How to COMPLETELY Empty/ Drain Ink from Epson EcoTank to Change Ink or Deal with Clogs!

[@wilisjaafar1592]

I don't recommend anyone doing this especially if your inkjet printer is still under warranty. It's actually a complex project only trained technicians can do it. I am a system admin and I know what I am talking about.

[@KarleyHall]

Great reminder! Thank you! I agree and should have mentioned that in my video. I’ll pin your comment so hopefully people will see it as a word of caution and proceed once they are aware of the risk. I also want to note most people watching this have already voided their warranty by putting in 3rd party sublimation ink. Or their printer is headed for the trash because of an issue and this is the last attempt to save it. I am not a trained technician and my printer is up and running and working great so the risk paid off for me, but it also could have ended with my printer being toast!

[@LorraineCastellon-Rowe]

@KarleyHall Thank you for this info. My printer warranty was voided as soon as I put sublimation ink in it, so it's no big deal if this doesn't work for me. I might as well try it since my printer is just a paperweight right now. 🤣🤣🤣

[@nigelbontoft]

@@LorraineCastellon-Rowe did itwork

[@AdventuresofMissCarrie]

So if there is regular ink it it now, couldn't I just print and print till it's as empty as possible, then put in my sub ink and run it through til fully filled with the sub ink? I know that would be quite wasteful, but seems easier in theory??

[@lisasifuentes9650]

What happens if I go through the whole process and still clogged? I have eco solvent ink in and my magenta clogs ALL THE TIME

[@The1GDaddy57]

Hi Karley! Well done!! I am a technician who has been working on office machines for 25 years and I just wanted to say that I think it's great that you did it yourself!! There is nothing magical if you just take your time and pay attention. Sure, you may make a booboo every now and then, but I love it when I see an energetic lady take tools in hand and "get at it". Great video!🎉

[@kensweet6022]

Hi Karley & well done for biting the bullet. For your future reference & anyone wanting to do this or maybe service the purge unit, (where the print head carrier rests to the right of the printer when not printing), simply go into test print mode, no need for any paper, start the 'test print' and as the head moves across to the left, either turn off AT THE MAINS OUTLET or pull the power cord from the rear of the printer, whichever is more convenient. The aim is to time it so the heads stop anywhere other than over the purge unit. DO NOT turn off at the printer 'on/off' switch as you did, it will always continue to the normal resting position and lock in above the purge unit. The head will now be free to move easily. When all done & restarted, the printer will automatically reset its position ready for use. Hope this helps & Kind regards - Ken. (England, UK). 🇺🇲🇬🇧

[@KarleyHall]

Thank you so much!! This is great info that I (obviously) didn’t consider!! I appreciate you taking the time to comment and hopefully this will help additional viewers who are trying to complete this process :)

[@kensweet6022]

@@KarleyHall You are welcome. Another little tip if you need to clean the printhead nozzles, simply fold a piece of paper kitchen towel 4 or 5 times about 1.5 inch wide, to be able to fit under the head on the platten, the bit over which the head travels, so that you are able to slide the head over it. Before sliding the head fully over, spray the towel with cleaning fluid, Windex glass cleaner is ideal, and then gently pull the paper through. Do this 3, 4 or even 5 times depending on how it is looking. It will not necessarily remove all ink at this stage. Then repeat with a dry folded towel. Then you should see a marked difference. Dry towel only once or twice. Also, If the foam pad & the area where the print head parks is also in need, then simply clean this now with the same fluid. Spray it onto the foam directly and the little tray it sits in along with the rubber wiper strip which sits just to its left. It will drain into the waste tank. Then do 3, maybe 4 nozzle clean cycles, with a nozzle test print between each one. I suggest that you don't do a power clean as this shortens the lower ink pad's life. If any bits of the nozzle print test are missing the odd segment or two, try printing a small, say 4 x 4 inch, test print of multiple colours. You can find these to download free on the Internet. These processes can all be done individually or together without having to dismantle the printer! I have revitalised at least 6 printers using these methods, all with 100% success and about to do another tomorrow. Have fun & all the best - Ken.

