I just wanted to share some pictures of the purge unit from my ip3000. I've learned a lot of useful stuff on this forum and maybe posting this information will help someone else.
For those that don't know, the purge unit is a vacuum pump that sucks ink through the printhead to keep it clear of blockages. It runs from time to time during normal use and can be invoked with the maintenance commands for cleaning and deep cleaning. If ink is still not flowing properly after you have cleaned the printhead, it may be that the purge unit is not working. It can get blocked with dried ink just like the printhead.
On the iP3000 the purge unit is at the right hand side. If you open the lid you can see the two pads that contact the underside of the printhead. There's one for the black and another for the three colours. To get access to the unit for testing and cleaning you have to remove the top and bottom parts of the plastic case. You can then (with some difficulty) remove the entire purge unit. There are two screws holding it to the chassis at the front and a metal bracket that locks it from the rear. The trouble is that it is almost impossible to unscrew the metal bracket because there is a motor in the way. I managed to do it by removing a nearby screw that holds the chassis together and then gently bending and twisting the chassis to get access. You also have to remove a screw that holds a black plastic part that runs right across the front of the printer.
This is where I intend to post the actual pictures I took. But, as a new member, I can't do that yet.
For those that don't know, the purge unit is a vacuum pump that sucks ink through the printhead to keep it clear of blockages. It runs from time to time during normal use and can be invoked with the maintenance commands for cleaning and deep cleaning. If ink is still not flowing properly after you have cleaned the printhead, it may be that the purge unit is not working. It can get blocked with dried ink just like the printhead.
On the iP3000 the purge unit is at the right hand side. If you open the lid you can see the two pads that contact the underside of the printhead. There's one for the black and another for the three colours. To get access to the unit for testing and cleaning you have to remove the top and bottom parts of the plastic case. You can then (with some difficulty) remove the entire purge unit. There are two screws holding it to the chassis at the front and a metal bracket that locks it from the rear. The trouble is that it is almost impossible to unscrew the metal bracket because there is a motor in the way. I managed to do it by removing a nearby screw that holds the chassis together and then gently bending and twisting the chassis to get access. You also have to remove a screw that holds a black plastic part that runs right across the front of the printer.
This is where I intend to post the actual pictures I took. But, as a new member, I can't do that yet.
