Hello all,
Long story here, so be patient please, but it could help you.
Thank you for all your detailed and incredibly helpful advice for cleaning/unclogging my printhead. I could only clear 5 out of 6 of my nozzles but if my story helps others my time is not wasted. Your clogged printhead may be the result of only one clogged nozzle!
My story may help some people experiencing the same sad story. My printer is a Canon i965,
Diagnosis: clogged printhead.
Materials involved:
silicon tubing, pliers, scissors, clean sponges, sterile syringe, a peg, a clean zip lock bag, a large bottle of the real windex, distilled water, isopropyl alcohol and a very clean lunchbox-size container.
Step 1:
I took the printhead out, obviously took all cartridges out also. Got some pliers and and extra pair of hands to remove all of the little rubber rings that surround the nozzles. This is needed to be done to gain easier access to all nozzles. Keep these clean and safe for reattaching later on.
Step 2:
Cut enough pieces (depending on number of nozzles) of silicon tubing (narrow and snug enough to fit onto nozzles). About 5-8cm in length is plenty. Each piece must be cleaned before applying to nozzles. Use distilled water/windex to flush out dust and stuff. Push tubing down onto each nozzle snuggly, so you've got vertical tubing on each nozzle instead of cartridges, hope you're still with me. Keep these parts clean!
Step 3:
Find an old lunch box or the like, ice cream container maybe, thoroughly clean this with detergent/distilled water and dry thoroughly.
Step 4:
Get some brand new/sterile sponges, those thin ones (3mm or so thick) you use to wipe down tables and stuff, trim small pieces as needed. A single piece need not be any bigger than your average credit card. Keep any unused sponge in a clean zip log bag, or something to keep them clean, you will need them later!
Step 5:
Your clean container is ready. You've got a small section of sponge and a large bottle of the real windex. Place your sponge on the floor and against a wall of the container. Using your syringe, get some windex and soak the sponge with it.
Step 6:
Ok, now your container is ready for the printhead. Sit your printhead upright against one of the container's walls, keeping it in place with a peg or something, while sitting on the sponge. Make sure you NEVER touch or spill anything onto the circuit board on the back of the print head! This shouldn't be a problem if you've cleaned and dried the container before hand.
Step 7:
Now you that you've got your printhead with silicon tubing on each nozzle, sitting on a windex-soaked sponge, and pegged against the container to stop it slipping; fill your syringe with more real windex. Gently, without causing a lot of pressure (could be damaging) fill each silicon tubing with the windex.
Step 8:
Personal choice, but sensible to place a sandwhich bag or the like over the printhead to prevent further dust and stuff getting into the nozzles while you leave it to do its thing.
Step 9:
Depending on how badly clogged your printhead is, you should eventually notice small spots of ink appearing on your sponge. This is a result of the windex in the tubing forcing its way through the nozzles and disolving dried up ink. The sponge should be replaced readily when a build up of ink is evident.
Step 10:
PATIENCE. It could be days before any one of the nozzles begins clearing. You should keep an eye on the level of windex remaining in each tube. This gives you an indication of which nozzles are more clogged than others. Keep refilling the tubes BEFORE they are empty to avoid drying up the nozzles even further. Keep everything as clean as possible at all times. You should empty the container of old windex mixed with the disolved ink often to avoid it being soaked back up into the sponge (which should be replaced often).
Step 11:
Keep topping up each tube with windex as needed (only with the same syringe, never use it for other things). Remember to replace ink soaked sponge. Replace protective bag or something over printhead when not doing this.
Step 12:
How exciting, you notice that at least some of the nozzles are going through windex like there's been a drought. This is what you want to happen. Keep up with the windex and replacing the sponge. Other nozzles may need more time. PATIENCE.
Step 13:
Congratulations, all nozzles are going through windex quicker than you can refill your syringe and gently refill each one after replacing the sponge, and making yourself a well deserved coffee. Slight exaggeration there. If your tubing goes through windex in about 30 minutes, fantastic.
Step 14:
While you are being very cautious after refilling the tubing with windex, make sure all nozzles are emptying at around the same speed (30 minutes approx. like above), or more importantly, until a very clean sponge is remaining very clean after several cycles of windex.
Step 15:
Ok, super clean sponge, and all tubes are emptying at similar speed (30 minutes approx.). Now refill the tubes again, just as before, but this time using nothing but distilled water. This is the last cleansing stage. Do so for roughly 5 cycles or whenever you think all windex has flushed out.
Step 16:
During step 15, go out and buy the genuine inks for your printer. The last thing you want is to go through it all again, as the cheaper inks are the prime suspect for clogging your printhead to begin with.
Step 17:
Unpack your new inks while the tubing empties itself of the remaining distilled water. Turn on your printer, ready for replacing your printhead. Get those little rubber rings ready to put back on the printhead that you took off at the start.
Step 18:
Tubes are empty. Remove the tubes with your clean hands. Replace the rubber rings on the nozzles. Printhead is now ready for putting back into printer.
Step 19:
Insert brand new genuine ink cartridges as you would normally before running a "clean printhead" cycle for your printer. Then print a nozzle check pattern and see if things are as they should be for your printer.
Note: It may take a few cleaning cycles to get rid of the distilled water remaining in the nozzles.
Step 20:
You should now be able to print beautiful things again!
Hope I have helped at least one person, saving them from printehead insanity.
If not, just go buy a brand new printhead and never use the dodgy inks ever again!!!
