Epson Cx3500 Print Head

[opalhort]

Hi,

Just got my almost 2 years old Epson CX3500 back (from SVOA) with a new print head. Costs: 2,942.50 + 535.-(service).

The original printer cost me only 4,600.- + VAT

How can I avoid to run again into the same problem of a blocked print head?

We generally do not use the printer for a couple of days. Is printing a small full color picture per day enough to keep the print head alive?

Is it better to keep the printer switched on 24/7 or only when in use.

The printer is used in a non-A/C environment.

I've been using Epson printers for the past 20 years and have been very happy with them but this ink jet one is getting to costly to run.

We never refill the ink and only use original Epson ink purchased from SVOA.

opalhort

[Donnyboy]

I have the same model printer as well, but touch wood, no real problems with the print head yet. It did however block up but I used the clean print head option to get it started again- this uses alot of ink thou.

I have been advised to try to use the printer 3-4 times a week so the ink doesnt dry up and block the print head. Or print the test pattern daily. This uses minimal ink but prints out the 4 colours

I dont buy the original ink as its almost double of the cheaper ones, but still work well.

Not sure about the power kept on as I dont think that will make any difference apart from use up power.

Hi,

Just got my almost 2 years old Epson CX3500 back (from SVOA) with a new print head. Costs: 2,942.50 + 535.-(service).

The original printer cost me only 4,600.- + VAT

How can I avoid to run again into the same problem of a blocked print head?

We generally do not use the printer for a couple of days. Is printing a small full color picture per day enough to keep the print head alive?

Is it better to keep the printer switched on 24/7 or only when in use.

The printer is used in a non-A/C environment.

I've been using Epson printers for the past 20 years and have been very happy with them but this ink jet one is getting to costly to run.

We never refill the ink and only use original Epson ink purchased from SVOA.

opalhort

[Firefoxx]

You don't actually need to print anything. Just turn the unit on every couple of days. When it turns on, it runs a short cleaning cycle which uses a little bit of the ink. When you turn it off, use the power button, don't pull the plug.

I have a Canon inkjet that I bought a few years ago. I don't use it for months at a time, and it hasn't clogged up yet. I use genuine inks, since I don't print often, and since Canon inks are pretty cheap to begin with.

[Guest Reimar]

As long as you use original Epson Ink Tanks, it's ok! If you use 3. party Ink Tanks switch on the printer every day once on aff again if you don't need to print something.

That's one thing, the other is more "bad": if you use 3. party Ink Tanks, some of that ink contains some chemicals which is destroying the "film" on the Printhead and if that film is gone or damaged, the head is "dead". This camn also be happens if you use to "refill" the Tanks with NON original Epson Ink!

The Ink from Epson differs a lot from HP-Canon-Lexmark!

[opalhort]

As long as you use original Epson Ink Tanks, it's ok! If you use 3. party Ink Tanks switch on the printer every day once on aff again if you don't need to print something.

That's one thing, the other is more "bad": if you use 3. party Ink Tanks, some of that ink contains some chemicals which is destroying the "film" on the Printhead and if that film is gone or damaged, the head is "dead". This camn also be happens if you use to "refill" the Tanks with NON original Epson Ink!

The Ink from Epson differs a lot from HP-Canon-Lexmark!

Reimar,

I'm very well aware of the effects of using non-original ink. This is the reason why I only use originals. Yet I still did run into problems with a dead print head.

opalhort

[Rice_King]

Repost: Epson printers are notorious for getting clogged...

Edited August 2, 2007 by Rice_King

[Guest Reimar]

Repost: Epson printers are notorious for getting clogged...

Not true, I used Epson printers for several years without problem: CX5100 4 1/2 and R310 3+ years. Print with the R310 more than 15,000 CD's. The CX5100 is daily used for Colorcopy and scanning and printing!

Not problems at all!