[@robinsstitches]

It worked for us. I had just filled all the tanks before it broke down. Just wanted the sublimation ink for my new printer. I did disconnect the plug when the print head reached the middle. Thank you so much @@KarleyHall

[@Sror3d]

Thanks for the tutorial, Karley! I bought the Epson 15000 for large sublimation projects and spent $650, but only ended up making one. It's been sitting unused for over a year, and it was tough seeing it collect dust with sub ink inside. I decided to switch to regular ink for stickers and photos, especially since I paid so much for it. I finally looked up how to do it and found your video. I bought a syringe and got to work right away. Your guide made the process simple. I'm currently doing print head cleanings, and the results are improving with each pass. My first test page was blank, then I got two lines, and now I'm seeing cyan and the text is getting clearer. I'm going to keep going until it's perfect, but I'm thrilled to almost have my printer back in action! P.S. This is my only printer, and I wouldn't recommend spending $650 on it for sublimation unless you're making a lot of projects.

[@52wildflowers]

You just helped me save a very expensive printer. I had old sublimation ink in this printer and wanted to make it a regular ink jet again. I followed your instructions step by step and with the exception of removing the print heads ( I couldn't get them out), I did what you said and the printer is printing! It is banding a bit but I hope this will get better as it is used. I needed this printer to work so I wouldn't have to buy a new printer and without your tutorial, I would not have been brave enough to do it. Thank you so much!

[@thebookonthegoat8068]

could you give an update regarding the banding?

[@52wildflowers]

The black is still banding pretty badly. I did a purge sheet three times and it fixed the yellow but not the black. Haven't figured out what to do yet @@thebookonthegoat8068

[@LorraineCastellon-Rowe]

Excellent video/ tutorial!! I've been wanting to change back to inkjet ink for almost a year. I'm praying I can use this tutorial to get this done. Thank you so very much for taking the time to share this with us!! I sincerely appreciate it!! 🩷💯🩷💯🩷💯🩷

[@muthakinali5878]

I was so close to throwing away my printer, and then I came across this video. Thank you for the awesome video! My printer is now working.

[@jamim4204]

Hi Karley! The previous graphic artist using this printer decided to fill up not only the black with black ink but the colored tanks as well. I would like to convert this ET15000 to sublimation. I followed all the KZbin tutorials on how to flush the ink. I got all the ink out that I could including the tubes & dampers. My old ink (because you can’t get every last drop, right?) was mixing with the new sub ink entirely and I have no clue what to do at this point. Is there any salvaging this??

[@kandiikaoss379]

I'd like to know this too bc I put regular ink in mine and we ended up buying a more expensive Epson tank printer so I wanted to use this cheaper one as a sublimation printer instead but I'm not sure if it's worth doing all this if the sublimation ink will just mix with the regular ink and not work as intended

[@tma71111]

Me too. I wonder if you can flush it with alcohol

[@senoraantero2836]

What option is it that you chose when the ink purged?

[@ashwinchester8491]

do you have to refill the ink again after a power clean?

[@rissasmithg]

If you go to “Maintenance,” then “Ink cartridge replacement/reset ink levels (whichever option on your model),” then press “start/ok,” unplug the printer while it’s still on. Then you should be able to move the printhead.

[@lisasibbald3970]

Great video. I have an et 15000 as well. I just got it for sublimation. I have a smaller epson for sublimation but wanted larger print capabilities. I started to fill my tank (black) and realized the wrong ink was sent to me. It was not sublimation ink. I haven't run the printer and didn't add anymore ink. I checked my lines and the black hasn't moved past the fill tank. Is there a way to take the ink out of the fill tank???

[@gbpackergal54140]

Could you get replacement "print heads/cartridges"? I have a brand new 2803 and want to use for sublimation but was thinking it would be so much easier if I just had replacement cartridges for when I needed to switch it back. Do you think that's an option?

[@glez759]

Thank you so much! So easy to follow directions, direct and to the point, good lighting.

[@tisprintcraftstv]

Thanks for this video. Please I have an Epson L1800 that I have been using for sublimation printing but I want to change to dtf ink, my concern is what would happen to the white ink if I drain the light cyan and light magenta then replace them with white ink. Would the residues of those inks not affect the white ink? I will be glad to have your opinion on this as soon as possible. Thanks once again.

[@KarleyHall]

I would not recommend replacing it with white ink. That’ll make it almost impossible to match your print colors to what you see digitally.

[@terryreilley]

Unfortunately, the syringes you recommend are no longer available on Amazon - at least not right now.

