Printers and service in France

[Jackie]

I pass this on for what it is worth as it might save you money if your printer ever does what ours just did.

 

Our old Epson printer just refused to print despite having new ink cartridges fitted. We got a message on the screen saying that some parts needed a service and to take it to an agent and I don't believe service charges in France are any cheaper than anywhere else assuming you can find someone local who knows about these things. This is not worth doing as the cost is a good proportion of a new printer so most folk chuck it away and buy new. Research on-line shows that in most cases printers have a counter that counts the number of lines printed and when that gets to a number set by the manufacturer it refuses to print and generates this message. In most cases the only parts to need a service are waste ink absorbing pads beneath where the print head is parked when not printing. Head cleaning utilities use ink that goes into these pads and if they get full it can run out onto your desk top and leave a stain. Most can be washed out and/or replaced if needed but the point is that the printer does not know they are full or otherwise it just guesses that they might be after x lines of printing done.

 

In order to get the printer working again the counter in the printer has to be reset and to do this you need a piece of software like the one I have downloaded for free from http://www.ssclg.com/epsone.shtml This is for Epson printers but the software must exist for other makes and I am looking for one for Dell printers, ink even more expensive than Epson, anyone know of it?  Some printers allow you to reset counters by holding in buttons when you switch it on. This software can also reset the counter chips in the ink cartridges. The computer only knows that the ink is about to run out because the printer tells it how many print operations it has done and therefore suggests the ink may run out soon which is not always the case and resetting this counter can give you more printing from an alleged empty cartridge.

 

Far be it from me to suggest that all this is all a ploy by printer manufacturers to sell you new printers or carry out not needed expensive servicing or to sell you expensive ink!...............................................J

 

[tinabee]

[quote user="Jackie"]

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The computer only knows that the ink is about to run out because the printer tells it how many print operations it has done and therefore suggests the ink may run out soon which is not always the case and resetting this counter can give you more printing from an alleged empty cartridge.

 

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[/quote]

I normally ignore the messages asking me to replace print cartridges - I think the last ones lasted for 3 months after the first message !!!! And, yes, I do print fairly regularly  [:)]

 

 

[bmt]

[quote user="Jackie"]Far be it from me to suggest that all this is all a ploy by printer manufacturers to sell you new printers or carry out not needed expensive servicing or to sell you expensive ink![/quote]

Well, only partly.  It's true that the printer measures the amount of ink expressed from the cartridges and that some of that ink goes into a waste container, but there is a valid argument for apparently wasteful errors in calculating the ink volumes.

First, Epson inkjet printers are notable in that the print head, with its microscopically fine jets, is not end-user replaceable and is designed to last the life of the printer.  Second, most Epson inks for home/small-business duty are pigment based, rather than dye, so the colour is actually produced by solid particles rather than just colouring the ink with dye.

Both of these factors contribute to improved print quality, but leave the printer vulnerable to premature failure due to blocked jets.  Blocked jets rarely trouble a printer in frequent use, but can be particularly troublesome in machines that sit for weeks or months between print jobs.  Although steps are taken to cover the jets when the print head is parked, residual ink at the surface can dry out and cause blockages.  Additionally, the ink in the reservoir gradually loses moisture and the ink thickens, making it less willing to be pumped freely through the cartridge and out of the jets when required as well as being less able to keep the jets clean.

Running a cartridge dry introduces air into the internal passages and means that the tiny piezo-effect pumps at the nozzles are running without ink, so they overheat and dry up the residual ink around themselves, leaving solids behind.  When a new cartridge is subsequently installed, the priming routine draws new ink through the print head by vacuum pump, also drawing the solids into the nozzles and often blocking them, usually terminally.

So, erring on the safe side certainly gives Epson an advantage, in terms of ink sales, but also improves overall reliability of the printer by taking into account at least some of the more extreme use cases.  The SSC utility only exists for Epson printers and there is nothing similar for other brands, afaik.

[Jackie]

The trouble with some printers is that they refuse to print once they think the ink has run out. This one will not print in black if the colour cartridge is thought to be empty for example. Thanks for the info about Epson print heads. I may extract the waste ink pads and see what can be done there. There is still a problem with this one as though it prints ok I have one of the indicators, the one nearest the power button showing a drop of ink and a sheet of paper on this Epson 680, flashing red. The Epson software I am using is not that compatible with Windows Vista as I have not got all of the functions like ink level indicator working however it prints just now so not to worry. I hope it lasts until I have used up all my spare ink cartridges at least!.....................................J

[Jackie]

Removed ink pads, three stacked, washed out under the tap what looked like litres of black ink and dried in the sun and microwave. All put back together now and working, amazing. It would be very easy to extend the tube from what looks like a small suction pump to an outside container and do away with the ink pads. Still they lasted 8 years without being touched so maybe I will not bother..............................................J 

PS made note to wear surgical gloves next time, very messy!