Waste Printer Ink Now Or Waste Ink Later

[easysurfer]

Well, this is not working like I had hoped.

A couple days ago, after running a clean cycle, I had to bump up the frequency of printing my purge sheet to once a day since a clog was starting. The started the monitoring again with hopes check again in a month.

Then today, I see clogging already starting! Only two days after last clean cycle.

I'm starting to think my hope is a losing battle.

I may be better off to print with partially clogged nozzles and do a clean cycle (or two) when things get too bad. Or just expect to do a clean cycle at least once a month or so with my other monthly TO DOs.

 

[easysurfer]

Update -

I was using this program with Windows Task Scheduler to automatically print out a printer purge sheet to try and keep the nozzles clear on my printer. I need to print at least once a day to keep the color ink from clogging. I see that once a day of the purge sheet isn't enough for the black but I won't worry about that. I'm going to approach when the black gets too bad, that's when I'll need to run a printer clean cycle. It is what it is .

A source of irritation is that the program I was using to print out the purge sheet is free but prints out an extra nag sheet every time. Thus, counting papers, that's 60 pages of paper printed a month.

But I'm happy to say, I found a way to still use the scheduler to do my printing but with only using MS Paint and a purge sheet, could just print out the purge sheet with no nag. In other words, only needing about 30 sheets of paper per month (depending on how many days in the month).

A sheet of paper is sheet earned. Totally free and no longer nagged .

 

[Texas Proud]

Why not get a small picture that has all the colors with some black text? Uses more ink but will probably not clog if you use more...


I think that there might be something wrong with your print heads... it should not be clogging in a day.. even office printers usually are not used over a weekend...

 

[audreyh1]

Yeah, we can go weeks no problem.

 

[easysurfer]

Why not get a small picture that has all the colors with some black text? Uses more ink but will probably not clog if you use more...


I think that there might be something wrong with your print heads... it should not be clogging in a day.. even office printers usually are not used over a weekend...

The purge sheet page that I use sort of does that printing out solid bars of each color and black. My last clean cycle was about 2 weeks ago. Since then, I've been printing out the purge sheet daily and also using my printer like I do normally (not that frequent, but a print here or there).

Using this technique, I did a nozzle check today. The pattern shows the color inks are fine but the black has a little bit of clogging. I'm not going to run another clean cycle (and waste more ink) though as the black is "good enough." I'll wait until it gets more clogged or I need to print out something super sharp.

As for whether the printer I got is a lemon, I don't know. Might be, but I down own another Epson to compare to. I do leave the printer on 24/7. I've read that leaving on can lead to quicker drying out and thus clogging. Also, I've read that each time the printer gets turned on, the printer uses a little bit of ink to do some cleaning. But I don't want to have to turn the printer on and off each time I print.

 

[Jerry1]

Update -

I was using this program with Windows Task Scheduler to automatically print out a printer purge sheet to try and keep the nozzles clear on my printer. I need to print at least once a day to keep the color ink from clogging. I see that once a day of the purge sheet isn't enough for the black but I won't worry about that. I'm going to approach when the black gets too bad, that's when I'll need to run a printer clean cycle. It is what it is .

A source of irritation is that the program I was using to print out the purge sheet is free but prints out an extra nag sheet every time. Thus, counting papers, that's 60 pages of paper printed a month.

But I'm happy to say, I found a way to still use the scheduler to do my printing but with only using MS Paint and a purge sheet, could just print out the purge sheet with no nag. In other words, only needing about 30 sheets of paper per month (depending on how many days in the month).

A sheet of paper is sheet earned. Totally free and no longer nagged .

IMHO, you have done all you can do to save this printer and it’s time to just get a new one. 60 sheets of waster paper a month is crazy. That’s more than a ream of paper per year, and it’s just wasted. Something seems to be wrong with your print heads and I’m guessing it would be more cost and trouble to fix or replace them than to just go ahead and get a new printer.

 

[ERD50]

IMHO, you have done all you can do to save this printer and it’s time to just get a new one. ....

-ERD50

 

[easysurfer]

IMHO, you have done all you can do to save this printer and it’s time to just get a new one. 60 sheets of waster paper a month is crazy. That’s more than a ream of paper per year, and it’s just wasted. Something seems to be wrong with your print heads and I’m guessing it would be more cost and trouble to fix or replace them than to just go ahead and get a new printer.

