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Digital BW, The Print

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Re: [Digital BW] What did I do to my 3800?

2014-04-15 by David Kachel

I don't know if distilled water does not flow properly through a modern inkjet head. However, ink bases have surfactants in them that are very important components. With my syringes, when dealing with inks, I usually pre-lubricate them with some clear base. They can be very stiff with distilled water. The surfactants are de facto lubricants for the system. I, personally, would never run plain distilled water through a printer.

Paul,

It appears you may be right. Not certain. Last night I ran page after page and could not get anything beyond a light yellow. A couple of cleanings did improve things for a while, then the yellow started getting lighter again. I shut it off and left it overnight.
This morning I realized I had seen something like this before with the defective cartridges of a certain ink seller who shall remain nameless\u2026; this time!
So, I filled the cartridge in question to the max and ran another test page or three\u2026 perfect!
Hypothesis: plain (distilled) water changes the ability of the system to maintain pressure in the ink cartridge. The more ink drained from the cartridge, the greater the inability to maintain pressure. I filled the cartridge and the problem disappeared. With any luck, enough distilled water is now gone from the system that this won't recur.

Now on to the Magenta cartridge to see if I can still ruin my printer!!

I think I will clean out the cartridge with distilled water, then fill it with Amber base to flush. Or should I use your C6B? I have both. Remember, it's HP's magenta that is going in there in place of the Epson Magenta. Waddya think?

David Kachel

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