Epson C82 head clogged

xmastree

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I was given an Epson C82, not working. The previous owner had tried to clean the head but when he reassembled it, it just made strange noises. :( At that point he gave up and offered it for free, so I took it.

I fired it up, and it did indeed make a strange noise. So I opened it up and saw that when turned on, all that happened was the feed motor ran for about half a second then stopped. I poked around here and there, and turned my attention to the big roller at the back. I tried to see if it would turn, it did, and something, somewhere, clunked into place.

I powered it up again and it seemed fine. Head moving, rollers moving etc. :)

So, I did a print test and the head is well and truly blocked. There is some black and magenta, but nothing else.

The cartridges in it aren't Epson, they're Xprint, and appear to contain ink.

I was also given some Cleaning cartridges, manufactured by pressit. These appear to have been opened, but may still contain some fluid.

What do you guys think? Should I try them?
 

ghwellsjr

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This printer uses pigment-based Durabrite inks which have a tendency to clog, especially when the printer is not used for weeks at a time. I successfully unclogged a different Epson printer, so I'm guessing yours would be similar.

First, use Windex wipes folded over to make a thick pad about an inch wide by several inches long to clean the underside of the print head, shoe-shine fashion.

Then you have to unclog the tubing used to prime the printhead. You will see a foam type pad over to the right where the head parks. Unplug the printer when the head is off to the left to gain access to the pad and its tubing. If this printer is like the one I worked on, you can pull one end of the tubing off and use a syringe to force ammonia based Windex down it and to suck the ink residue up. Repeated applications will eventually get the tubing clear.

You need to get the printer to go through a priming cycle to verify that it works. If it is hooked up to your computer, there may be a utility to do this, otherwise, installing empty cartridges and then fresh ones will get it to prime the print head. Put some Windex on the pad and see if it disappears during the priming cycle.

For more details, search on my user name and epson clog.
 

xmastree

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ghwellsjr said:
First, use Windex wipes folded over to make a thick pad about an inch wide by several inches long to clean the underside of the print head, shoe-shine fashion.
What's the UK equivalent of windex? I gather it's a window cleaner, what's the active ingredient which works for print heads?

For more details, search on my user name and epson clog.
I searched, but didn't find. Could you please point me to the specific post?

Thanks.

Oh, I tried the cleaning cartridges, but they didn't help.
 

ghwellsjr

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I believe the equivalent to Windex in the UK is Windolene but I don't think it has ammonia in it. I don't think ammonia products are sold in the UK. Some people use diluted alcohol. Actually, you can use just distilled water. Some people like to use hot water.

I'm guessing you put my name in the keyword field instead of the author field?

Anyway, here are the links:

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=8346#p8346

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=8196#p8196

Cleaning cartridges aren't likely to work for the same reasons the ink cartridges don't work. The clogs may not even be in the print head. You may have dried ink painted on the bottom of the print head which is the reason to use the window wipes in shoeshine fashion. But much more likely is the tubing in the purge unit. Once you see it, you'll know if it is clogged. The main action that cleans it is the force from the syringe pushing and pulling any solution into it.

Let us know how things go.
 

xmastree

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Right, I had a go today. Took the head out completely and used windolene on it. No idea what was in it, the label didn't say...
Anyway, it did seem to shift the ink so there may be hope. The underside of the print head looks nice and clean. I took out the sponge, and cleaned that, but not the actual tube, which I now realise might be the real problem.

However, it now prints blank sheets... I guess it needs this tube to purge the head?

The thing is, I'm reluctant to buy new cartridges right now, as I'm unsure about the state of the thing and what the previous owner has done.
 

ghwellsjr

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You don't need to buy new cartridges yet. You can tell when the tube is clear by putting windolene or even water on the sponge and running a cleaning cycle. I didn't have to remove the sponge on the Epson printer I fixed; didn't even know it was removable. There was a tube attachment right next to the sponge that allowed me to break into the tubing and clean from there.

You need the tubing clear not only to purge the head but to prime it--that is, to get the ink flowing the first time.
 

xmastree

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I can get at each end of the tube. Where it attaches to the underside of the sponge, and where it connects to the waste tank. I guess it shouldn't be too difficult to force some liquid down it. I did notice, as it was doing its thing, that there was some liquid ink moving in the tube, but it didn't move much, and ended up in the same place.
Thinking about it, this could indicate a blockage.
 

ghwellsjr

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You will need to force liquid down and suck it back up--many, many times to get it clear. Make sure all the paths are clear.
 

xmastree

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Do you know if the tube's removable at all? that would make it easier as being soft it could be massaged to help clear it. Also, I understand it's a peristaltic pump. That would mean the tube has to be pinched at some point. Is it still possible to get liquid past this point?
 

ghwellsjr

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That would explain why it takes so much work to dissolve the clog. I wouldn't try to remove it; that would only guarantee a major repair job. Just work at it--you'll get it cleaned.
 
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