PIXMA 9500 MkII Cleaning/Storage?

[rl3james]

I'm not regularly using my PIXMA Pro 9500 Mark II. Tried just leaving the Printer setup w/tanks and monthly "Nozzle Check" printing but that really hasn't worked out - Tanks seem to go empty without use (Ink evaporation?) over time and now some/all nozzles are clogged. Total use was a single set of Canon ink.

So, I've begun "cleaning" the printhead according to the threads in this forum. And I say "begun" because it's been 2 days of repeated soaking (water & Windex) and flushing. Flush water is still not running clear and a few of the filters continue to show color. I've also noticed what looks like small particles focused around one printhead column/row - Almost like the filter flushing has pushed them through but now they are stuck. Wasn't like this when I started.

My plan is to complete the cleaning and then store the printhead w/o tanks until next use. I guess at this point, the questions are;

How do I know when the printhead is sufficiently clean enough?
If I need to be a little more aggressive would ammonia be the right liquid choice?
Do I just let the printhead air dry as the final step?
Anything recommended to clean on the Printer side?

Thanks,
Bob
Rochester, NY

 

[ThrillaMozilla]

It will be interesting to see if the head is ruined. I am concerned about flocculation. It would be very nice if this hasn't happened. The good news is that no one has reported this actually happening, and it was clogged before you started cleaning. Let's wait for some of the 9500 old hands to weigh in.

Printers use ink just by being stored, to protect the head. That is the dirty little secret of the inkjet industry.

 

[rl3james]

Day 3 followup.

Filters are still showing signs of noticeable color, Cyan seems particularly stubborn, and one nozzle continues to trickle out Black. Considerable improvement in the printhead "particles" (Black?) but some are still visible near the top/bottom edges.

Are the ink colors different in formulation in some way that would make "cleanup" of some more difficult than others? And I still welcome some opinion on my original questions...

Thanks again,
Bob

 

[rl3james]

Flushed, Soaked and Repeated MANY times until water runs clear and filters look reasonable color free. Magenta and Yellow still show tinges of color but this is my first time cleaning a printhead so I don't know what to expect in terms of "good enough"... And no one seems willing to offer advice/suggestions so I guess I'm done.

Let me ask this - How do others who print infrequently (say 2x a year) deal with the potential clogging issues? As I mentioned, I tried the periodic exercise approach and it didn't seem adequate to avoid problems. There must be some sort of good process to setup the printer, print and then "deactivate" the printer until the next session...

Thanks,
Bob

 

[rodbam]

Printing once a week is considered light use around here & you are asking about twice a year use. When the printhead is really clean you shouldn't see any ink run out when you flush it which you seem to have done. They say you should turn on & do a nozzle check at least once a week to keep the printer performing, twice a week is better.
If I were you I would get the printer up & running then sell it because the cost of inks & the trouble of maintenance isn't worth it for just printing a few times a year, it's much cheaper to get the prints done at the shop.
A dye ink printer will give you less problems for infrequent use, your pro9500 is a pigment ink printer.

 

[The Hat]

The main problem that I can see is the printer itself, its just not suitable for your purposes at all,
like putting a square peg in a round hole, so there is no point in blaming the printer for that.

No pigment printer can stand for 12 months unused without getting all clogged up as yours did,
so if you still need to print in-house then a dye printer maybe more suitable for your requirements.

The 9500 can be just as expensive to maintain and kept as an unused printer than it can be to print regularly with it,
the philosophy is to use it or lose it and that goes double for all pigment printers.

Ive run an 9500 for four years and have never had to take out the print head in that time.

Weekly or fortnightly nozzle checks are a necessity and part of a beneficial workout
that allows the printer to agitate the inks and keep it from clogging up the cartridges.

You could try giving your cartridges a good shake before you reinstall them
because often enough a clogged cartridge can be quite easily mistaken for a print head clog..

 

[wouterkcs]

What are the recommendations for the 9000 Pro Mark ii and PRO-100 when you plan to not use the printer for a long period --- let say 6 months, or storage? Of course, to avoid clogging!

 

[The Hat]

What are the recommendations for the 9000 Pro Mark ii and PRO-100 when you plan to not use the printer for a long period --- let say 6 months, or storage? Of course, to avoid clogging!

If you plan on not printing for six months on the 9000 / 100, then just cover the printer with a large cloth or plastic sheet,
pull the power plug and just leave it.

If I was leaving a printer to stand for a long period I would make sure it had near to full cartridges first
then I would print a nozzle check plus a test page and leave them on the top of the printer as reference.

When you then want to print again first do a normal head clean and print a nozzle check to make sure everything is working ok,
if not repeating the procedure should be enough to get it back to 100% again..

 

[rl3james]

If I were you I would get the printer up & running then sell it because the cost of inks & the trouble of maintenance isn't worth it for just printing a few times a year, it's much cheaper to get the prints done at the shop.

Disappointing, I put alot of thought into selecting the 9500 and it prints beautifully for my needs. And also surprising, I can't believe I'm the only low volume, occasional use owner of a 9500 - Someone, somewhere must have figured out a method for infrequent use of this printer with minimal problems.

Anyhow, assuming the printhead is now good to go, is there anything I should service on the printer side?

 

[mikling]

If the purging station seal is not functioning properly, all the problems the user is experiencing will occur. Clogged heads, drying of the inks etc. I've put away the 9500 for months before and the only channel of issue was the matte black. A quick rinse in warm water and everything was restored.