Epson maintenance boxes

What a maintenance box does

An inkjet cleans its nozzles at every start-up, and that ink goes not onto paper but into a box filled with absorbent material. Once the box is full the printer refuses to work even with freshly fitted cartridges. The maker gives the same thing three names: box, cassette and kit.

• Which machines. Boxes cover the WorkForce 3000, 7100 and 7600 series, WF-6xxx and WF-8xxx models, and the office AM-C400, AM-C550 and AM-C4000 to AM-C6000.
• Large format. The Stylus Pro 4900 and SureColor P5000 take the T6190 kit, rated for 35 000 pages.
• Older models. The Stylus Tx700 and Px500 generation is covered too, where the part carries the code C13S210116.
• The code on the box. A maintenance box code is not the same as an ink cartridge code – look for it on the side of the old box or in the printer menu.

When it gets replaced

The printer counts the ink spent on cleaning itself and issues a warning first, then a blocking message. You need not stop at the warning, but order the box straight away, or the machine will halt on the day a print is urgent.

What else goes into the same printer

The ink itself is on the Epson ink cartridges and bottles page. If the machine is a laser instead, see toners; the whole range sits under ink and toner cartridges. Paper and a new machine are under paper and all-in-one printers.

Frequently asked questions

How does a maintenance box differ from an ink cartridge? A cartridge supplies ink; the box collects the ink spent cleaning the nozzles. They are replaced at different times and under different codes.

Can the maintenance box counter be reset? Not properly: the absorbent material inside is what has filled up, and the counter is tied to a chip.

How do I find the right box for my printer? Check the printer model and match it against the Compatible with field on the product page – one box usually serves a whole series.