Epson 3800 and Inkrepublic HELP please

[Rocco]

Hi everybody,

first of all I apologise for my poor english.
I need some help.
Two days ago I've installed 3800 I refill from Inkrepublic. I did everything I they wrote in instructions. I performed a nozzle check before installing the system and everything worked fine.
Yesterday I tried to perform an auto nozzle check and my printer was not able to finish. It prints something like half test and then appear an error message "cleaning error press the cancel / reset button".
I wrote to inkrepublic and Amanda responded me in few minute but anything she suggested me was able to solve the problem.
I've tried to perform a manual nozzle check and printer completed it but some nozzle seem clogged. I have already consumed a lot of inks trying to solve with normal and power clean cycle.

What can I do? I'm I'm scared of having damaged my printer.
Thanks in advance.

Rocco

 

[pharmacist]

Hi Rocco,

I think your problem is air. Never execute the power cleaning cycle. The way how Inkrepublic.com is suggesting to fill the cartridges is not the right one. The cartridges need to be primed to remove the ink from the slope of the cartridge. The reason is that there is alot of air in the piping system.

So let it stand for a 24 hours and wait. Test the nozzles and perform a light cleaning cycle. If it doesn't completely solve the problem, let it stay for a few hours and check the nozzles again. Just executing cleaning cycles in a row will make things worse.

 

[Rocco]

Thank you for the answer. I'll do what you suggest.
Only to know why you said never power cleaning clycle ?
In this situation or at all ?
I'll give you news in next days...
Rocco

 

[irvweiner]

Rocco, visit Ross Hardie;s Inkjetcarts site (http://www.inkjetcarts.us/support/a...ble-cartridge-installation-tutorial-file.html)

Search for his article on the initial priming of the refillable carts or email him asking where to find the article. I purchased my 3880 system from him but have not yet installed it, will do so as I 'empty' my OEM carts.

Do read and review all his info on the 3880 setup, it should supplement the info from Inkrepublic.

Let me know how you succeed, you will!
Dont hesitate to email me for aid, I've been studying this system for a while. Search on this site for more info, pharmacist has posted 'tons' or kilos of how to on the 3800-3880 family. It was due to his generous efforts highlighting this superb printer that I stepped out and bought it.

good luck irv weiner

 

[dargus]

Hi. I am having the same issue. And I'm desparate as I need to get some serious work printed within the next two weeks.

I installed my i-Refill for the 3800 this past weekend. After following the instructions I ran a nozzle check and everything was perfect and ready to go. I made around twenty 5x7's on Ilford Smooth Pearl and I was extremely pleased with how closely the colors matched to the Epson OEM inks. The prints looked fab, time to work on my portfolio prints for my Ralph Gibson workshop in mid-March.

But now the fun begins - severe clogging issues.

A day after making the 5x7's I made an 8.5x11 print. Again, looked great, perfect actually. I made a second print immediatley after and, voila, vertical banding is very apparent. So, I run a nozzle check and my PK ink pattern is near-invisible. I then run a 'Normal' cleaning cycle and do a nozzle/print check. Suddenly three inks are out of whack, almost invisible. I run a total of five Normal clean cycles and it gets worse and more bizarre, no consistency after each cleaning.

BTW I have NEVER had a clogging issue with the OEM inks after three years of owning this printer.

I then run my first ever 'Power' cleaning with zero improvement. I run a second one, same results, so, **as per the instructions**, let it sit overnight. This morning I did a 'Power' cleaning and zero improvement. I ran two 'Regular' cleanings after that, same problem but now I've used about 30% of my inks and the Maintenance Cart is giving me a 'Full' warning.

I emailed Inkrepublic who, gratefully, responded promptly but just told me to run another 'Power' cycle followed by a 'Regular' cycle. This seems pointless to me as I've run ten cleaning cycles now.

**Now I'm reading that you shouldn't run a Power Cleaning cycle - whew. Why would Inkrepublic include that in their instructions? I'm very confused over this.

Can anybody please help me on this? I've gone from elation to deflation very fast and I fear my printer is damaged due to these inks. And, I need to get my portfolio printed ASAP - Murphy's Law?

