Epson printheads Usage History Sheet and poor nozzle check

[Team8]

Hi

I am new on this forum, read it all over, but still not find what was looking for.

So, We own few Epsons WF-5620 and WF-5690 with ciss and pigment ink - 3rd party - Inktec. And on one WF-5690 with about 20.000 pages printed we have one BK dot missing on Print head Nozzle check. See photo. This dot is always missign on the same spot. We did many cleaning but no success. Also try to put spunge with cleaning solution under the printhead and the results are the same. All other dots can we fix but not this one (we did about 1000 pages from when we first noticed it).

Here are my questions:
1. Any other solution that could work or is this nozzle broke.

2. How far (how many prints) did you go with one Epson printhhead with 3rd party pigment inks. And which ink you use. WE are From EU so we prefer to that suplier is from EU.

Thx

Best regards

 

[The Hat]

1. Any other solution that could work or is this nozzle broke.

@Team8, I wouldn’t let that one missing segment bother me, because you won’t see any difference when printing, it won’t matter...

 

[Team8]

Thx

can not see it on the paper that is true, but would like to know will now more follow or ..., because Epson printhead should last long but I dont know ...

 

[Team8]

Hi

after a few more 1.000 pages we get more blind spots around this one. Any idea what could cause this.

Best regards

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

There are some steps you can take before you go for the Epson service.

Epson printheads last long , pretty long, I'm doing 50 000 to 80 000 pages of internet stuff with small L382 and alike models.
You may try this - look for the WicReset utility on the Internet and run it, it has a function button for cleaning cycles, probably with different levels of intensity (this may be available for your printer or not - I don't know and can't check for that) and there is a button for 'Ink charge' or similar, which starts the initial ink loading, it consumes some ink since the tubes in your printer are already loaded , but you are using refill ink, so you don't pay the Epson price for that amount of ink. This ink charge is heaviest cleaning you can get on an Epson printer.
And there are further steps possible - get a separate set of refill cartridges, fill the black one with a cleaner, run the ink charge 2x. And you may consider using another black ink - not InkTec. your problem may be ink related - or not - it is difficult to say - it could be possible, so using another ink may keep your printer running longer without more clogs. But it is overall difficult to say whether one ink would cause clogs easier than another ink, nobody is doing such lifetime tests with different inks.

 

[mikling]

Assuming the nozzles are physically good and it can work. Don't always assume the printhead is perfect and the clog exists. It can be a clog or it can be an imperfect printhead. We always seem to assume it is the ink clogging. And then again it can also be air. Printer is firing blanks.....Squeezing air and not ink. So three possibiilities exist. Not one. Keep this in mind. No magic solution is going to clear all clogs. Snake Oil salesmen will sell that. No magic solution will clear air. Snake oil again. No magic solution will bring back an imperfect printer nozzle. You have to determine what is the likely cause and that takes work and experience and even then. There is always an element of being wrong.

 

[Emulator]

Snake Oil is an interesting topic. (see reference below)

https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/08/26/215761377/a-history-of-snake-oil-salesmen

 

[stratman]

https://www.quackwatch.org/

 

[mikling]

Oh, yeah. Epson printheads are not as tough as they used to be. Their increased nozzle density and newer piezo material and their newest fab methods to lower cost make them not as durable as they used to be. Do recall 15 years ago, Epson offered a lifetime warranty on their printheads. Today.....that is a dream..for a reason. Things ain't used to be like they was. Heck my shoulder hurts and is tight every morning now. I ain't used to be skookum as I was. But I can claim a bigger number on birthdays. At least I get more of something.

 

[guymark]

Hi Team 8

It's completely upto you BUT if you would like to send me a private message, I will give you my address. Bung me a LARGE SAE and I will send you some printhead cleaner I use on my Epson 9600. It's an old printer but it uses pigment inks and (without wishing to tempt fate), the cleaner has NEVER failed to clear a blockage. As others have said though, if the nozzle is not blocked but damaged or not being driven - then the cleaner will not help - though might be useful for other (genuine) blockages at a later time.

The solution is mostly distilled (not just de-ionised) water but has 0.5% of 14.8M ammonium hydroxide, somewhat more of propan-1-ol, limonene and a few other mild chemicals too. In essence, I researched the MSDS of several printhead unblockers, researched each chemical used and made my own solution. I avoided a couple which seemed unsuitable for a "soak" - and foscussed on those which should not harm a printhead of left in it for days at a time. Hence the ammonium hydroxide solution is very weak.

If you send me an SAE I will send you back 50-100ml (depending on what container I can find) for the princely sum of nowt. Just make sure you stick a stamp on the envelope you send. I make no guarantees BUT I used it to flush all my ink lines and clean the head if I have been away etc and let the pigment ink accumulate. I have also given some to other friends over the last year with "nothing to lose dead heads". No complaints yet.

As always, do not drink, leave near children etc etc. That said I have spilled plenty on me, my clothes and rug and other than doing a spot of unplanned cleaning, it seems harmless enough.

Same offer to any other folks on here - so long as you cover the P&P by sending me a stamped addressed envelope, I will send you 50-100ml depending on what container I find to hand. would welcome feedback - and happy for it to be public on here - whether it made no difference at all - or solve the problem. I have NEVER had a head get worse from it - but understand if you only want to try a "nowt to lose" head which other cleaners are not sorting.

If you have a wide format printer AND have given feedback on here to help others and need rather more than 100ml, I will try and give you a bit extra. For A4 / A3 printers though, 50ml ought to do the job with plenty to spare. All I ask is the SAE and feedback.

Kind Regards

Mark