Periodic drop some distilled water...?

jru

Printer Guru
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
121
Reaction score
4
Points
131
Location
Central NY, USA
Hi everyone,
Wondering if you think it would be a good preventative measure to periodically remove the carts and put a drop or 2 of distilled water on the screens and the park pads... Would this avert what might be clogs in the coming? Or do you think it would be a problem for any reason? Just wondering...
Best to all,
 

Grandad35

Printer Master
Platinum Printer Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2005
Messages
1,669
Reaction score
182
Points
223
Location
North of Boston, USA
Printer Model
Canon i9900 (plus 5 spares)
I wouldn't.

1. Ink placed on the screens will not get to the nozzles unless you print or run a cleaning cycle.
2. By itself, water is not a good cleaning agent - it's surface tension is too high.
3. If the ink flow from the cart is restricted, there is a possibility of breaking the "ink link" between the cart and the nozzles. Once broken, this link can only be reestablished by running a cleaning cycle (using vacuum to pull a continuous column of ink through the system).
4. "If it isn't broke, don't fix it."
 

ghwellsjr

Printer Master
Platinum Printer Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2006
Messages
3,645
Reaction score
85
Points
233
Location
La Verne, California
Printer Model
Epson WP-4530
Windex or other window cleaner is a good cleaner to use in these places but as Grandad35 said, you only want to put it on the screens if you're going to be doing a head cleaning or whenever you replace a cartridge that has an empty reservoir with a full one because the printer will do a head cleaning automatically the next time you print something, and that something should always be a nozzle check.

On Canon printers, it is always safe and I advise putting Windex on the park/purge pads periodically. The purge pump will suck away any liquid on these pads anytime you close or open the cover. In fact, it is very important that you clean the purge system by putting Windex on the purge pads, making sure the Windex remains there for a few seconds, then after closing and re-opening the cover, making sure that the liquid has been sucked away.
 

capricorn23

Newbie to Printing
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Points
6
Yeah, for me it would be a good preventative measure to periodically remove the carts and put a drop or two of distilled water on the screens and the park pads. Because it would this avert what might be clogs in the coming. But I don't have any idea yet if it would have a problem for any reason.




_________________
Refrigerator Water Filter
 

ghwellsjr

Printer Master
Platinum Printer Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2006
Messages
3,645
Reaction score
85
Points
233
Location
La Verne, California
Printer Model
Epson WP-4530
Removing the cartridges for any reason other than to replace a low or empty one with a full one requires a manually initiated cleaning cycle and a recommend nozzle check. There is nothing to be gained by putting a couple drops of water (or Windex) on the screens to prevent a potential problem. The time to do that is when you already have a problem (clogged nozzles) that you are trying to fix. Like Grandad35 said in point 4, "If it isn't broke, don't fix it."

But the purge pads are different. You can put Windex on them at any time to help keep your purge lines clean.
 
Top