[@lindarobb2349]

You were brave to tackle this project. Congratulations! I mistakenly added black ink in a yellow tank. Would it be possible to use your syringe to remove the ink from the tank right where it sits in the printer? I have an Epson ET 4800

[@SmarkDepper]

I would suggest sucking the ink from the end of the pump hose when the carriage is positioned above the capping station instead of power cleaning to avoid rising the waste pad counter. It is way faster too. Yeah, for higher end model printers like in the video you have to disassemble way more but yeah 😅. Also after sucking the ink, instead of removing the syringe, push tje carriage to the left to prevent ink from feeding back to the print head, then just clean. Of course, avoid touching too much the capping station, be super gentle. Its sealing can degradate.

[@mcotton9223]

Hello, have you had your black ink shadow (only seeing with a magnifying glasse) but also shows up when design is pressed on a shirt?

[@sabrinablanco6978]

Do we have to add ink back into the cartridges that we drained?

[@mirandaLegorreta-m9f]

hello, do you know how to issue ink charging on epson et 3760 model i drained and added new ink now i need help getting ink from tank to cartridges. I've also tried factory resetting but have not had any luck.

[@beckyhoernig5911]

I filled my black Epsom 2720 with blue, so i sucked all of it out and added black to the tank. but now the black will not print at all. Any help would be helpful. 11/30/24

[@richardgrant67]

Very good instructions! I followed this step by step and whilst it seems overwhelming, i managed to do it.

[@andyhill8538]

Great video! How about this idea? Since you just got done exacting the ink from the supply tank, how about using the syringe to suck the new ink into all the lines before you button it back up. Reason being it would prime all the lines and remove all the air. Wouldn't cost anything, and I'll bet it would work! Kind of like bleeding brakes on a car.

[@KarleyHall]

That sounds like a really good theory! Wish my past self thought of it 😂

[@Cyclonesu12Blue]

Can I just print and just empty the ink by printing and then fill with sublimation ink once’s it runs out?

[@KarleyHall]

It would take a really long time and you’d waste a lot of paper. But theoretically- yes.

[@Cat-jv7mg]

Thats exactly what i was gonna do too seems alot easier lol😂😂

[@janetsnitzer7090]

Please help... I can't figure out how to put spring back on where it will stay in place.. 😢😢

[@mom3795]

Omg you made this process so easy, thank you so much for this tutorial!

[@Cathyt88]

I have an error 31008. Do you recommend I flush mine out?

[@kimbradford]

Will this work for et 8550?

[@teresatamez]

What size syringe ?

[@wendysworld6584]

So you remive all the ink and then added the new ink and did all the nozzle checks?😊

[@KarleyHall]

Yep! You may have to run a few print head cleanings!

[@wendysworld6584]

@@KarleyHall once I put the new ink right?

[@KarleyHall]

@@wendysworld6584 yes!

[@ElijahsAba]

It worked! Thanks!

[@veeram5398]

So my epson ET 2400 will not let me fill the blue when i put the bottle it just sits at the top makes a mess please help 😩

[@Tracer414]

I recently purchased a new Epson Eco Tank 3850 printer at Costco for $325.00. The setup was relatively easy and I had it up and running in about 15 minutes after unboxing. However, I am extremely disappointed in the quality of the printing for both documents and photos.The edging in the photos were grainy and the colors were darker then the original photos. I reset the color management and it still produced a low quality image. The scanner is also cheap inefficient. After scanning a simple document I discovered the text had jagged edges and the tops of the fonts in some sentences were chopped off. The only way I could get nice sharp fonts in a document was to scan in Photo Mode. The top automatic feeder which is used to scan multiple documents or make copies, pulls the entire stack of papers into the feeder all at once. I had to physically stagger each page individually to prevent the stack from jamming the feeder. All in all this printer is ,sfr of poor quality materials and is cheaply made. Thank God I saved the box. I'm packaging it back up and taking it back to Costco first thing tomorrow.

[@DannoZynda]

The little cartridges next to the print head are called dampers. Eventually, they will go bad and you will lose that particular color.

[@scripturesparks]

with the syringe are you pocking holes in the tank to fill it up or how?

[@KarleyHall]

There are already holes to fill it up so I’m putting the syringe in those :)

[@CROBUTKA]

are there clips to remove the smaller tanks near the print head- i did not see how you did that- am am at that stage and dont want to break things trying to get those small tanks out to extract the remaining ink. please explain how to remove those.

[@KarleyHall]

I actually don’t think it’s necessary if you decide to do a power clean! Which I would recommend to flush the ink and air!

