New method to clean print heads?

[Molitor]

I refill with MIS inks and had to replace a Canon iP6700D printhead about a year ago because of ink-starvation problems in the black nozzles. This is separate from plain old clogged nozzles, because an ink-starved head puts out progressively less ink the more it's used until it becomes useless. The ink-starvation also doesn't always show up on the nozzle test print, but will be obvious when something is printed in the fastest draft mode.

A few days ago, I started getting this problem in the yellow of my "new" printhead -- banding when printing in fast modes. Everything I tried either didn't work, or made the head worse, and I figured I was going to have to buy a new head... Until I stumbled on a method that restored the head to fully working: Make sure the printhead is rinsed and has no ink in it, then simply blast the head's ink intake ports (not the actual print-nozzles) for a minute or so each with a Waterpik. I hold the Waterpik nozzle until it's touching the intake port screen/filter, and move it around so it hits every part of the screen. That's it!

Some notes:

1. Blasting the actual print-nozzles with the Waterpik doesn't seem to be necessary. If you feel compelled to blast the nozzle area, I'd suggest holding the Waterpik well-back from the head to avoid damaging the nozzles. Definitely do not touch the Waterpik to the nozzle area. (I never touch the nozzle area with anything, ever. No fingers, no paper towels, nothing. I never use chemicals, either.)

2. Make sure the head has no ink in it, and you and the surrounding area are safe if they get wet. This is going to splash everywhere.

3. Make sure the printhead electronics are dry before reinstalling the head.

4. Important: Do not force water through the head after you clean the intake ports. Forcing water through the port and out the nozzles will make the "clog" worse, whereas Waterpik'ing the port will make it better. This is a total mystery to me, as in both cases water is moving through the head in the same direction.

I've never seen this method mentioned before. I did this a few days ago and have printed a bunch of stuff in draft and high quality modes, and the problem hasn't recurred.

 

[Bertil]

Since I dont live in USA I dont quite understand what a Waterpik is.Perhaps you could explain what it is so that I could find something similar in Sweden where I live?Thank you in advance!
Bertil

 

[fish]

Waterpik

http://www.waterpik.com/

 

[mikling]

The problem most likely doesn't lie in the requirement to clean the head. Doing so without resolving the real problem will eventually destroy another head again.

The real issue is that the tanks/cartridges need Flushing. The partially dried ink residues within the sponge area has built up and needs to to be rinsed out. That is the problem. Do a search on PURGING techniques. When these residues build up it tends to hold onto to the ink and not want to release it. This causes ink starvation and will lead to permanent head damage. As soon as starvation is detected, discontinue printing and resolve the problem.

You can accomplish cleaning the nozzles by holding the head under a small gentle stream of warm water falling from a faucet. Direct the water away from the electronic board area and contacts. If you have bad quality water within your community, rinse with some distilled water.

 

[nche11]

Two print heads clogged in one year. And this is from using Image Specialists ink. Then the idea of blaming at the sponge with dried ink keeps on being brought up. Didn't we just had a thread talking about algae like substance growing in the Image Specialists ink a month or two ago? How many print heads were clogged in that incident alone? I think I have heard enough about this. Image Specialists ink is the most expensive brand of ink in the market yet there are such horrible reports here and there all the time. I know. Some people will say they never had problems with Image Specialists inks. I can believe that. But it is a fact that we kept on hearing problems too. I think an in-depth discussion about the quality of Image Specialists ink is necessary for the benefit for all of us now. It's supposed to be the best 3rd party ink out there. But is it really that good (or bad)? Does it really deserve that much of money it commands? Is it a reality to expect some problems still?

 

[Molitor]

Bertil, I don't what they're called outside of the U.S. You can see from fish's link what it is. The important thing here is that it puts out a thin, fairly high powered pulse of water. I can't readily think of anything that would substitute for it in this case.

The problem most likely doesn't lie in the requirement to clean the head. Doing so without resolving the real problem will eventually destroy another head again.

While I'm a fan of purging ink tanks, the problem I'm referring to is definitely in the head assembly, not the ink tank.



As far as Image Specialist inks go, that's a good question. I've never noticed any debris or inconsistency in the inks I've used, and clogged nozzles that require printer cleaning cycles are infrequent. With that said, this is the second head in as many years that's had an internal blockage problem where ink can't get to the nozzles freely. The Waterpik seems to have cured the problem, although it remains to be seen for how long.

I suppose it's possible that anaerobic bacteria (the kind that doesn't need oxygen) could grow in the (warm) internal channels of the head, but wouldn't grow while the ink is still in the bottle. I'd switch inks if I thought it would prolong head life.

 

[fotofreek]

I understand that microorganisms can grow in any brand ink, given time and the right circumstances. Isn't one component of inkjet inks a bacteiocidal or bacteriostatic chemical? I have had some sort of "gunk" in a nearly empty container of Image Specialist ink. I don't recall which color it was. This ink may have been two years old. My volume of printing is now less, so I've purchased smaller quantities of ink at a time. I've also changed my routine on refilling carts. I've reduced the number of carts in my refill rotation and noted on each cart the number of refills and the date of purchase of the ink which with it was refill. Prior to doing this I probably had several refilled carts stored that were bypassed and may have been there quite a long time.

 

[pharmacist]

I don't think ink will deteriorate so fast. The formulas used to make ink contains a hefty amount of isopropyl alcohol, glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, surfactants (like the powerful preservative benzalkonium chloride), making it almost impossible for any microbe or fungus to have a pleasant environment to grow and thrive in it....... And last but not least: most dyes have a preservative and antimicrobial and antifungal action.

 

[stratman]

Mikling:

The following questions deal with your IS inks for CLI-8 and PGI-5 cartridges.

1) Do I need to shake the bottles of ink before extracting the ink for refilling?

2) If I need to shake the bottles, how long to do it (seconds?) to ensure appropriate mixing?

3) IIRC, your ink should be used within two years of purchase?

Thanks.

 

[mikling]

Dye inks do not need shaking unlike pigment inks.
Shaking pigment inks is always a good idea as some pigments always tend to settle a bit. Even Epson recommends shaking their pigment ink cartridges prior to installing.
Generally, inks stored under proper conditions will last two years and more. How much more, is open to debate. It's a similar situation to when should one change the oil in an automobile. Proper conditions include cool and dark. The safe guideline is to acquire ink that one would consume in a year, because if one uses ink less for whatever reason, it can still be good till it's used up. On the other hand acquiring lots then slowing down in using it, will stretch out the period until it is consumed. We don't like wasting things so we tend to try and use it up. The only issue is if it has deteriorated, then we're looking for trouble. Cool and dark and you're good for two years safely.