Fixing Waste Ink Pump Issues on Epson L1800: Ink Flow and Capping Station Tips

Question: I recently installed a new waste ink pump on my Epson L1800, but it’s not drawing ink from the waste line. Additionally, when I perform a printhead cleaning, it spits ink upwards. What could be the problem?

Answer:
If we look at the above description, we can also say that the issue is related to the capping station, an important printer element, responsible for closing the printhead up and pulling ink from the waste ink system to protect the printhead. Here are some possible reasons and troubleshooting steps:

Inspect the Capping Station:

If the capping station is wet or malfunctioning, it will pull waste ink away from the print head. This can occur if the seals around the sealing station aren’t airtight or if the capping pad is blocked with dried ink. You will need to disassemble the capping station and clean it, as well as check for any wear. Do note that the rubber seals have to be intact and aligned perfectly.

Check if the waste ink pump is correctly installed:

Because you’ve swapped out the waste ink pump, verify the installation on those to make sure all the tubing connections are tight and free of kinks. If a tube is loose or out of position, it can obstruct the suction needed to draw ink away, causing it to spit upward during the cleaning cycles.

Test the Pump Suction:

Test the waste ink pump suction manually, by turning off the waste line and applying light suction to see if blocks exist. If there is little to no suction, inspect or replace the pump.

Inspect the Waste Ink Tubes:

Confirm that the waste ink tubes are free and clear of any clogs. Even mild restriction within the nozzle piping can impede ink flow and create problems when cleaning the print head.

Adjust the Cleaning Function:

If the pump and capping station look to be functional, but you’re still facing the issue, the calibration of the cleaning cycle may be disturbed. In certain situations, performing a firmware reset or recalibration can allow the system to detect the new pump and calibrate itself around it.

To have the complete guide on fixing capping station, I suggest you to check out this video from our channel on how to troubleshoot and maintain your printer’s capping station (https://youtu.be/RVtQLe2wTsk) as this video takes you through the steps in detail. This guide will take you through disassembling, cleaning, and reassembling the capping station to get it working optimally.

Printer problems can be a tricky business to troubleshoot as most of them are physical in nature. We can’t do remote troubleshooting, recommendations, or help you fix the printer. To see our in-house diagnostic facility, we provide an on-site inspection and fix service (https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service). With such high demand, we operate on a first-come, first-served basis, and it may take a handful of weeks to schedule your drop-off. Our services are designed for repairing the printer overall or separating from the parts with repair instructions. But we understand that we may not be the cheapest and highly suggest self-help methods be looked up online.

Visit Our YouTube Channel (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies) for more self-help content. Search the search icon to find nearly 10 years with content tailored to printers to troubleshoot / maintain / keep operating. You may also discover suggestions from other creators that will be useful. Thanks once again for your patience and for reaching out to us!