Anyone push cleaning fluid through a DX5?

[Valentino]

So I have been having some misfires and blocked nozzles in the black and cyan of my Valuejet DX5 printhead.

Turns out the two hoses from the maintenance station were unattached to the captop for over 2 months.

replaced the maintenance station and have run a few head soaks/strong cleaning with the same nozzles blocked.

Has anyone pushed cleaning solution through the printhead to clean blocked nozzles. I've seen many videos online about the issue and I've purchased this tool that has a damper setup to push cleaning solution through the head.

 

[Samurai_Screwdriver]

Instead of solvent cleaning solution, my recommendation is to inject acetone into the affected channel. I wouldn't make a regular habit of this but I have done this on numerous occasions and not caused any ill effects to a head. It's best to let the liquid sit in the inside the head for a period (even a few hours if necessary) before trying to flush using more acetone.

Even though acetone is much lower viscosity than Solvent Cleaning Solution you'll want to be very careful pushing any kind of solution through Epson-based printheads; there are very thin membranes between the channels and these can be easily ruptured if too much pressure is applied. You'll know you've ruptured the membrane if solution starts to squirt back up out of one of the other damper ports. Basically you want the solution to be dripping out of the nozzles - If it is streaming out in a curtain then you are probably pushing too hard.

Good luck and be careful - Being patient and going easy is the key!

 

[Mike001]

I tried it once, was a wee bit careless and got some fluid on the head electronics.... result, new head required *sigh* oh... and a new slider board.

 

[Valentino]

Acetone definitely dissolves ink quicker than the cleaning solution, but does it dry too quickly and could possibly ruin the head?

 

[Valentino]

any others have experience with this?

 

[sigatuka]

Squirting Back

hi I have been experienced squirting back the fluid on the other ink damper line.. any suggestion about this is it need to replace cap top or print head to be change..

Instead of solvent cleaning solution, my recommendation is to inject acetone into the affected channel. I wouldn't make a regular habit of this but I have done this on numerous occasions and not caused any ill effects to a head. It's best to let the liquid sit in the inside the head for a period (even a few hours if necessary) before trying to flush using more acetone.

Even though acetone is much lower viscosity than Solvent Cleaning Solution you'll want to be very careful pushing any kind of solution through Epson-based printheads; there are very thin membranes between the channels and these can be easily ruptured if too much pressure is applied. You'll know you've ruptured the membrane if solution starts to squirt back up out of one of the other damper ports. Basically you want the solution to be dripping out of the nozzles - If it is streaming out in a curtain then you are probably pushing too hard.

Good luck and be careful - Being patient and going easy is the key!

 

[player]

I have only worked with dx4 heads but first I would try: Soaking a swab in cleaner and hold it under the head just barely touching the black and cyan nozzles with NO pressure and no movement. Hold for 10 minutes or so. Then clean.

I also don't work the heads too hard. I have done the swab trick, and then in a couple of days it comes clean on it's own. Especially after new caps.

Have you tried gently pulling ink from the cap? you could clamp the other colours so it only pulls from the black and cyan. Carefully.

 

[inkjet frank]

Nozzle wash?

You lightly push solution into the print head and do a reverse pull to see if it helps. If the head is to old you will most likely see solution come back out a different channel or squirt out the side of the head plate. Have you tried doing a nozzle wash? Have you tried pulling from the capping station tube?