Possible causes of nozzle problems

InkjetMall Customer Support Printer Maintenance & Cartridges
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Yes as well.

Yes.

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In another discussion, Walter Blackwell writes…

I’m a new user with an Epson SureColor P400. I had problems getting my first good nozzle check with a brand-new set of P400 cartridges which I had filled with PiezoFlush. Replacing two cartridges (Y and C) with new ones finally gave me a good nozzle check. I suspect that clogged air inlets were the problem.

So here is my question: How do air inlets become clogged?

Can an air inlet become clogged by overfilling a cartridge? Or, once filled, by tipping the cartridge with the air inlet side down, allowing fluid to run into it? (I don’t mean turning the cartridge upside down, just tipping it so the front of the cartridge is higher than the back side).

Although it is difficult to see exactly how P400 cartridges are constructed, it looks like there is a box filled with white absorbent material just below the air inlet. If you overfill or tip the cartridge as described above, fluid runs into this box and soaks the material. I’m guessing this clogs the air inlet.

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Thanks for your reply. It would be helpful if IJM added warnings to the filling procedure in Insert 106: Don’t overfill! Keep carts upright! Avoid tipping! Also explain the role of the air vent and what happens if it gets clogged. For someone filling carts for the first time, these warnings could be lifesavers!

Is it fair to say that if you look just below the air vent and see that the absorbent material has become saturated, then you are probably looking at a clogged air vent? If so, a picture in Insert 106 would be worth a thousand words.

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I agree completely. The filling instructions omit as much as they include. Life would have been a lot easier for me if they had been more complete.

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