Preventing and Fixing Ink Clogs in Epson XP-15000 Nipple Conversion Systems

Question:

I just installed the XP-15000 nipple conversion kit and dampers and swapped out my white ink tank and all tubing at once. I even installed a brand-new printhead and completed all of the updates. The first time, everything was great—I did a small production run of 15 shirts, and the prints were lovely. I printed only sporadically for the next few weeks, and the ink was mixed passively several times daily. But on my next small printing run, the white ink began wearing off. Even cleaning cycles did nothing to fix it, and the problem worsened.

I replaced the printhead and dampers, but the issue remained. I found it completely plugged when I attempted to pump the cleaning solution through the printhead carrier using a syringe. Removing the conversion between kettle creamer and white channels made no difference, as the clog was so tight that no solution could flow through.

The nipple conversion kit envisioned less clogging by removing the troublesome mesh intake, but when I installed it, I found a mesh beneath the nipple. This setup clogged faster and worse than anything I have ever seen. Since the ink flows through a damper filter, I don’t understand how it clogs so severely. Can you offer advice or insight into this?

Answer:

The Root of the Powdered Ink Flow and Clogging Problem

When you switch to a nipple system, you have two big changes:

• Higher Ink Volume – This helps push high-viscosity white ink through the system.
• Removal of the Mesh Barrier – Although this was intended to keep small debris from accumulating in the mesh and causing clogs, it also removed a layer of filtration that kept then-removed larger chunks of ink from reaching the printhead.

Why Your Ink is Clogging

Judging from the description, white ink bits seem to form throughout your system and block the nipple intake. If they’re clogging the more extensive intake areas, they will undoubtedly appear in your printhead, clogging finer nozzles. If you find clogs in the mesh, ink aggregation occurs in the system.

Preventative Measures

Here’s what I suggest to avoid this problem in the future:

Make Sure Ink is Circulating properly: While you can make prints every day if you don’t have an ink circulation system, white ink, being thick and heavy, tends to settle and may create clogs. White ink is well-known for sedimentation, which can form solidified mounds that become stuck in the system.

An Inline Ink Filter: To prevent small chunks of ink from reaching the printhead, install a DTF Ink Filter with C3 Connections (https://bchtechnologies.com/products/dtf-ink-filter-with-c3-connections-for-high-viscosity-white-and-color-inks). This filter, which is essentially a second layer of filtration, will help catch any clotted particles before they reach the printhead.

Manually Flush the System Regularly: Where possible, periodically flush the ink lines with the appropriate cleaning solution to break up the ink chunks that form. This may be more frequent than with standard inks, but if you use thick white ink, you should do so.

Try a Higher Quality White Ink: Certain brands of white ink are more stubborn when settling and getting clogs. You could try different white ink formulations to see which works best and flows better in the system.

Final Thoughts

Printer issues can be a complicated affair due to the hands-on nature of the problems. So, we can't offer troubleshooting, ideas, or help via the internet on getting your printer repaired. We provide on-site inspection and correction repair services (https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service) through an in-diagnostic plant in your neighborhood. However, significant demand means we work on a first-come, first-served basis, and it may take you several weeks to get your drop-off on the schedule. We provide comprehensive printer service to repair your whole printer or specific parts. However, we realize our rates aren't the cheapest. Hence, we recommend you resort to self-help by researching online related to your queries.

The best place to start is our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies. Use the Search function next to the "About" tab to find videos on specific topics. We’ve produced hundreds of videos over the past nine years, so searching on YouTube is usually the quickest way to find the information you’re looking for.