Epson L1800 Printing Blank Pages and Flashing Light Errors – Causes and Fixes

Question:
My Epson L1800 DTF printer was printing blank pages without showing any errors. After cleaning the printhead and capping station and running a strong ink charge, it is still printing blank pages. Now the printer has developed two flashing light errors. What could be wrong?

Answer:

1. Printing Blank Pages Before the Error Lights

When an Epson L1800 prints blank pages, the most common causes are:

• The printhead is not primed and isn’t drawing ink. This can happen if the capping station isn’t sealing properly, preventing suction during cleaning cycles.

• The capping station or ink lines may be clogged or improperly sealed. Even after manual cleaning, if there’s no vacuum pull, ink won’t move into the head.

• The F1 fuse on the mainboard may be blown, cutting power to the head and resulting in blank output despite the printer going through motions.

2. Strong Ink Charge and Possible Damage

Running a strong ink charge puts a heavy strain on the pump and mainboard. If the printhead had electrical issues before, a strong charge may have worsened the problem and caused mainboard or printhead failure. Unfortunately, this is a common scenario: the cleaning cycle increases the risk of burning out head circuits or blowing a fuse when the head is already compromised.

3. Two Flashing Light Errors

When both lights on the Epson L1800 begin flashing, it signals a general hardware error. This could mean:

• The printhead is electrically dead, no longer communicating with the board.

• The mainboard is damaged, possibly from a short caused during cleaning or ink leakage.

• A sensor issue (for example, the APG sensor) triggered during initialization.

4. How to Check the Specific Error Code

To know exactly what the printer is reporting, you’ll need the Epson Adjustment Program. Here’s how to use it:

1. Open the Adjustment Program and select your printer’s USB port from the dropdown list.

2. Choose Particular Adjustment, then scroll to Printer Information Check.

3. Click Check, and the most recent error code will appear as “error number one.”

4. For interpreting error codes, search for “BCH Epson Error” on Google. This will lead you to our page that explains Epson’s hidden “Triple Secret Error Codes.”

For a quick walkthrough, you can also watch this short video: How to Check Epson Error Codes (https://youtube.com/shorts/FPZzpyYuZLE).

If you don’t already have the Adjustment Program, it is typically provided to Epson technicians but sometimes shared by DTF printer sellers. You may need to search online to find a copy.

5. What This Means for Your Printer

• If the error code confirms a blown F1 fuse, you may be able to repair the board with professional help.

• If it shows a fatal printhead error, then the head itself is beyond salvage.

• If both the mainboard and printhead are gone, the repair costs can be significant—sometimes nearly the cost of a new unit.

Addressing printer issues can be complicated due to the hands-on nature of the repairs involved. For this reason, we cannot provide remote troubleshooting or repair support. However, we do offer an in-person evaluation and repair service at our local diagnostic facility (https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service). Since we work on a first-come, first-served basis, it may take a few weeks before your printer can be inspected. Our services include repairing entire printers or specific parts, with clear instructions on how to proceed. That said, we recognize our pricing may not be the lowest, so we highly recommend also using self-help resources online. A good place to start is our YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies). You can use the search icon next to “About” on the channel to locate videos on your specific issue. With nine years of uploads, we can’t recall every video by memory, but YouTube’s search function makes finding the right tutorial much faster and may even recommend related videos from other creators.

Thank you again for your detailed question and for supporting BCH Technologies. We wish you the best in diagnosing and repairing your Epson L1800.