Safe to leave toner cartridge out of a printer once it's opened?

[Fenrir Enterprises]

Until I get another R220 up and running, I'm swapping to my HP LaserJet P1505. I bought it to make iron-on transfers for PCB etching, so I want to keep the OEM toner cartridge around since the transfer paper claims that OEM carts are better. I bought an aftermarket cart for $20, which is enough for me to go with that instead of trying to refill toner. Anyway, the refilled cart came in a vacuum sealed bag with silica gel in it. Now I'm worried that the OEM cartridge will get damaged by humidity if I leave it out of the printer. I put it in the bag, bubble sleeve, and box the refill cart came with for now. Is this going to ruin my OEM cart?

 

[PeterBJ]

My guess is that if you store the OEM cartridge in the packing the compatible cartyridge came in with the silica gel it came with, you should be fine.

The silica gel might need need reconditioning/drying. This can be done in an ordinary baking oven : http://www.southernexposure.com/drying-seed-with-color-indicating-silica-gel-ezp-26.html .

In case you need a new bag of silica gel it can be found at ebay: http://www.ebay.com/sch/sis.html?_nkw=silica+gel+desiccant+Tyvek+dry+storage+dry+pack

 

[Fenrir Enterprises]

I'm more worried about the vacuum seal. It might not have been, it might have simply been the packer did a good job squeezing the air out of the bag, but if not I don't really have the equipment to do that.

 

[trcrefill]

it will be fine. vacuum packing was just the way that supplier packs them and not necessary to the life of the cartridge.

just make sure you store the cartridge out of daylight, like in a drawer, and make sure the green bar in the cartridge doesnt get damaged.

the silica gel may of been in case the cartridge goes in a planes hold along the way. they are cold and then unloaded into higher temperatures.

 

[dan_uk_1984]

As already suggested - keep the cartridge in the dark. The imaging drum is photo-sensitive and will get ruined quickly if exposed to light.

This is not applicable to cartrides without the imaging drum, ie where you have a seperate drum (Brother) but all HP toner carts I know of use a drum (except some of the colour ones!)

 

[jack in the uk]

I have a few bits (toner cartridges, drums, defusers, spears all wrapped and in a box or two

In some bag like ant static if you got old ones big enough or something and cling film them and chuck them out the way after GOOD labeling, that's assuming i no longer have the box, if i do have the box i literally re back best can and chuck it on a shelf

Have done for 3 years now never had a problem

Only tips are DO NOT shake the tones of cause and gentle remove and replace as the dust will deposit in the tin and you dont want that really

if using old cartridge, some people say shake to wake the dust? Erm not sure about that but we all do it when running low
Also run 50 sheets a4 through to check all clean and working

Suggest:
Open Microsoft Work or alike, add a full stop to the sheet and print x50 and see if all clean. If so away You go

hope that helps