Thanks in advance

 

[pharmacist]

Now wait a minute and a deep breath: most obviously is that the cartridges do not feed the ink well. Before my system was working optimal I had an issue with the PK cartridge and it was caused by a defective valve.

You should take out the cartridges with the affected lost of ink and take a piece of tissue paper wrapped around the ink outlet and push the valve in with a blunt stick (chinese chopstick or the flat end of a bamboo screwer). It must stain the paper immediately without making a sizzling sound and bubles, if it does sizzle (trapped air), check if the paper stains with ink after the sizzles stop, if not then your cartridge is defective.

You can push some extra air into the cartridge by giving a few blasts of compressed air from tin of air on the pressure inlet valve of the cartridge and doe the tissue paper test again. The ink must come out almost immediately and should stain the paper without sizzling sounds. Then put the cartridges back into your printer.

Now execute a cleaning cycle. It might not work immediately and there can be still some missing nozzles. Let it stay for an hour or more and execute a normal cleaning cycle again. Most missing nozzles should now be gone, if not let it rest for an hour or more and first have a manual nozzle check. Chances are great the few missing nozzles are now restored, if not do another and last cleaning cycle. NEVER EVER do an automated nozzle check, because the system will become crazy and the printer will pump to much causing the ink to become frothy and this will introduce more and more trapped air into the tubing system, which will you give you the feeling the printer is clogged, but it is just trapped air !!! If the cleaning cycles are consecutive in row then the problem will persist even worse.

If there is still no improvement on the troublesome colour: take out the cartridge out and press again the valve and see if ink is coming out smoothly without sizzling sounds. If it sizzles and only some bubbles are coming out from the cartridge, then you know your cartridge is defective and should be replaced.

 

[dargus]

Thanks Pharmacist, much appreciated.

I must say, though, that it is disappointing that a person must go through this to get it to work correctly. I would hope that the product I am paying $360 for works if one follows the manufacturer's instructions. Nevermind the large quantity of ink I am wasting. They certainly advertise the product on their website as being user-friendly but this is a case of 'buyer beware' which is very disappointing. For us 'average' non-technical users, I'm not sure what we'd do without the generous advice that you provide. I do not have the time to get anything replaced and may have to forfeit $360 hard earned dollars and go back to Epson inks due to time constraints. I simply don't have the time to experiment to get the product to work correctly (other than running cleaning cycles) nor am I sure I can follow your instructions clearly, but I appreciate your help very much (my problem being I'm not mechnically inclined).

My question is why it ran so perfectly and suddenly was clogged so badly?

Sorry for the rant, I will do what I can do

Thanks again!

 

[pharmacist]

Actually the best system are still the original Epson cartridges. The problem is that Inkrepublic.com does not mentioning the necessary priming of the cartirdges. They just tell you to install the cartridges, pour the ink in, close and print, but the slope of the cartridge does hold a lot of air and this will be pumped into the tubing system and after several pages, you will be faced with mssing nozzles, making you think: Ohh, no the printer is clogged, but it is actually trapped air.

Actually inkjetcarts.us selling the same type of cartridges does show a video how to prime the cartridges, before putting them into the printer. And I discovered this step to late, having me experienced the same problems like you are doing now. You must prime the cartridges and let the ink rest for several hours to let the trapped air to rise to the surface.

Another problem is that the ink must be swirled (NOT shaken, as tiny air bubbles are trapped into the ink and released later on in the tubing system and again causing "clogs"). Always refill the cartridges at the end of the day and let the ink stand overnight for the trapped air bubbles to escape to the surface. Do not print immediately after refilling. If you do so the microscopic air bubbles will coagulate later to larger ones and bang: missing nozzles making you think the ink is clogging your printhead.

I hope this will help

 

[dargus]

Thank-you sir, you're knowledge sharing is kind and generous! I would have never been able to be aware of these issues on my own.

 

[dargus]

I just finished watching the very informative video on the inkjetcarts.us website. It was titled 'Pro 3800 100ml Refillables Part 2'. It clearly demonstrates how to prime the cart prior to the initial installation of the cartridge. Since I've already installed and used the carts can I pull them out and still prime them as per the video - I believe this is what you were instructing me to do in the above post. Thanks again.