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Firing up printers after 5 months idle

gurtch

Well-known member
We evacuated our home on Oct 28, 2012. WE are still not back home because of no power. We think we may get back in around the first of April. My Epson 3800 and 7890 have been idle all this time. Any hints, precautions, or advise? I know the nozzles will likely be clogged.
Thanks in advance, all help appreciated.
Dave
Beach Haven, NJ
 

JoelM

Well-known member
I would not be surprised if you just ran the utility and found everything to be just fine. Perhaps a cleaning or 2, but I should think that you will be fine.

Joel
 

gurtch

Well-known member
I would not be surprised if you just ran the utility and found everything to be just fine. Perhaps a cleaning or 2, but I should think that you will be fine.

Joel
I sure hope you are correct! I will keep you all posted.
Dave
 

raywest

Member
Hi Dave,

The Epson guy here - The Grid: Episode 88 – Epson Printing | The Grid mentions that the pro printers need constant work. Here or previously, he has also mentioned about relative humidity. However, on a lesser Epson printer (R1600 iirc) I deliberately left it unplugged for over a year, and it took me only three days of head cleaning and 'Windex' soakings to get it working, but it was pretty low rh here. You can get Epson head cleaning fluid, or if not get some dye based ink to loosen up the pigment. As well as head clogs, you may have air in the fuel lines, but it may work fine for you with just a couple of head cleans.

If it is pretty blocked, what seems to work best is to give it three manual head cleans, and leave it for half a day or so, then the test print, then try manual cleans again, leaving half a day 'twixt each batch of cleaning attempts. You may find a nozzle that were blocked, then cleared, then blocked again is due to air in the system. The auto clean seems to be there just to sell Epson ink, not worth using that, imho.

The pigment tends to settle in the tanks, not sure if you can stir it up by giving the tanks a jolly good shaking before you start, (won't work with the Epson tanks with the vacuum bags, so it may be best to get new inks.

I hope you have success, and I'm interested in how you get on.

Best wishes,

Ray
 

D&A

Well-known member
Dave,

Ray has some great suggestions! Windex soaking or with another appropriate fluid is often the most effective method along with regular (not power) head cleanings. If there are still some clogged nozzles after this, do another pad soaked with Windex overnight and again attempt to do nozzle checks/head cleanings. Alternating between all this will often bring the printer back to it's original state but it will take persistence and a number of rounds to achieve this.

I've helped a number of acquaintances have to do just what was described with their 7800's and 7880's.

Please let us know how it goes. More important is your being able to return to a home and regain all you lost, not only in materialistic items but simply and specifically your life. Take care.

Dave (D&A)
 

apsheng

Member
Every year I am away for 6 months leaving the 3800 idle. I pull two garbage bags tightly over it to minimize evaporation. So far no issue after 4 years. Only once did I need to do a head cleaning before printing. All other times it started printing properly on the first try.

Alan
 

gurtch

Well-known member
Hi all.
On wednesday, May 1 we got electric power back, and Friday May 3 we got water. We are not permantly moved back yet because of other issues, but I could access my PC and 3800, and 7890. I shook the inks before attempting try nozzle cleaning. The 3800 would NOT allow nozzle cleaning, because it said "out of LL Black ink". I removed it and shook it, and it was not empty, but I replaced it anyway. It still said out of ink and would not allow nozzle cleaning. Strangely it DID allow printing a nozzle check pattern. I thought that this action would force ink through the nozzles, and might help clean them. I did a bunch of nozzle check prints. Also, I noticed when you turn the printer on, it seems to go through some kind of self clean cycle. I turned the printer "ON" and "OFF" a bunch of times. Finally it recognized the LL Black was not empty, but then indicated another color was empty. I replaced that ink. Finally it allowed me to run more nozzle checks and cleaning cycles. I just made two perfect prints, 13"x19"!

The 7890 was a different story. It allowed cleaning cycles but at the end of each cycle it said cleaning failed...try again? I repeated them with no luck. I then tried a power clean, which failed. I tried again, and this time it did not fail. I printed a nozzle check pattern which looked perfect. Just made a perfect 24"x32" print!
Back in business after 6 months of being homeless,compliments of Sandy
Regards to all, and thanks for the suggestions and good will.
Dave Gurtcheff, Beach Haven, NJ
 

stngoldberg

Well-known member
Every year I am away for 6 months leaving the 3800 idle. I pull two garbage bags tightly over it to minimize evaporation. So far no issue after 4 years. Only once did I need to do a head cleaning before printing. All other times it started printing properly on the first try.

Alan
I am also away six months at two different locations
Both my 3800 and 7880 have resumed printing without any issues every time over the past four years
These models of Epson have been trouble free for me
Stanley
 
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