I've cut this down now to 30 sheets per month. I do reuse the other side, so not a total waste. The question for me is which is more costly and inconvenient? To print out a sheet every day or to run a clean cycle more often?

I don't mind the print out a page every day (30 pages a big difference than 60 pages) as long as most of the time the nozzles stay clean. Seems like on this regimen color stays clear and black slowly gets clogged.

If there was a different model or brand that consistently stays clog free, then time to think about another printer. But the nature with inkjets is, they clog.

I actually see my print once a day routine as more a (partial) solution than a problem.

 

[easysurfer]

Yeah, we can go weeks no problem.

Then you need to run a clean cycle every few weeks?

Thus the title of my heading. Waste Now or Waste Later. Pick your poison .

 

[Texas Proud]

I have had mine since 1/1/2020...


I have done a total of two cleanings in almost 3 years... I can go weeks without printing and it still works...


Just printed out a sheet and colors are great... total of 4073 pages... strange that I have 96 blank pages listed but I guess those are the extras that print out...


I am still on the original ink.. and still have bottles of all colors from the original purchase as it came with 2 bottles of each... plus half a bottle of black (maybe I got 3 bottles of black as I know I used one when it was new)...


SOOO, how old is your printer? If new-ish get in touch with Epson and see what can be done....



OR, look online and see what it takes to change out the print heads...


What you have is a bad printer for some reason... it is not 'acting' normal...

 

[easysurfer]

I have had mine since 1/1/2020...


I have done a total of two cleanings in almost 3 years... I can go weeks without printing and it still works...


Just printed out a sheet and colors are great... total of 4073 pages... strange that I have 96 blank pages listed but I guess those are the extras that print out...


I am still on the original ink.. and still have bottles of all colors from the original purchase as it came with 2 bottles of each... plus half a bottle of black (maybe I got 3 bottles of black as I know I used one when it was new)...


SOOO, how old is your printer? If new-ish get in touch with Epson and see what can be done....



OR, look online and see what it takes to change out the print heads...


What you have is a bad printer for some reason... it is not 'acting' normal...

Only 2 cleaning in only 3 years is great for you. By "It works" do you mean the nozzles are clog free, or that printouts aren't so bad that you don't mind but there may be some clogging? That's not a minor difference.

What model Epson tank printer do you have?

I have an ET-4760.

First print 12/3/2020. Total pages 3330.

I think there might be a misunderstanding about my posts. Just because I print every night doesn't mean it's clogging every day. A preventative measure. The printing is kind of like flossing every night. That doesn't mean I have teeth issues that night.

I haven't timed exactly, but before my every night print routine, after a clean cycle, I can probably go a couple weeks before can see clogs starting. On the routine, after a few weeks, the color ink is still clog free, but black is starting to clog I've I shown on the nozzle pattern in previous post.

 

[Texas Proud]

I have a 3750....


It does not clog... I get great printing... the times I had to clean was once when this thread started (I think it heard me when I said it did not clog so did it)...


There is video out there about doing a better clean... I am just guessing that the 'power clean' on the printer is not that great... there are a number of videos, I just copied the first one without watching...

Edit to add.... again, did not watch, but says not all are nozzle clogs... maybe you have this problem

 

[easysurfer]

My printer does clog more than when new. But not to the point of printer being unusable. When new, I would print out the nozzle check once a week and the printer worked clog free for about 6 months. Then the clogs happened more frequently.

Don't think I'm ready to try the youtube type cleaning videos yet.

 

[easysurfer]

IMHO, you have done all you can do to save this printer and it’s time to just get a new one. 60 sheets of waster paper a month is crazy. That’s more than a ream of paper per year, and it’s just wasted. Something seems to be wrong with your print heads and I’m guessing it would be more cost and trouble to fix or replace them than to just go ahead and get a new printer.

I just did some math. At 30 pages a month, that's 360 pages a year. A ream (500 sheets) of paper costs today $8.80 at Amazon. So, figure about $10 adding in tax. That's still not bad if the extra printing makes the clogging minimal. "The paper died a hero" is what I'd say .

Compare that to extra ink for more frequent clean cycles. Don't know exactly how much extra ink I'd use but a set of each color or a bottle of black costs over $30.

With that in mind, the extra printing I don't think is so bad.

 

[Texas Proud]

Well, crap.... I knew it would happen... I messed with the printer GODS...


