Forum Archive Home -> Media -> Epson R220 on the way out. Can nozzles/heads be cleaned? Really?

Epson R220 on the way out. Can nozzles/heads be cleaned? Really?

videobread posted 2008 Jul 20 22:33

I have an Epson R220 on the way out. The yellow head is starting to plug up. Can heads the actually be cleaned? Really? I get the vibe from VH that once they start to go you are just wasting your time trying to un-plug the nozzles over and over again. I have already put a new R220 in it's place. My question is should I even try fixing this one or just toss it?

[_chef_] posted 2008 Jul 21 02:06

You can buy and use cleaning cartridges...

videobread posted 2008 Jul 21 12:41

Do cleaning carts actually work? Or will the head just plug up again after a short period of time. Has anyone actuall cleaned a head and then not had another problem with that color plugging up?

filmboss80 posted 2008 Jul 21 14:36

I used a cotton swab with alcohol to clean a head on an R220. Coincidentally, it was also a yellow head. Worked like a charm...

classfour posted 2008 Jul 21 17:02

denatured alcohol - if you need a large quantity - use a cleaning cartridge, or a syringe.

sandralink posted 2008 Jul 23 02:29

Do not run more than three cleaning cycles in a row without a nozzle check fails to clear the blockage, don't do any more cleanings without printing something. Too many cleanings can permanently damage the head. Buy the device linked below from InkRepublic or inksupply or use a needleless syringe filled with a quality pigment ink solvent. There are some cleaning tools that can help you to get rid of blockages. http://www.inkrepublic.com/iRemove.asp http://www.inkrepublic.com/KnowledgeBase/iRemove.asp http://inksupply.helpserve.com/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a= ... rticleid=9 The InkRepublic i-Remove system may be safer than others and it's highly recommeded. hope this helps.

GKar posted 2008 Jul 23 06:07

I soak my Canon i320 printhead in ammonia. It's resuscitated my printheads a number of times.

orsetto posted 2008 Jul 23 12:32

Epsons have been notorious since day one for their "insta-clog" printheads. For the graphics pros who love the pricier Epsons, nothing else comes close to the quality and they of course get rave reviews from professional designers and photographers. But "pro" and "home" usage patterns are different: the "pros" print at least half a dozen edge-to-edge pages per day, and as long as an Epson printhead is used every day for a couple pages, it won't clog, which is why "pros" seldom bitch about Epson heads clogging. For the "home" user Epson is another story entirely. They are the worst possible choice if all you want to do is print a DVD label once in a while. The heads will clog like cement soon after you replace the cartridges that came with it, and you'll blow thru 3/4 of a cartridge cleaning the heads before each occasional print session. Very wasteful of time, money and ink and annoying as hell. If you feel the Epson is the only printer that can satisfy your needs, you MUST get in the habit of printing one full-color page per day with it to keep it "in shape", or it will start clogging up. Depending on the printer model, one 4x6 photo print per day will keep it limber, others may need to print an entire letter-size page once a day, you can use draft mode for that. For the amount of actual color printing the typical "home" user does, cleaning systems and alchohol wipes become ineffective after awhile. When an Epson clogs, IT CLOGS. I mean it really dies. Its ridiculous to put yourself and your wallet thru that unless you have no other choice. You're better off with a printer that replaces the heads with every cartridge, like the older HP models. After years of frustration with Epsons, I recently picked up a five year old HP5150 DeskJet. It cost me $20 and came with one-third full black and color cartridges still in it. I printed about 20 pages in full color before the ink ran out, when I removed the cartridges I was *stunned* to see they had actually expired in 2005! That's unheard of with an Epson: you leave an Epson unused for a month, and even a full cartridge becomes landfill. Try another brand that has the heads in the cartridge, not the printer. If your only use for an Epson is its disc printing feature, you may be happier with a dedicated color disc printer. While pricier than a typical inkjet, the money you'll save by not burning thru Epson inks will pay for a disc printer in no time.

stiltman posted 2008 Jul 23 13:07

Pretty much the same reason I switched to an HP for my printer of choice. It also prints to DVDs. I now have a R200 and R220 gathering dust If you're curious, here's the HP I have http://forum.videohelp.com/topic351765.html

videobread posted 2008 Jul 23 13:37

Thanks for all the info. I'm not going to mess with fixing it. When the R220's were being phased out a few years ago I bought 4 printers for about $100 a pop. I took out the carts and sold them on ebay for about $50 a set. The R220 that just went bad has given me good service. I print between 400 and 500 discs a month. I'm now using printer #2 of 4. I'm good for years. The carts are cheap and were manufactured prior to the "change" date for chip compatibility problems. Thanks for the tip on cleaning more than three times. Printers are always an issue. Cost of printers, cost of carts, etc.

rikit posted 2008 Jul 25 13:18

Currently my yellow is not working. It stopped printing yellow during a print of 10 pictures. I have the r300 epson. I just recieved my bottle of solution and a syringe to try to unclog it if that be the problem. I probably got lucky up to now that my heads did not clog up sooner. I ,ve had this printer for quite some time and I bought it for dvd printing mainly. I did get side tracked for awhile, say 6 months, and the r300 sat without any use. I have a friend which wants to sell me his r300 so I do have a backup option if I cannot get it going again. I have another printer, HP, and it is broke down also, so I am without a printer...two printers down, not good. I am in the process of ordering an HP with cd/dvd printing options. :wink:

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