I have used purge patterns to draw Piezoflush through the ink lines of my R3000. Of course, as has been mentioned here, that method does not fully clear the ink that remains in the dampers. I have heard that it would take a few dozen cleaning cycles, to draw fluid all the way through the ink lines. But, how many cleanings would it take, just to clean out the dampers?
I have given up on the idea of using the service utility program, because of too many practicality issues—like the fact that it will only work with completely full cartridges, and it will not work over the wireless network.
On a related note, can anyone recommend a cheap or free QTR, that I could use for purging purposes? I just need something that will allow my to focus on individual ink channels.
Addressing your last question, QTR or QuadTone RIP is a $50 program, but is a fully-featured demo if you don’t pay. In fact, there’s nothing stopping you (besides your conscience) from using it for free. I would say that using it for purging purposes definitely falls under the “ok for free use” mode. There are tutorials on how to purge individual channels using this program.
I’m curious why you only want to purge the dampers? It might be better to just replace them, or remove them and purge them manually.
Well, unfortunately, Epson did not make the dampers replaceable, in the R3000. Changing them would require replacing the entire inking system (a major disassembly of the printer, in addition to the cost)! Even removing the dampers for cleaning, would involve pulling the entire ink system. And then, the ink system would have to be completely disassembled, to get to the dampers. What a mess!
Which, I guess, brings me back to my original question—how many cleaning cycles would it take, to suck out everything from just the dampers?
Same with the 3880 (the one I have), although people have successfully changed just the dampers. Anyway…
So, your ink lines are filled with PF, and you want to get that through the dampers? If it’s printing pink, then it’s through. However, what you’re probably referencing is the staining that invariably remains. This is due to pigment particles stuck to the walls of the ink path, and cannot be easily removed except with PF and time.
Now…if you can acquire the service manual for the R3000, somewhere in there it should tell you the volume of ink used in cleaning cycles. The 3880 uses 0.08mL, 0.525mL, 1.5mL and 2mL of ink per color depending on the cleaning severity. I haven’t played with dampers, but would expect them to only hold 5mL or so. shrug…maybe IJM staff would have a better idea.
Yes, dampers and other parts of the ink system have nooks and crannies for color pigment to get stuck, and cause color staining as it slowly gets flushed out. The amount of pigment build up depends on the age and use history of the printer. Older machines, or printers that have sat unused for periods of time are likely to have more build up. If the printer is over 3 years old, it’s recommended to replace the dampers anyway, and new dampers would quickly eliminate the color staining you may be struggling with. In this printer model, the ink system is sold as one whole unit, which is how the repair manual instructs to replace the dampers, though we and some customers have successfully replaced the individual dampers, that is dependent on one’s technical and confidence level, and is a “proceed at your own risk” procedure, as there are no formal instructions.
I have great success purging individual lines by printing the QTR purge sheets, though depending on the amount of pigment stuck in your dampers, you may need to print pages until they come out pink, then let the printer sit overnight (to let more color ink seep out), and print some more purge sheets, then repeat until no more color comes out.
This is also true when doing cleaning cycles. The dampers themselves hold very little ink- only a few ml, but you need to pass more fluid thru to flush out the crevices where color can get stuck.
Hi Dana, I am about to change my ink set from K7 Neutral to K7 Warm Neutral. DO I need to flush the system with the cleaner first, or simply run a cleaning cycle with the new ink? Thanks and regards.
After reviewing your order history, I see you purchased a set of 3880 refillable carts and Piezography Neutral ink in 2013.
If all channels are printing well, then there is no need to flush when changing to a different Piezography in tone- you can simply install a set of carts filled with Warm-Neutral ink (or any other tone or combination of tones), and do one Initial Fill Cycle (using the Adjustment Program), or three Power Clean Cycles (since all Piezography ink tones use the same blacks, you don’t need to flush both blacks by doing an Init Fill).
Having said that, you may want to flush the printer’s internal ink system anyway to help clean it before installing the new Piezography ink, simply due to the printer’s age, as dampers build up with particles over time that can restrict ink flow, and should be replaced every 1-3 years. In this case, you would want to install a set of PiezoFlush carts, then run an Initial Fill cycle to flush all ink lines, dampers and print head channels, then print a nozzle check to make sure all channels are fully printing pink flush fluid and let the printer sit overnight or at least a few hours, to give PiezoFlush time to clean the internal ink system. After a while of soaking and a good/pink nozzle check, install the new set of Piezography ink carts, and do an Initial Fill to purge the flush fluid and get the new ink from carts to the print head. Print a nozzle check to make sure all channels are fully printing ink, and pink staining is gone (which you may need to print a test image to check for).
We have instructions for flushing printers for safe storage or when changing inks, here: http://www.inkjetmall.com/tech/content.php?140-Flushing-Epson-Pro-and-desktop-model-printers-for-safe-long-term-storage-or-when-switching-inks
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