[@debbieh1323]

Where do I buy the green adapters for the syringe from? Thanks

[@KarleyHall]

It’s from Amazon! There is a link in the video description :)

[@debbieh1323]

@@KarleyHall aah I’m in the U.K. & they are unavailable but thank you for your reply x

[@bjmoore1712]

May I ask how many power cleanings you did prior to having to replace the maintenance box? Thanks for the VERY HELPFUL video!!! And, that does not look like the same replacement tank you have linked as what is in the machine?

[@KarleyHall]

I am almost positive I did 3!

[@beverlyvillela3547]

This helped with removing all the inks except for the blue. For some reason I cannot extract the blue, are there any tips or something else I can do?

[@KarleyHall]

Is the tank just stained? My tank was pretty stained so it appeared as if it wasn’t empty.

[@beverlyvillela3547]

@@KarleyHall No unfortunately I don't think that's the issue. When I pull the syringe while on the blue there's a a pull that's preventing me from fully extending the syringe. On the others that are already empty is easy to pull the syringe.

[@meuyrobbins9681]

After I did this it’s printing blank now?

[@KarleyHall]

Did you run a cleaning/ power cleaning to force the ink back through the tubes?

[@meuyrobbins9681]

@@KarleyHall I did. The first three pages had broken lines while the fourth and fifth one were blank. Now the maintenance box is full and I’m waiting for it to come in so I can replace it.

[@sharonchapko7527]

I want to do this to my ET-3760, go from sublimation ink to regular ink, will these directions work for that one?

[@KarleyHall]

It’ll be very similar! Once you open it up- you will be able to see all of the same things I’m showing here- but how they are connected may be a little different.

[@sharonchapko7527]

@@KarleyHall Thank you so much for this tutorial! I was hesitant to try but I did and it was really easy to do! Actually, my steps were a little easier than yours, I had less things to remove! I'm so happy that it worked!

[@conniehatch9323]

Your links for the syringes and waste tanks lead to items that are out of stock and not exptected to be back in stock. I hope I ordered something that will work.

[@andrewwilliams2193]

Yes, this is overwhelming and I think I would just get a brand new printer and fill with sublimation ink instead of the inkjet ink. Knowing my luck I would do a bad job and I end up without a printer. I just wished I knew this before I got my ET-2850. Great video though.

[@jerritanner275]

I have an Epson e2800 series E that I’ve successfully added sublimation ink to 2 or 3 times before. However, I’m currently unable to fill the tanks. I can’t tell what the actual levels are be because the windows look to be entirely stained. I’ve done nozzle & head cleanings & aligned the heads. It tells me I have insufficient ink to complete a power cleaning. Any advice on how to fix this? Tia

[@StarsHallow]

Did you ever figure out how to fill the tanks? I’m having that issue now. TIA @jerritanner275

[@jerritanner275]

@@StarsHallow no. I ended up buying a new one. 😡

[@StarsHallow]

@@jerritanner275 oh no! There are so many people doing this and I’ve done if before to charge the ink but it’s not working this time. You hold the ? Mark button down for 5 seconds and it’s supposed to go into a different mode but idk why it’s not working this time. I tried priming the lines with ink using a syringe and then I filled the cartridges but it’s still not printing correctly. I may have to buy a new one too! So frustrating

[@sharonchapko7527]

Hey Karley, I followed all the directions and switched from sublimation to regular ink, but now nothing will print at all! I'm just getting blank sheet! Any suggestions? I've tried printing several sheets to get the ink moving but no good!

[@KarleyHall]

Did you do a full power cleaning? That was the same situation I got myself into and had to do the power cleaning to push the ink back through!

[@StarsHallow]

@sharonchapko7527 did you ever get yours to print again? I’m having that issue now. TIA

[@s13dad82]

To move the printer head, you just need to push it all the way to the right and then twist the gears counter clockwise on the other end until it releases the lock. Keep twisting the white gears until the printer freely moves.

[@nigelbontoft]

will this work with Sublimation i want to go back to ink

[@KarleyHall]

Yep. That’s what I’m doing in this video.

[@nigelbontoft]

@@KarleyHall i got the et2810 so esy to work on but just wating on new inks from ebay

[@beautybybeth8689]

I cannot figure out what I’m doing wrong. I have followed your video to the tea with taking the screws and such out and taking the top of the ink cartridges out but I cannot get the ink to syringe out. I have tried two different syringes and I cannot get nothing to suction out. I have tried it through the little tube, and then I’ve actually taken the cartridge out and tried to suction it That way, and I can’t get anything out. Can you please help me

[@KarleyHall]

Are you using the syringes I linked? With the little attachment? You need to make sure there is a good seal or else it won’t work.

