Epson ET-8550 Not Printing After Eco-Solvent Ink: What to Do

Question:
I bought an Epson ET-8550 a few years ago to print T-shirt images using eco-solvent ink. Unfortunately, I never actually used the printer after adding the ink. Now, years later, I want to use it. The printer powers on, and I can send an image to print, but nothing comes out. I already removed the eco-solvent ink from the tanks. I saw that BCH Technologies sells printheads, but before I spend money, can you tell me what items I need to get the ink flowing and printing again?

Answer:

To address your question directly: we do not sell printheads for the Epson ET-8550. However, I can provide some insights into what may be happening and what you can try before considering whether the printer is salvageable.

When eco-solvent ink sits unused in a printer for years, it typically hardens or gums up inside the ink delivery system. Even if you removed the ink from the tanks, the dried residue is likely inside:

• Ink lines: These narrow tubes connect the ink tanks to the printhead. Eco-solvent ink tends to dry very firmly, and after several years, the lines may be completely clogged.

• Dampers/filters: Between the ink lines and the printhead, Epson uses filters that can also be blocked. Once clogged with hardened solvent ink, they restrict or stop ink flow.

• Printhead nozzles: The ET-8550 uses a PrecisionCore printhead, which has extremely fine nozzles. Dried solvent ink can cause irreversible clogs. Unlike dye or pigment clogs, solvent clogs are much more stubborn.

Possible Steps You Can Take

1. Deep Cleaning Attempts

   • Try running multiple head cleanings from the printer's maintenance menu, but be aware that standard cleaning cycles are often not strong enough against years-old dried solvent ink.

2. Flushing the Ink System

   • A professional flush kit with cleaning solution (designed for solvent-to-dye/pigment conversion) would be needed. This involves purging the old ink out of the lines and through the head. However, if the ink has hardened into a solid mass, flushing may not restore full flow.

3. Replacing Components

   • In many cases, you would need to replace the ink lines, dampers, and possibly the printhead. Since Epson does not sell parts for consumer models like the ET-8550 easily, this can be very difficult and often not cost-effective compared to replacing the printer.

4. Printer Limitations

   • The ET-8550 was not designed for eco-solvent ink. Even if you clear the system, future issues may arise due to chemical incompatibility between the printer's ink delivery materials and solvent-based inks.

Because of these factors, many technicians would advise weighing the cost of parts and labor against purchasing a new printer-particularly if you want to print with eco-solvent. Printers purpose-built for solvent printing are more reliable and designed for that ink chemistry.

Addressing printer issues can be a complicated affair due to the hands-on nature of the problems. For this reason, we're not able to provide remote troubleshooting, suggestions, or support for printer repairs. However, we do provide an in-person evaluation and repair service at our local diagnostic facility (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 take in your printer. We can service either entire printers or specific parts, but we also acknowledge that our rates are not always the lowest option. That's why we encourage customers to also explore self-help options online. You can start by searching for detailed repair or conversion tutorials on our YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies), using the search icon on the "About" tab to locate specific topics. YouTube may also recommend related videos from other experts that could help.

Thanks again for your thoughtful question and for trusting BCH Technologies as a resource. We truly appreciate your support.