Infopackets Reader George S. writes:

" Dear Dennis,

Since I can't seem to get a response from Epson, I wonder if you have any information about the approximate print head life of a low priced printer like the Epson C66. I have printed about 5,000 pages in black, using the normal text mode, and now the print head seems to be showing signs of wear. Is this about normal? "

My response:

Printing 5,000 pages should not cause your printer to wear-out prematurely. My best guess is that your print head is clogged with ink (rather than worn away).

If you used an ink refill as opposed to using the manufactured ink cartridges, this may be the culprit. In this case, you will have to take apart your printer to get at the print head in order to clean it properly. Epson printers (as far as I understand) are still manufacturing their printers with the print head built onto the printer (and not the cartridge), so cleaning the print head is never a quick fix ;-(.

Once you have the print head apart, soak it into a solution over night. I've read on a number of web sites that dunking the print head in Windex (glass cleaner) really does the trick.

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=windex+print+head

More info on ink refill kits, as discussed in our newsletter:

Ink refill kits -- are they worth it?

Cheap printer with print head built onto cartridge?

Cheap printer with print head built onto cartridge?, Part 2