Epson Stylus NX400
Many tries to clean nozzles unsuccessful and wastes much ink from cartridges

Experienced technical support provide their insights in answering this question :
The head cleaning uses wet ink to clean dry ink. Really bad idea. Go on eBay and search for Epson head cleaning kit. They work a lot better and don’t use ink.

How to Identify and Fix Common printer Problems ?

Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced technical support :

The primary culprit in the problem of clogged printhead nozzles, whether in Epson printers or otherwise, is air. Air blockages are fairly common, particularly because nozzles are becoming smaller, with every little bit of technological advancement. The next big culprit is, of course, dried ink.
Dried Ink Buildup on the Printhead

If the print cleaning cycle doesn`t work, dried ink may be the culprit. Take the printhead out and wipe the nozzles clean to remove any buildup. Depending on the model of your printer, this may be difficult—some printheads are harder to remove than others.

The reason behind this problem is that some of the old material remains in the extruder due to the lower temperature needs of the new material. As a result, the old filament will not melt completely, and the residue left behind may cause the nozzle to clog in the long run.
Fill the chosen tool up with isopropyl alcohol, and squirt it into the sponge side of the ink cartridge so that it gets inside the blocked printer head. You need to make sure that you inject a good amount of isopropyl alcohol into the blocked printer head or it won`t be able to dissolve the dried-up ink.
If your PC or the LCD screen on your printer is telling you that your ink cartridges are full but no ink is passing through to the paper, then it`s most likely that you are dealing with a clogged printhead. Blurry documents and images that appear faded are also signs that it`s time to remove the excess ink.
The nozzle size of a 3D printer can have a significant impact on the quality of the final print. In general, a smaller nozzle size will result in higher-resolution prints with smoother finishes, while a larger nozzle size will produce prints more quickly but with lower resolution and more visible layer lines.
You may need to clean the print head up to 4 times. You can also turn off your Epson printer and wait at least 6 hours. Then try printing again.
Print head cleaning consumes some ink. To avoid wasting ink, clean the print head only if print quality declines; for example, if the printout is blurry or the color is incorrect or missing.
Soak the Printhead

Fill a bowl with warm water (or a mixture of water and vinegar to clean the printhead) and place the printhead directly in it. Let it sit for five minutes or so. Pull the printhead out of the water and use a lint-free cloth or paper towel to remove the dried ink.

When the nozzle isn`t choked, the flow through it is entirely subsonic and, if you lower the back pressure a little, the flow goes faster and the flow rate increases. As you lower the back pressure further the flow speed at the throat eventually reaches the speed of sound (Mach 1).
You can avoid troublesome nozzle clogs by regularly using your printer to circulate ink and performing manual nozzle checks on at least a weekly basis. If recent events have led to less-frequent printing, then a weekly manual cleaning cycle can help to keep the ink system flushed.
A. It`s not necessary to clean the nozzle after every print, but it`s a good idea to do so on a regular basis. This will help prevent clogs and other issues that can affect the performance of your 3D printer.
You won`t need to clean the inside of your printer too often. Generally, aim to clean it every four to eight months, depending on your level of usage.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

cleaning nozzles
ANSWER : Inject cleaning solution down into the heads. You can search Epson head cleaning kit on Ebay

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Epson Stylus NX400

One small segment (nozzle check) missing/clogged – cleaning?
ANSWER : You need to buy a “head cleaning kit”. What that does is inject cleaning fluid through the ink port on top down through the heads using a syringe. They don’t cost much. Do a search on eBay for “Epson head cleaning kit” There’s lots of them. Another idea stolen from this site. Gotta love the internet.

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Epson Stylus NX400

Nozzles do not clean.
ANSWER : The head cleaning uses wet ink to clean dry ink. Really bad idea. Go on eBay and search for Epson head cleaning kit. They work a lot better and don’t use ink.

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Epson Stylus NX400

black will not print after cleaning the nozzle head 5 times
ANSWER : There’s way to clear your print head. Go to Youtube site of Jose Rodriquez. He’s got a video on just about every aspect of printing. Put something like a folded shop towel, spray it with Windex, no deodorants etc. just the original Windex, no ammonia D, and some alcohol (not rubbing alcohol but 90 percent or some such). Fold towel into a strip about and inch and a half or so and put it in the cup like trough that the print head follows when printing. Start printer. Let printer just begin. When head moves out of the dock, and unplug the printer. Now you can move head manually. Maneuver head over the towel. Leave it overnight. You may need to do this many times. I had about given up when my print head cleared up. I think you need to see Jose’s video, then you’ll understand better. If you can’t find it or you need more help, feel free to email me. There are other resources, but I wouldn’t go for commercial cleaning kits. That’s just me. And I’m leery of trying to put pressure through the head. I hope this helps. It’s kind of brief. There is a man I found who had written almost a book on the subject. He’s not anxious for his name to be given out however.

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Epson Stylus NX400

Clean Printing
ANSWER : Simply look at the drum and the belt. If there is still a latent image on either one, that is what you should replace.

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Epson Stylus NX400

how to clean ink pad
ANSWER : It’s kind of hard to disassemble to get the pad out. Since the pad holds way more ink than when it gives the warning, it is easier to just reset the warning. Do a search on waste ink reset for that model.

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Epson Stylus NX400

Printer Nozzle
ANSWER : Search ebay for Epson head cleaning kit.

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Epson Stylus NX400

How To Buy Your Head Cleaning Solution
ANSWER : The new site owner doesn’t sell kits anymore. Try doing a search for Epson head cleaning kit on eBay.

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Epson Stylus NX400