leaked ink inside a 1430

[Paul W.]

I have a refurbed Epson 1430 which I bought a year or two ago. It's been "in mothballs", I had it set aside for the day my 1400 reached retirement age. The 1430 was stored with Piezoflush filled carts - I gave it a nozzle check once a month and they're usually perfect. Once in a while it took a head cleaning or two, using the built-in utility, to get a good nozzle check.

It was time to bring the 1430 into service. I decided to install a Printer Potty while the printer was still clean. I've installed these myself on a 1400 and a 220 with great success. The tricky part for me was not connecting the tubing but opening the printer housing to get at the tubes. I decided to give myself a treat and this time pay a local computer repair shop to install the Potty. I next installed a fresh set of carts from InkJet Mall, filled with the Eboni-based inkset.

I started with a nozzle check, but the paper came out blank. I did a few more nozzle checks... then got an almost perfect check. Potty was still empty. I lifted the printer lid, noticed the ink pad was overflowing. I looked under the printer and found a puddle of ink on my desk. In the midst of all this, I got a screeching sound for a second or two. I've notified my repair guy, but it's early Monday morning, the shop won't open for a few hours.

There are ink splatters here and there in the area surrounding the head = it's going to be a tough cleaning job. Is there any permanent damage? Hard to tell at this point.

Any thoughts, condolences?

 

[Paul W.]

I finally took it in to printer repair shop and they did a fine job of fixing my problem. The Printer Potty tube had not been installed properly, it was pinched. So the ink nowhere to go and formed the puddle underneath. The tech freed up the pinched area of the tubing to allow ink to flow again and also cleaned up the ink inside.

All is well!

 

[websnail]

In the midst of all this, I got a screeching sound for a second or two.

Having just responded to your cd/dvd tray query I think you've provided a clue as to what happened there. It sounds a lot like the repair folk may have removed more panels and/or parts than were strictly necessary to fit the Printer Potty, or that the printer wasn't as carefully handled as it might otherwise be and something has knocked loose.. A screech indicates that the printhead got jammed on something which in turn means that something was in there.

I'm wondering now if there's a foreign body (plastic scrap, printer part, etc..) in the printer near the dvd/cd mechanism that is camouflaged by a lot of waste ink. A strong light and a careful inspection of the printer inside, slot for printed output, etc.. might locate something amiss.

 

[Paul W.]

Thank you, I'm a bit late. Some other household issues cropped up.

I'll be taking my printer to my repair guy tomorrow (today is Sunday). He's very good, not the person who may have caused all this. I'll ask him to take a look at your good suggestions.

Paul

 

[Paul W.]

Took my printer in yesterday, Monday, and midmorning today he called to say it was ready! Turned out to simply be a pair of wires was mixed up! Works like a charm now. My repair guy didn't charge anything, said he should have checked the DVD/CD tray at the previous job (Printer Potty had been installed poorly and a pinched tube caused some ink spillage.) Very fair of him, I thought.

See my other thread for more info. Titled something like "noise when opening or shutting front panel".

Thanks, everyone!