[Firefoxx]

I had an Epson inkjet that I used for several years. I only actually printed once every few weeks (or months). Yet it never clogged. My secret? I used exactly as I suggested: turn it on ever few days (you don't need to print), turn it off using the power button, and only use the genuine inks. Mind you, this was one of the early generation Epsons which were known to clog very easily.

My Canon inkjet doesn't need this much pampering, but it's a bit more modern.

[Rice_King]

Repost: Epson printers are notorious for getting clogged...

Not true, I used Epson printers for several years without problem: CX5100 4 1/2 and R310 3+ years. Print with the R310 more than 15,000 CD's. The CX5100 is daily used for Colorcopy and scanning and printing!

Not problems at all!

Well then, I guess my Epson is just the one, lone piece of crap, in a sea of fantastic Epson printers that always work and never clog!

Truth is, the clogged heads are my fault. I leave my printer sitting for weeks /months in the power-OFF position. Then when I try to use it, the heads are clogged and the printer doesn't print. Your printer Reimer, since it is used daily, always works. I am happy for you.

But from MY point of view, what I said IS TRUE and I stand by what I stated. "Epson printers are notorious for getting clogged.." For someone like me who only prints the occasional document every blue moon, Epson printers, (or ink jet printers in general), might not be the best choice.

Firefox: Your sugestion of keeping the printer powered-ON may very well prevent the issues I have with Epsons. However, I cannot find anything documented by Epson in the user's manual about leaving the printer plugged in, powered-ON, or even the requirement to print something every so often.

FYI: I always use genuine Epson ink.

Edited August 2, 2007 by Rice_King

[Crossy]

I think Riceking has it, it's long periods of non use that kills Epsons (or for that matter any inkjet). My Epson 310 clogs after a couple of months out of use but it does clear after a few cleaning cycles.

Several sites suggest using Windex to soak the pads under the heads and leaving over night as a solution to a really clogged head, can't say mine have ever been that bad.

I do have a 3500 which has given nothing but problems since I got it (fixed twice under warranty), it's now taken to not recognising the (genuine) cyan cartridge so it's now parked waiting for me to investigate, but to be honest I can't be arsed

[sierra01]

I agree with Rice_King, in LOS my Epson was forever clogging up, I tried test printing once or twice a week and switching it on and off but nothing seemed to work. It cost me a fortune in ink, genuine and copy. I also read somewhere that Epson were known for clogging, something to do with the type of heads? To a lesser extent I had the same problem in the UK, now I have a Canon and all is ok.

[Guest Reimar]

HP, Lexmark and Canon using heat and a kind of "pressure" to submitt the Ink to the paper while Epson didn't use heat! That's one difference.

An other is that Epson, and Canon as well, using Ink Tanks and not catridges wit integrated Printhead. For those who printing just sometimes, a printer with Ink Tank isn't good!

As I use the printers every day, sometimes continuing printing big series of CD's and others, my printers are heavy used and therefore want get same problems.

But as allways, I can speak only for the product I use and how I use it which may differs alot from others! And I like to use the Epson printers for some reason: the R310 print CD's in excelent condotions and the CX5100 scans and prints very fast even in high quality!

[Firefoxx]

Um, I never said anything about leaving it on. I said to *turn it on* ever few days. The process of turning it on (not LEAVING it on) makes it initiate a mini-ink purge, which makes the ink run a bit, thus any ink that is starting to clog will get flushed out. It is not as thorough as a normal cleaning cycle, but it also uses a LOT less ink. It is also a lot less wasteful than printing something just to clean the print heads. After that, you just turn it off using the power button, this is so that the print heads are parked properly. Canon inkjets have a function where if you leave it on continuously, they will initiate their own ink purge every so often to clean the heads. I don't know of Epsons have this, since it's been a few years since I've used one.

This is not mentioned in the manual, but of course many, many things are not mentioned in manuals.

For print head clogging and non-genuine inks, my aunt bought 2 Canon inkjets and immediately had them fitted with the ink tanks. She didn't use them for a week, and both were clogged solid and needed servicing.

