Waste ink collector conversions for Epson printers
Epson (and most other ink printers) use some form of print head priming mechanism. It's used to fill the print head with
ink when the first set of ink cartridges is installed in a new printer.It can also be used anytime the print quality declines
or to establish prime again, if the printer hasn't been used for some time, or when replacing the cartridge(s).
Epson printers use a small vacuum pump that attaches to the print head and "sucks" a small quantity of ink through it.
The ink is dumped into a waste ink tank in the bottom of printer. It's usually a thick layer of absorbent felt which soaks
up the ink. Note: It is not the felt strip you can see when you open the printer lid.
The waste ink pad eventually becomes saturated with ink and you can either:
1) get an Epson repairer to replace the waste pads. Be prepared to pay around $80+ for this
2) replace the pads yourself, if you are handy. Getting a service manual for your printer will make the job much easier
3) leave the ink pad full and keep using the printer. Ink might eventually start leaking from the bottom. Sit it on a stack
of newspaper and it will soak up any ink that leaks out. Be prepared for leaks, if moving the printer!
4) fit an external waste ink collector bottle to your printer
Most people find method # 4 the easiest. This involves diverting the waste ink tube inside the printer so the waste ink is
dumped into an external bottle. Some models have an inspection door at the back and these printers are the easiest to
modify, because the waste ink tube can be accessed through there. On some models, the top printer housing will have
to be removed, to get at the ink tube.
Whichever method you choose (except #1) you'll also have to reset the printer "waste ink full" error, before you can use
the printer again. Even if you modify the printer, so no ink is going into the waste pads, the printer will still come up with
the "waste ink" error at regular intervals. The errors can be reset with software from SSC. Find link to the software and
instructions on how to use it, by clicking here.
You can source the bits for the conversion yourself, or buy a waste ink bottle kit below. The same kit can be used with
most model Epson printers. Each kit includes 125ml bottle with pre-drilled cap, length of plastic tubing, two connectors
and instructions. If your model doesn't have an inspection door you have to work out how to remove the top housing too.
Note: Some A3 printers (eg R1800, R1900, 2400 etc) use two waste ink tubes. Two collector kits are required for these.