[@beautybybeth8689]

@@KarleyHall I didn’t use your exact ones because they sell out quick. So I bought needle nose with different sized tips.

[@fiesty515]

@@beautybybeth8689 sounds like you may of forgot to lift the tank colour lid up while trying to remove the ink if it is not lifted up it will most likely not work because it is trapped air locked you need it all the way up or can not get the air to flow through it while pulling the plunger to remove the ink

[@michaelbujaki2462]

Thank you for posting this. This is also useful if you're moving.

[@barirwin8559]

Guys do not force your printhead like OP did. Turn the printer off and let it settle. Turn it back on and watch the printhead . it will move slowly half an inch to the left . Plug the printer out at the back cable when it makes this move left. Your printhead will now be free to move by hand . Also the "little cartridges " on top of the printhead are called Dampers.

[@KarleyHall]

Sounds like you’re an expert! Thanks for the comment :)

[@therealdailyvlogs]

Cycle, the printer on while it is in mid movement. Shut it off, actually unplug it. It won't hurt it that way. The print head is in the middle and you can move it freely.

[@sanjaychourasia537]

Dry compatible ink support et15000 printer.

[@Arocho.apparel]

I would say instead of forcing the ink tray maybe pretend to change ink in the maintenance screen so it moves to the middle. Thank you because I need to change my eco ink to sub ink.

[@geecee6034]

Think it is better to pull the power plug (rather than use the button) when the printhead is away from the corner

[@julielyons7172]

Karley, you are soooooooo brave!!😂

[@KarleyHall]

I was very skeptical! That's why I filmed it without talking and added a voice-over after I knew it worked haha

[@leandraharris8339]

Hey so u don't clear the old ink completely out the lines. You just pull the ink and that's it?

[@KarleyHall]

I did! That’s what the power cleaning does :) it pushes the old ink into that tank I changed out.

[@kandiikaoss379]

@@KarleyHall How much is the new tank?

[@tommycaldwell6953]

The Epson website said to turn the printer upside down and empty the tanks. Then replace with new ink. If you run the printer empty of the old ink, will it hurt it?

[@kandiikaoss379]

Sounds messy, did you try it??

[@lynnerutledge5089]

Don’t turn printer off, unplug it and your printhead will move freely @Karley Hall

[@ArendsAdventures]

It is bad to move the head like that. What you are supposed to do is start to print and turn it off soon as the head moves. It unlocks the carriage.

[@KarleyHall]

Yah- unfortunately figured that out after! Such is life when you are filming something live for the first time! 😂

[@DJ_Gloveboxx]

Thank you!!!

[@craftingretired]

I have an Ecotank before I discovered Sublimation I can not do that. I will just buy another printer for Sublimation Just not for me.If it is for you than it is a great video.

[@bluisart]

I’m the 1000th like…thx for this video

[@mcrescoord]

I think I did something wrong because I am getting code error 031006. So I will continue to rewatch the video until I figure it out. 👍🏽 😊

[@KarleyHall]

Oh no!! It sounds like something may have leaked and caused something to burn out! I found this video that may help kzbin.info/www/bejne/aGS2qXeCgLSkmrssi=l1bWaIKAJ1TjCtYX

[@ghost-4230]

I followed the video and my printer is printing again!

[@cathycruz2366]

You didn't clean it. Why not show how to clean it instead of removing ink?

[@KarleyHall]

? I needed to empty out the ink. I’m not sure I understand the question. There is nothing to see when it’s cleaning.

[@fiesty515]

@cathycruz2366 Because she needed to remove the old ink first before adding the new ink that use to be used for sublimation not regular printing she removed the old ink to now be able to use the printer for regular printing , and in order to do that you need to remove the old ink from the printer first , before performing a complete head cleaning on it . once you perform several cleaning it fills up the back tank you then need to replace it once it gets full and it does not take long to fill up on those espon echo tank printers ., and some echo tank printers you can not get replacment tanks for them so have to then jsut go out and purchace a new printer .

[@sworley1956]

too much "I dont knows" for me and "I am not sure". This was more like an experimental video

[@KarleyHall]

It totally was! I wanted to film it in case it worked 😅 and it did! So now I’m sharing it to give you more confidence than I had ❤