additional cleaning cycles to flush the original ink until you see the pink color.

Brian H.

[JeffW]

Brian,

I installed the carts into VM and Cyan and ran several cleaning cycles and still had Cyan color and no VM. Does it take more than a couple to run it thru the system? My waste tank shows that it is filling up. I am thinking this may be a calculated value though? I ordered a chip resetter for the waste tank, unfortunately it does not appear to be working.

Thanks for the help, this last dropout has been a real challenge.

Jeff

[BrianWJH]

Do you think that if I place the cleaning solution in the capping station I might get it to start printing again?

Jeff

Jeff, if the Cyan channel is still producing Cyan ink then you must keep cleaning until the channels you are flushing begin to show the 'pink' colour of the flushing fluid, admittedly more difficult to detect with the Magenta ink.

However I would do as you suggest and put some flushing fluid on the capping station and leave at least overnight to a few days making sure the capping station is wet with the fluid during that time.

If after several days and finally further cleanings, the Magenta channel is still not producing anything then you might have to look deeper, it could be the damper is clogged or even a ink line clog, hopefully the flushing fluid will loosen any clogs after a couple of days and you will be on the road again.

Brian.

[John Chardine]

American Inkjet Systems supplies several strengths of cleaning fluids from a flush to a strong cleaner/lubricator for the capping station. I have been dealing with a stubborn clog (about 50%) in yellow on my 7600 and have been applying the strongest solution CLF007P+ to the cap every hour for 12 hours yesterday and now today (as per instructions on web site). Based on a nozzle check this AM, I'm almost there.

[Mike Guilbault]

I'm not sure if it was the AIS solutions that did it, or the new humidifier, but the clogs on my 4900, that I've had for 3 months, are completely gone now.  maybe it's a combination of both, but I turned my 4900 on this morning after almost two weeks of none use, and even the stubborn ones (power cleanings, etc., didn't fix) are clear now and firing on all channels.  Happy Camper!

FYI, the humidifier is keeping the room between 45 and 50% humidity.

[tsjanik]

Hi All:

FWIW, my experience with AIS: After 2.5 years of a trouble-free 4900, I developed an intractable clog in the PK channel.  I too had success with the AIS cleaning solutions.   

Tom

[huguito]

I have a 9600 that is used just for my own prints, she sits for days at the time.

I put a small squirt of fluid on the pad about once a month or every other month.

I use the fluid that they recommend to soak up the sponge in the parking station, its a yellow fluid, comes with a dropper, CLF007P

I rarely find cloggings on the print test, even after a week or more of no printing.

When I do find a small missing section in any of the colors on the test print, instead of running a cleaning cycle, I print a series of patches of pure colors. Its a 8.5 x 11 sheet image I made with patches of 4 square inches of each color on my ink set.

After one print of this sheet, 99% of the time, I always have a perfect test print

So far this has kept me out of trouble

Hugo