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Air Lock Hot Water Fix -
If you find that the printout is unexpectedly faint or that dots are missing, you may be able to solve these problems by cleaning the print head, which ensures that the nozzles are delivering ink properly.
You can clean the print head from your computer using the Head Cleaning utility in the printer driver or from the printer by using the buttons.
Note:|
This is the most effective DIY method for clearing air locks. It uses the higher pressure of the cold mains water to push the air lock out of the hot water pipes. Lack of continuous upward slope (minimum 1:100 recommended), missing automatic air vents at local high points, and undersized pipes that increase velocity and turbulence all promote air entrapment. |
Using the Head Cleaning utility for Windows
Follow the steps below to clean the print head using the Head Cleaning utility.
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Make sure that no lights are indicating errors.
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Right-click the printer icon on the taskbar, then select Head Cleaning.
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If the printer icon does not appear, refer to the following section to add the icon.
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Follow the on-screen instructions.
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The 
light flashes while the printer performs the cleaning cycle.
light flashes while the printer performs the cleaning cycle.
Caution:|
Do not turn off the printer during head cleaning. If the head cleaning is incomplete, you may not be able to print.
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Note:Air Lock Hot Water Fix -
This is the most effective DIY method for clearing air locks. It uses the higher pressure of the cold mains water to push the air lock out of the hot water pipes.
Lack of continuous upward slope (minimum 1:100 recommended), missing automatic air vents at local high points, and undersized pipes that increase velocity and turbulence all promote air entrapment.
Using the Head Cleaning utility for Mac OS X
Follow the steps below to clean the print head using the Head Cleaning utility.
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Make sure that no lights are indicating errors.
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Access the Epson Printer Utility 4.
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Click the Head Cleaning button.
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Follow the on-screen instructions.
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The light flashes while the printer performs the cleaning cycle.
light flashes while the printer performs the cleaning cycle.Caution:|
Do not turn off the printer during head cleaning. If the head cleaning is incomplete, you may not be able to print.
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Note:|
To maintain print quality, we recommend printing a few pages on a regular basis.
If print quality does not improve, make sure you selected the appropriate color according to the nozzle check result.
If print quality has not improved after repeating this procedure about four times, turn the printer off and wait for at least six hours. Then run the nozzle check again and repeat the head cleaning if necessary. If print quality has still not improved, contact Epson support.
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Using the printer buttons
Follow the steps below to clean the print head using the printer buttons.
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Make sure that no lights are indicating errors.
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Hold down the
 button for three seconds. |
The printer starts cleaning the print head and the light begins flashing.
light begins flashing.Caution:|
Do not turn off the printer during head cleaning. If the head cleaning is incomplete, you may not be able to print.
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When the
light stops flashing, print a nozzle check pattern to confirm that the head is clean. |
Note:|
To maintain print quality, we recommend printing a few pages on a regular basis.
If print quality has not improved after repeating this procedure about four times, turn the printer off and wait for at least six hours. Then run the nozzle check again and repeat the head cleaning if necessary. If print quality has still not improved, contact Epson support.
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