I have now started to get clogged heads and have just done the third power clean since this thread started.... but had to change the printer box first!!


This one did use a lot of black ink... the other ones were not a costly on ink...


Just filled the ink on all colors and black up to 3/4the or full... still have ink left from when I bought the printer... looked at the bottle and it says best by 1/2024... so I wonder if the ink is getting old...

 

[CaptTom]

... "The paper died a hero" is what I'd say .

Nah. Cut it into smaller pieces and use it as scrap paper.

Well, crap.... I knew it would happen... I messed with the printer GODS...

so I wonder if the ink is getting old...

I'm starting to wonder about that, too. My black cartridges is finally down a little more than half-way. I just don't print as much any more. Thanks for the heads up. (No pun intended.) I'll be watching out for potential problems.

 

[easysurfer]

Well, crap.... I knew it would happen... I messed with the printer GODS...


I have now started to get clogged heads and have just done the third power clean since this thread started.... but had to change the printer box first!!


This one did use a lot of black ink... the other ones were not a costly on ink...


Just filled the ink on all colors and black up to 3/4the or full... still have ink left from when I bought the printer... looked at the bottle and it says best by 1/2024... so I wonder if the ink is getting old...

You mentioned that you had to change the printer box. I'm surprised I haven't needed to change the maintenance box yet as each time I check, the level shows halfway.

I haven't needed to run a clean cycle to unclog in awhile with my print purge page once a day approach. With this approach, the color ink nozzles are as clean as a whistle. The black slowly clogs. I ran a clean cycle about a month ago to start fresh and as of today, all still clog free.

 

[audreyh1]

OK don’t jinx me too!

 

[Jerry1]

I watch this and become more thankful I discarded my inkjet printers. You've done a lot to save this printer. Maybe it's time to buy another printer - even if it's another inkjet. This one just isn't doing you any favors.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Well, I tried to print return labels last week, and after 6 or 8 rounds of automated print head cleaning and two rounds of manual cleaning with isopropyl alcohol and Q-tips, I still couldn't print a usable bar code.

So now I've got a Brother MFC-L3780CDW Wireless Digital Color All-in-One Printer arriving today. It is toner-based, not an inkjet, but apparently not all toner printers are actually laser printers? I dunno, all I care about is that it will work when we need it, even if that's a handful of times a year. It's worth the cost to not have to run around finding a place to print this for me.

 

[Texas Proud]

You mentioned that you had to change the printer box. I'm surprised I haven't needed to change the maintenance box yet as each time I check, the level shows halfway.

I haven't needed to run a clean cycle to unclog in awhile with my print purge page once a day approach. With this approach, the color ink nozzles are as clean as a whistle. The black slowly clogs. I ran a clean cycle about a month ago to start fresh and as of today, all still clog free.

I was surprised also as mine showed halfway also... I am thinking it might be like a dumb light on a car... it is either new, half or done... it would not let me do the clean without changing it out..



Wow... just checked... it shows 3/4 full... will have to find out if I have to reset it... I did buy a refurbished box so it might not talk to the printer properly...

 

[easysurfer]

I was surprised also as mine showed halfway also... I am thinking it might be like a dumb light on a car... it is either new, half or done... it would not let me do the clean without changing it out..



Wow... just checked... it shows 3/4 full... will have to find out if I have to reset it... I did buy a refurbished box so it might not talk to the printer properly...

I've had my printer not print with reminders to check my ink levels and maintenance box. I then just turn the printer off and back on and it prints again. Been several months since I've last needed to do the off/on thing.

I'm not sure how accurate the reminders are as I think in the manual it says the reminder is just an estimate on the ink level and best is to manual inspect by looking at the physical computer.

I've been milking things out using the turn off then back on method on the maintenance box until that doesn't work any more to resume printing. Or until the level actually shows time to change box and not half way.

 

[Texas Proud]

The box is cheap... I bought 2 for under $20... not worried about getting the max life of the box...

 

[easysurfer]

The box is cheap... I bought 2 for under $20... not worried about getting the max life of the box...

I bought a maintenance box about 2 years ago. But not even sure if it needs changing or not. If I got by the LCD screen on the box check, that shows only 1/2 full. So, that's the one I'm going with.

But I've ran several clean cycles and I think 2 or 3 power clean cycles without a change.