[opalhort]

Thanks for all your replies.

Here is how my CX3500 died:

Whenever I turn the printer on (it is always plugged in) I run a nozzle check first before printing.

At one time the pattern print was very poor and I ran a cleaning which improved it somewhat but still not good enough, so one more cleaning and a test print, still poor result and so one more cleaning.

By then one cartridge was empty and I replaced it. After charging procedure nothing printed anymore.

My question is:

What happens to the huge amount of ink consumed during cleaning? It certainly does not end up on paper - so where does it go?

Could it be that the multiple attempts on cleaning actually killed my print head?

When I got the printer back they also returned the old print head and it was smeared with ink all over on the underside.

opalhort

[Guest Reimar]

Thanks for all your replies.

Here is how my CX3500 died:

Whenever I turn the printer on (it is always plugged in) I run a nozzle check first before printing.

At one time the pattern print was very poor and I ran a cleaning which improved it somewhat but still not good enough, so one more cleaning and a test print, still poor result and so one more cleaning.

By then one cartridge was empty and I replaced it. After charging procedure nothing printed anymore.

My question is:

What happens to the huge amount of ink consumed during cleaning? It certainly does not end up on paper - so where does it go?

Could it be that the multiple attempts on cleaning actually killed my print head?

When I got the printer back they also returned the old print head and it was smeared with ink all over on the underside.

opalhort

In the lower part of the printer is some sponge and when run a headcleaning the ink is pumped there. If it gets to much you'll have al the ink on the table! Not easy to clean!!

I use for all of my inkjet printer an external bottle. Which means I've replace the hose which delivers the ink to the sponge with an longer one which delivers the ink in the outside bottle.

[opalhort]

Here are two photos of the dead print head (top and bottom):

opalhort

[Firefoxx]

The head looks pretty nasty.

There is a reservoir with a sponge in it, right where the print heads are parked. That's where any ink used during the cleaning process is thrown away. After a year or so it can get pretty full of ink. There is also usually a wiper of some kind to wipe off excess ink from the ink heads.

[Crossy]

It's too late for our OP but I have the Epson service manuals that show you how to take apart (and more importantly how to put back together so that it works) for the CX3500 and R310.

These printers are both full of "ping <deleted>-it's" (it goes 'ping' you say '<deleted>-it') the manual really is essential if you want to do anything other than replace the cartridges.

I've also got the official maintenance software for these printers, so you can get rid of that annoying "a part of your printer has reached the end of its service life" message

Anybody wants copies, PM me for download location (about 12 Megs each)

Edited August 4, 2007 by Crossy

[coolnezz]

OPALHORT:

Did you clean your print head? Did it work afterwards?

I just took apart mine and cleaned it Isopropyl Alcohol, with Syringe with an attached rubber tube at the

end. All four chambers had mists so i guess it got unclogged. I'm going to reassemble

it in a few days. I hope it works.

Here are two photos of the dead print head (top and bottom):

opalhort

[opalhort]

OPALHORT:

Did you clean your print head? Did it work afterwards?

I just took apart mine and cleaned it Isopropyl Alcohol, with Syringe with an attached rubber tube at the

end. All four chambers had mists so i guess it got unclogged. I'm going to reassemble

it in a few days. I hope it works.

No, I did not clean the old head. I had SOVA replace the head. They told me that the new head is a newer model which is less likely to get clogged (the old one was F155020, the new one is F155040) - will see in a year or so if they told the truth!

Costs for the head: B2,750.- + VAT. service B500.- +VAT

If this one quits again I'll go for a Canon printer though I have had very bad experience with their lousy repair service (camera and typewriters) in the past but their printers are said to be of good quality.

I've always trusted EPSON and never had any other printers, a 10 years old dot matrix is still running without ever having needed repair, but obviously EPSON has problems with ink-jet printers.

opalhort