Do You Need to Remove an Old Gasket When Performing Extreme Bone-Dry Printhead Cleaning on Epson Printheads?

Question:
I watched the video "Extreme Bone-Dry Printhead Cleaning: Recovering Epson Printheads Everyone Gave Up On." When performing this cleaning method, do I need to remove an old gasket from the printhead before installing the gasket shown in the tutorial?

Answer:

Regarding the gasket mentioned in the Extreme Bone-Dry Printhead Cleaning method: there is no original gasket in the printer that you need to remove. The gasket shown in the video is not a factory component-it is a custom solution developed by us to improve the sealing process during recovery cleaning.

Traditionally, some technicians attempt to seal the printhead interface using glue or adhesive materials when performing deep cleaning procedures. However, this approach has several risks:

1. Glue can spread unpredictably.
   Adhesives can flow into places they shouldn't, especially around the printhead's ink intake ports. If glue enters the ink channels, it can permanently block ink flow, which may ruin the printhead.

2. Glue seals are unreliable over time.
   Even if glue initially creates a seal, heat, moisture, and ink exposure can cause the adhesive to degrade or crack. When that happens, the seal may leak, allowing air to enter the ink system and causing ink starvation.

3. Ink intake ports are extremely sensitive.
   Epson printheads have very small intake openings that connect to micro-channels inside the printhead. Any contamination-glue, dust, or debris-can restrict ink flow and result in severe print defects such as:

   • Missing nozzles

   • Persistent banding

   • No ink output from certain channels

   • In extreme cases, full printhead failure

To solve these issues, we designed a custom gasket system. The gasket acts as a controlled mechanical seal between the cleaning apparatus and the printhead surface. Instead of relying on glue, the gasket creates pressure-based sealing that is:

• Cleaner (no risk of adhesive contamination)

• Reusable

• More reliable for maintaining vacuum or pressure

• Safer for the printhead's internal channels

So, when you follow the procedure in the video, you simply place the gasket onto the printhead as shown. There is no original gasket to remove, and you should not apply glue or sealants to the printhead.

The gasket's main role during the Extreme Bone-Dry Cleaning process is to allow controlled suction or flushing while preventing air leakage. This technique can sometimes revive printheads that have completely dried out-especially cases where the printer has been unused for long periods and normal cleaning cycles fail.

However, it is important to note that this recovery method may not work in every case. Some Epson printheads fail due to electrical damage rather than ink blockage. For example, if the printer reports errors such as:

• Epson error codes related to printhead failure

• Carriage errors

• Fatal errors during initialization

• Complete channel loss despite cleaning

then the issue may involve damaged piezoelectric elements or driver circuits inside the printhead, which cannot be repaired through cleaning.

Still, for printheads suffering from severe ink starvation or dried pigment buildup, this gasket-assisted cleaning approach provides a much safer and more controlled way to attempt recovery.

Addressing printer issues can often be complicated because many problems require hands-on diagnostics. Unfortunately, we are not able to provide remote troubleshooting, repair guidance, or step-by-step support for printer repairs. However, we do offer an in-person evaluation and repair service through our local diagnostic facility. You can learn more by visiting BCH Technologies Printer Repair Service (https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service). Due to high demand, repairs are handled on a first-come, first-served basis, and it may take a few weeks before we can schedule a printer drop-off. Our services can address either a complete printer or specific components, with clear instructions provided for the repair process. That said, we recognize that our service rates may not be the most economical option, so we strongly encourage self-help research when possible. A great starting point is YouTube, particularly our channel homepage at BCH Technologies YouTube Channel (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies). You can search for specific topics by clicking the search icon next to the "About" section on the right side of the menu bar. I receive dozens of questions every day asking whether we have videos on particular subjects. Since we've produced videos for more than nine years, it's difficult to remember every single one. Using YouTube's search feature is usually the fastest way to locate relevant videos, and it may also recommend helpful content from other creators.

Thank you again for reaching out and for your support of BCH Technologies. We truly appreciate your interest in our work and your engagement with the community.