restoring old HP carts

[rogert]

I have several old HP cartridges which have been sitting around & are all dried out. How do you go about flushing them out ? Use distilled water ? Will soaking them over a long period of time clear the nozzels ? How can I tell if the little heating elements are burned out ? Any help will be appricated.
Roger

 

[Forsurchi]

Hi Rogert,

There are a few tricks you can use to restore the cartridge, however, some cartridges cannot be saved if they've been left out to long (the sponge inside could be damaged and useless).

Try these steps:

1. You'll need water, ammonia, and some 99% isopropyl alcohol.

2. Get a small plate or something that can hold about half an inch of water.

3. Boil the water, and pour in close to half an inch of water into the plate.

4. Pour in a cap fill of ammonia along with the water.

5. Place the head of the cartridge into the plate and let it soak for about 5-10 min.

6. Remove the cartridge, with a q-tip use the 99% isopropyl alcohol and gently rub the bottom of the cartridges head (where the nozzles are located)

8. Repeat if necessary...

If you repeat the process, always keep the water hot. Keeping it hot is the key to freeing the nozzles from clogs. Good luck!