Clarify Piezo Flush process

[ws2000]

I have a 3880 that has recently been repaired with new ink lines/dampers/assembly that I intend to flush and store for conversion to Piezo inks next summer. I’ve tried to track down all of the information that’s available in the forum, IJM site and videos re: the Piezo Flush process. While it’s mostly clear, all of it may not be specifically for the 3000/3880. I’d like have few questions answered to help me feel confident to start the process.

1. I’ve read that Piezo Flush (PF) is made with an ink base with a dye. When I make test prints to verify the line/heads are clear, I don’t want to get the out feed rollers covered in PF and have to clean them. Will PF dry on Epson PremiumLuster or should I use 20 lb copy paper? Is there a best paper?

2. I have a Mac and InitFill doesn’t run on the Mac OS. I’ve read that running 3 power clean cycles (PCC) = 1 InitFil and that should be enough for a complete flushing. But, I read somewhere else that running a lot of PCC’s can damage the heads. I don’t remember seeing a number that is to many, or if the number is a “in a row?” if in a row, what is a time frame? Is there a time between cycles? or, is it only “x” many times over the life of the print heads? What’s right?

3. After cleaning the heads and capping station a while back, and having a problem dislodging the cap filters I wonder if clearing the lines by running a power clean cycle with Piezo Flush should make a good cleaning of everything that it touches; the lines, heads, bottom of the heads, the wiper and cap station should all get a good cleaning/flushing. I ask because a printer can’t sit for long and I won’t be Piezo printing but in short periods then the printer must sit. Is that a good general maintenance practice to keep “everything” clean. Yes/No/why no?

4. Restoring a printer with clogged print head channels. When trying to restore a printer with clogged heads it seems that many PCCs must be run but if 2 and 3 above are correct that’s confusing. Also, another note indicated that when purging color inks with Piezo Flush it can drag ink sludge from the lines and that can kill a printer that has been poorly maintained. What does that mean in terms of trying to restore a “dead” printer?

[walkerblackwell]

@ws2000

• I’ve read that Piezo Flush (PF) is made with an ink base with a dye. When I make test prints to verify the line/heads are clear, I don’t want to get the out feed rollers covered in PF and have to clean them. Will PF dry on Epson PremiumLuster or should I use 20 lb copy paper? Is there a best paper?

It works on anything but normal letter paper is best.

@ws2000

I have a Mac and InitFill doesn’t run on the Mac OS. I’ve read that running 3 power clean cycles (PCC) = 1 InitFil and that should be enough for a complete flushing. But, I read somewhere else that running a lot of PCC’s can damage the heads. I don’t remember seeing a number that is to many, or if the number is a “in a row?” if in a row, what is a time frame? Is there a time between cycles? or, is it only “x” many times over the life of the print heads? What’s right?

On this printer 3x is fine and safe.

@ws2000

After cleaning the heads and capping station a while back, and having a problem dislodging the cap filters I wonder if clearing the lines by running a power clean cycle with Piezo Flush should make a good cleaning of everything that it touches; the lines, heads, bottom of the heads, the wiper and cap station should all get a good cleaning/flushing. I ask because a printer can’t sit for long and I won’t be Piezo printing but in short periods then the printer must sit. Is that a good general maintenance practice to keep “everything” clean. Yes/No/why no?

No it only cleans the ink lines and nozzles. It does not magically do all of the other things in our prev. maintenance video. Keep everything clean.

@ws2000

when purging color inks with Piezo Flush it can drag ink sludge from the lines and that can kill a printer that has been poorly maintained.

Not really. PF will soften and sludge enough to get through. It’s not a solvent but it’s a heavy penetrating surfactant.

warm regards
-Walker

[ws2000]

Thanks very much for those answers.
Follow up on the power clean. On a “nozzle check or head cleaning” in the MacOS Epson utility I usually hear some flapping sound and assume that the wiper is cleaning the print head. With PiezoPlush going through the heads that would do “some” cleaning on both. Since the PiezoFlush that goes through the print head cycle ends up flushing through the cap station. I would also assume that a power clean is a more thorough cleaning cycle than a normal nozzle check and would think that the second and certainly the third cycles would leave a fairly clean wiper and the flushing would be cleaning at least the screens on the cap station. Since it’s really awkward to get under the cover, I’m not a tech kind of guy to disassemble anything, that would leave only the rubber seal around the cap station to get Q tip cleaned and maybe the base of the wiper.

I was able to get the wiper to stop in it’s “out” position and I can’t remember when I pulled the plug to have it there. When in the start up process does the wiper get into the wipe position? and is this a good thing to do? When I did that the mother board was dead I was just “playing around” with the timing - the printer was going off to overhaul anyway.

Thanks again. Tom