Epson 4000 heads starting to clog

[IntegrityShirts]

Back when I did the refillable carts I didn't know about the whole, "fill 7 with cleaning solution and one with ink" idea. So I have ink in ALL carts but I need/want to switch to cleaning solution in 7 so I can hopefully clear them out and keep them clean in the event that my black cart clogs and I need to change heads for printing seps.

Should I just pull the carts, dump the ink back into my jug, fill with homemade cleaning solution, do a few head cleanings, and be done?

Printer prints fine as long as I have the clean head selected, but almost ALL the other heads are showing missing pieces in the nozzle checks.

Can you do nozzle checks on film or do you have to use paper?

Thanks!

[Sbrem]

that should/could work. I found recently that the homemade solution with ammonia is better than one with alcohol. Also, when you do repeated head cleanings, you will fill you maintenance cart, so get a couple extra of those in house. When it says it's full, you can't do anything with it until you install a new maintenance cartridge... at least that's how it works with my 3800...

Steve

[IntegrityShirts]

that should/could work. I found recently that the homemade solution with ammonia is better than one with alcohol. Also, when you do repeated head cleanings, you will fill you maintenance cart, so get a couple extra of those in house. When it says it's full, you can't do anything with it until you install a new maintenance cartridge... at least that's how it works with my 3800...

Steve

Thanks, your recipe is the one I was referring to:

16 oz. distilled water
2-3 oz. of Isopropyl Alcohol, the 90%+ type, not the 77%
drop of Dawn dishwashing liquid

So you're saying sub the alcohol with ammonia?

I have a resetter, does that not work with maintenance tanks? Mine is showing almost full but when I pull it out it barely has any ink in it, only in the middle of the white pads.

[jsheridan]

The ink is highly soluble in ethanol so if you know anyone with a still.. ask them to do a sugar run for you and fill the cart with that.

[Maxie]

On the 4000, if I remember correctly you should be able to reset the Maintenance cartridge.
I fill mine up with a little of the sand/stone like stuff I buy from the pet shop, they use it for cat litter.
I used window cleaner diluted with distilled water to fill the tanks I did not use.

[Sbrem]

that should/could work. I found recently that the homemade solution with ammonia is better than one with alcohol. Also, when you do repeated head cleanings, you will fill you maintenance cart, so get a couple extra of those in house. When it says it's full, you can't do anything with it until you install a new maintenance cartridge... at least that's how it works with my 3800...

Steve

Thanks, your recipe is the one I was referring to:

We were having an issue last week, and after repeated head cleanings, it just kept getting worse, so we did an overnight head soak with 50% Ammonia/Water and it opened up. Something about the alcohol evaporating and making ink dry. Anyway, we switched and so far it's running fine, though we haven't had to do a cleaning since. And yes, while looking around, I did find a video for resetting the maintenance cart, but didn't have time to read it LOL

Steve

16 oz. distilled water
2-3 oz. of Isopropyl Alcohol, the 90%+ type, not the 77%
drop of Dawn dishwashing liquid

So you're saying sub the alcohol with ammonia?

I have a resetter, does that not work with maintenance tanks? Mine is showing almost full but when I pull it out it barely has any ink in it, only in the middle of the white pads.

[StinkyDaddy]

 The maintenance reset procedure for Epson Stylus Pro 4000.

Turn off the printer
Hold down the three leftmost arrow buttons [left-arrow] [down-arrow] [up-arrow]
Turn on the printer
Release the buttons
A new menu will appear
Press the up/down arrows to get to the "Clear Counters" menu
Press RIGHT
Press the up/down arrows to get the "Maintenance Tank" menu
Clear the counter.
Turn off printer.
When you restart the printer, the maintenance tank should indicate 'Empty'

I just have a few paper towels in my tank. Most anything absorbent will do. You do need to keep an eye on it now and then, you don't want that overflowing.

[IntegrityShirts]

We were having an issue last week, and after repeated head cleanings, it just kept getting worse, so we did an overnight head soak with 50% Ammonia/Water and it opened up. Something about the alcohol evaporating and making ink dry. Anyway, we switched and so far it's running fine, though we haven't had to do a cleaning since. And yes, while looking around, I did find a video for resetting the maintenance cart, but didn't have time to read it LOL

Steve

How do you do a head soak? Do you remove the heads? Epsons are foreign to me. You don't have explain the procedure of removal, just shoot me off in the right direction.

The maintenance reset procedure for Epson Stylus Pro 4000.

Turn off the printer
Hold down the three leftmost arrow buttons [left-arrow] [down-arrow] [up-arrow]
Turn on the printer
Release the buttons
A new menu will appear
Press the up/down arrows to get to the "Clear Counters" menu
Press RIGHT
Press the up/down arrows to get the "Maintenance Tank" menu
Clear the counter.
Turn off printer.
When you restart the printer, the maintenance tank should indicate 'Empty'

I just have a few paper towels in my tank. Most anything absorbent will do. You do need to keep an eye on it now and then, you don't want that overflowing.

Nice! Thanks! My tank is definitely not full. Not sure why it's blinking that it's close. It did that right after I cleaned the heads. It's getting a reset today.

[Sbrem]

On my 3800, I shut it off, then power up again, and it goes through it's setup. When the head starts to move across the span of the printer, pull the plug. This will let you move the head back and forth by hand. Fold some paper towels up, wet them with the half water half ammonia solution, lay it in the track and move the head above it. If you move it back and forth a few times you'll see the ink coming off. The ammonia fumes will need some time, hence, do it at the end of the day so it can sit over night. Then remove the paper towels and power it up, the head will re-situate itself and do a nozzle check to see where you're at.
And, yes, that was my formula (the one with the alcohol), which I think will be fine for the cleaning fluid in the carts (they are only dumping into the maintenance cart when you do a cleaning) but to do a head soak, the ammonia will permeate better and not  evaporate leaving hard parts behind as alcohol can do.

Steve

I did this last Friday, still running fine.

[StinkyDaddy]

You may also need to clean your capping station. I cleaned my head with the paper towel and it worked for a day or two then started clogging again. I cleaned the capping station and it's been working like a champ since. Here's a vid on how to do it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNlYR1SKONI

[IntegrityShirts]

Nice, all things I have never done for this printer. Watched a few more videos and have an arsenal now of cool things to do. Thanks guys. Now I just need some down time to do all this!

[mimosatexas]

Great thread all around.  I should have time next week to setup my 4800.  Carts are in the mail...