How to Handle Clogged White Channels in Your Epson L1800 Printhead: Prevention and Solutions

Question:

I am dealing with an Epson L1800 printhead where two of the white channels are totally clogged with vacuum inside. Could you guide me on what to purchase or how to resolve this issue?

Answer:

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Regarding your question about blocked white channels in an Epson L1800 print head, what you describe is actually fairly common, particularly for white ink, which can dry and create a blockage in the channels very quickly. When exposed to air for 10-15 minutes, the process of gelling, or "ink coagulation," occurs in the white ink, essentially turning it into a gel. Once the ink has done this, it is practically impossible to get out.

Prevention and Maintenance:

Avoiding clogs is essential, especially for white ink, as it does not thicken all at once. The key is catching it early. If you see a few pixels go missing or the quality of your prints suffers slightly, start cleaning from that channel. Although there are numerous cleaning methods available, less aggressive methods are recommended.

After cleaning, you can change the white dampers to other color channels and reorder the color sequence in your RIP software. According to BCH, this should let the more liquid color ink get through and thus clear out rather than worsen more solid white nozzle clogs. Since only unclogged nozzles will allow ink to pass through, we are decreasing the chance of other nozzles coagulating.

Addressing Vacuumed Channels:

The vacuumed channels are only possible other than if the clogging happens in the manifold. If the clog is in the manifold, you can remove and clean it to regain flow. However, if the clog is inside the nozzles themselves, then you are unlikely to be able to clear it.

I would suggest you watch our video on manifold cleaning: https://youtu.be/e4df3B9ohd4. As I pointed out earlier, I clean my head regularly so the clog doesn't have time to turn steel hard.

Recommended Products:

You will many other cleaning solutions for unclogging A large majority of maintenance and cleaning solutions from BCH Technologies are made expressly for this purpose. The solutions must be diluted at specific concentrations based on the cleaning stage. You can also get a starter kit from DTF Pro with their pre-mixed cleaning solutions, which are immediately usable. Stay tuned for my video on this kit coming soon and subscribe to our channel for notification.

Printer issues can be a messy business, as many of them are hands-on solutions. This means we cannot deliver remote troubleshooting or live help with repair steps. Nevertheless, we would like to offer in-person diagnosis and servicing at our local diagnostic lab if this interests you: BCH Technologies Printer Repair Services. All Orders require an estimated three weeks lead time before your printer may be serviced. The service is also a parts-only model, and the full printer refurb is under the same site, with detailed mailing instructions for parts by mail-in or drop-off.

Yet we know our services may only sometimes be the most cost-effective option. This is why we promote self-help and research on the web. It's one thing to visit our YouTube channel homepage and another to look for specific videos covering your essentials, which can be done using the search icon. We have created many instructional videos in the last nine years, and quickly searching with the YouTube search bar is one of the best ways to find exactly what you are looking for. You might also get served other valuable videos from various channels recommended by YouTube.

Once again, thank you for contacting me! We appreciate your support and will soon help you with any other technical issues that you might face.