Aluminium tape for sealing the vent hole

[PeterBJ]

When manufactured the Canon cartridges are sealed with a vent and fill hole sealing tape and an orange outlet sealing clip. The tape and clip is welded in place most likely using an ultrasonic process. These seals are strong enough to resist pressure changes in the cartridges caused by variations in ambient temperature or barometric pressure.

As the home refiller cannot reproduce the strength of these seals using aluminium tape and reattaching the orange clip using rubber bands, the vent should not be sealed. With the vent unsealed temperature and barometric pressure variations cannot build up a pressure in the cartridge that will cause ink to leak. Due to the vent maze system the open vent will cause only minimal evaporation of water/solvents.

If you seal the vent an overpressure in the cartridge will seek the easiest way out. This might cause the cartridge to leak. I once refilled some cartridges using the German method and sealed both the refill hole and the vent. These cartridges leaked through the sealed refill hole, the vent seal was stronger. Without vent sealing cartridges refilled using the German method will not leak, whether the refill hole is sealed or not. This seems to be the same as @The Hat experienced.

I think @ghwellsjr was the first to explain on the forum why the vent should not be sealed. I searched for the explanation, but didn't find it.

 

[ThrillaMozilla]

When manufactured the Canon cartridges are sealed with a vent and fill hole sealing tape and an orange outlet sealing clip. The tape and clip is welded in place most likely using an ultrasonic process. These seals are strong enough to resist pressure changes in the cartridges caused by variations in ambient temperature or barometric pressure.

I don't think so. They're never bulging, and they don't go "poof" when I open them.

I just use Scotch tape for storage, to minimize evaporation. It won't hold pressure, so you don't need to worry about that, and it comes off easily. Sealing the vent is not critical, in my opinion.

 

[The Hat]

Sealing the vent is not critical, in

That’s the very point of this discussion, is it in fact necessary, and if so what does it achieve over not sealing the vent hole...

In my humble opinion, is serves no purpose over the short term...

 

[PeterBJ]

.....They're never bulging, and they don't go "poof" when I open them....

Neither have I experienced Canon cartridges bulging or go "poof" when opened, but I live at close to sea level. @turbguy lives at a higher elevation and has experienced a mess when opening a cartridge using a wrong procedure. Link to the post here.

The subject of sealing the vent or not has been discussed before, for instance in this thread, in this, in this and in this.

 

[Radeon89]

First of all, thank you to all of you guys for participating in this thread.

Can we say that the sealing of the vent hole is not necessary, irrespective from the refelling procedure used (top-fill or german method) and from how strong both the refill hole and cartridge exit port have been sealed?

FYI, this is how I currently close the refill hole (1.) and cartridge exit port (2.):
1. Octoink's silicon plugs plus bluetack as top finishing (btw, I use the top-fill method)
2. Octoink's retaining clips (orange color)

Have a nice WE

 

[ThrillaMozilla]

Neither have I experienced Canon cartridges bulging or go "poof" when opened, but I live at close to sea level. @turbguy lives at a higher elevation and has experienced a mess when opening a cartridge using a wrong procedure. Link to the post here.

Thanks for looking up all those discussions. I guess you're right that Canon seals them hermetically. I had forgotten that.

But that doesn't mean that home users need to seal the vent for storage. If the vent had not been sealed when Turbguy opened the ink port, it wouldn't have leaked, and I'm pretty sure it won't leak for home users either. The air pressure will fluctuate from day to day, but the minor expansion in the ink chamber will be absorbed by the sponge.

Canon needs to guarantee the cartridges against evaporation and leaks under severe conditions at least until the expiration date. Someone who is refilling at home doesn't need to do that.

 

[The Hat]

Canon needs to guarantee the cartridges against evaporation and leaks under severe conditions at least until the expiration date.

That’s a new one on me, I never knew there was an expiry date on Canon cartridges !

 

[PeterBJ]

That’s a new one on me, I never knew there was an expiry date on Canon cartridges !

Neither have I seen a use by date on a Canon OEM ink cartridge, but here is a quote from the on screen manual for the Canon MP540:

To maintain optimal print quality, install ink tanks in the machine within the date indicated on the package box. And also use ink within 6 months of first use. (We recommend you to put down the date when installing them.)

 

[Radeon89]

First of all, thank you to all of you guys for participating in this thread.

Can we say that the sealing of the vent hole is not necessary, irrespective from the refelling procedure used (top-fill or german method) and from how strong both the refill hole and cartridge exit port have been sealed?

FYI, this is how I currently close the refill hole (1.) and cartridge exit port (2.):
1. Octoink's silicon plugs plus bluetack as top finishing (btw, I use the top-fill method)
2. Octoink's retaining clips (orange color)

Have a nice WE

No one?

 

[CakeHole]

Ive never sealed the vent hole for storing carts. On my CLI8 carts with the top fill method i simply put a silicon plug from octoink in the top refill hole, place the cart back in either the original Canon orange clip with a rubber band or one of octoinks snap in place orange clips and then store the cart in a ziplock bag (mainly do that last step see if something leaks it should only affect the one cart that leaks and no others around it).

With CLI8 carts ive used the german fill method on i do the the same as the above only instead of sealing the top hole i seal the side fill hole i made with a small blob of hot glue.

Never had any issues with either.

If you are really paranoid and want to recreate Canons method as close as possible then buy some thing like this...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Transpare...Seal-Gift-Packing-11-cm-x-15-cm-/142145305076

Never used them myself but thats as close as you are going to get sealing the cart fully up.