How to store a print head?

[martin0reg]

..
-20% isopropanol
-20% propylene glycol
-distilled water up to 100 %
..

As I remember pharmacist's cleaning solution...
-3 ml propylene glycol (or 2 % glycerol=glycerin)
-20 ml isopropylalcohol/isopropanol
-distilled water up to 100 ml
(originally made for flushing sponge carts and for soaking printheads, what means limited time of application..)

 

[PeterBJ]

This recipe is pharmacist's conditioning fluid. By adding 1% of concentrated ammonia you get pharmacist's cleaning fluid. But pharmacist also made a print head preservation fluid. This is the recipe quoted by stratman. See post no 4.

 

[martin0reg]

Thank you, Peter ... "it helps if you can read" ..

 

[vienna01]

I am a newbie on this forum. Just finding about things I should not have done.
I have a Canon PIXMA MX860 printhead that I bought from China. Unfortunately the seller tested it out with INK to prove it was good.
In 2013 I used my kitchen type vacuum sealer to vacuum pack the print head as received.
The vacuum bag is still sealed.

I DO NOT RECALL IF I LEFT INK IN THE PRINTHEAD [I am very old (1938) and it was done in 2013 according to notes I wrote on the vacuum bag]

From what I read in the forum, I may not have a useable printhead now but...

I think it is worth trying to fix the problem.

By getting your feedback on this, I hope to understand the best method to restore printhead and the possibility of using a non-printer approach even if it is not the best way.

What are the steps I should perform for a best solution?

To clean out the printhead must I mount it into the printer then install all the cartridges filled with a cleaning solution ?

• Then empty & dry all the cartridges and fill them with a printhead storage solution[described above]
• Then run the storage fluid through the printhead using the printer's "cleaning" software?
• Then store the hopefully revived printhead in a sealed bag of storage solution until needed?

OR CAN I AVOID USING MY PRINTER AS DESCRIBED:

• IS THERE A WAY THAT I CAN CLEAN THE PRINTHEAD WITHOUT USING MY PRINTER-such as soaking the printhead in cleaner?
• WHAT IS THE WAY I SHOULD THEN DRAIN & DRY THE PRINTHEAD?
• WHAT WOULD BE THE WAY I SHOULD THEN SOAK THE PRINTHEAD IN STORAGE SOLUTION?
• Should I leave the printhead in a sealed bag filled with storage solution or drain it before sealing?

TO ACHIEVE MUCH[not all] OF THE BENEFIT WITHOUT USING THE PRINTER TO CLEAN & PUT STORAGE SOLUTION THROUGH THE PRINT HEAD?
If you can provide the links that will answer my questions it will be great.

The recipe for the storage solution is above in this thread. Can you point me to a cleaning solution recipe?

 

[3dogs]

Many forum members have enjoyed my formula to condition the sponge of Canon cartridges.

The formula is as follows:

-3 ml propylene glycol (or 2 % glycerol)
-20 ml isopropylalcohol
-distilled water up to 100 ml

The cleaning solution to free up clogged printheads is by adding 20-25 drops of concentrated ammonia to each 100 ml of cleaning solution.

Today I suffered from a tenacious clog in my Epson Pro 3800 in the magenta and cyan channel, caused probably by long term of non-usage and the very low humidity in my room because of the high heating since it is now freezing in Belgium. Even after 3 cleaning cycles the clog did not go away. In the past one cleaning cycle is enough to clean minor clogs. So today I folded a piece of towel paper into a nice thick and even strip and drenched it with my cleaning solution and put it under my printhead and let it soak for about 1 hour. After that I executed one cleaning cycle and...all the clogs are gone. Whow it works fantastic and the formula is very cheap to make.

This may be your answer

 

[palombian]

One thing: the printhead must be at all times be moisturized with same liquid. This is how new print heads are kept in their original packages. Canon uses a special liquid to preserve the print head. Now using water only is not a good idea. The reason is that germs can grow after a while.

The best way is to have a set empty cartridges ready (can be cheap refillables) and fill them with the following solution:

-20% isopropanol
-20% propylene glycol
-distilled water up to 100 %

Put the printhead and the cartridges filled with this clear preservation solution into your printer and execute a deep cleaning. Remove the print head from the printer after this cleaning cycle and put it into a zip lock bag and suck out the air. The propylene glycol works as a humectant and prevents the print head from drying out and also prevents the grow of microbes and fungi. After a long time the isopropanol will evaporate, but the preservative action is still there, as the propylene glycol does not evaporate and will ensure that nasty bugs will not have the chance to grow.

Sorry to come back on this.
I am in doubt if I can replace the propylene glycol by glycerin for printhead conservation (as I did in the classic cleaning/recondition formula).

 

[pharmacist]

Hi Palombian: for conditioning/cleaning solution it is OK, but for preserving your printhead propylene glycol is necessary, as it acts like a preservative (against nasty germs and moulds). Glycerol is unfortunately much less effective as a preservative, but OK as a similar humectant to propylene glycol. Therefore you can substitute it in the cleaning/reconditioning solution, but NOT for printhead conservation.

Fortunately you can buy propylene glycol at your local pharmacy for a few euro's per 100 ml.

 

[palombian]

Thanks pharmacist,

I'll go to the pharmacy tomorrow .

It seems to be sold also online for electronic cigarettes:
http://nieuwesigaret.be/shop/pg-vg/

Pharmacy was cheaper: € 3 for 200 ml

 

[vienna01]

Thanks for the precise reply. Not only answered my question but explained the role of each storage liquid in preserving the viability of a printhead.

 

[PeterBJ]

+1