I fixed my Print Head, BUT it wasn't the Nozzles...

[Photographic Memory]

Been having some serious issues with the Yellow clog during the past month or so. The amount of times I have taken out the Print Head and soaked it either overnight or for days. I was about to contact Canon or buy a new Print Head (when we bought the Pro-100 S we also added 2-year Protection on top of Canon warranty to cover '''Accidental Damage")

Here is what I have been experiencing:

Prints fine for a while, then Magenta cast - Yellow stops flowing.

Run a Nozzle Check. No Yellow.

Run a Clean. Yellow comes back. For a sheet or 2. Then block.

Take Print Head out. Now usual conconction of all Chemicals at my disposal (Windex-D, Isopropyl/Isopropanol, Ammonia, good old Dish Soap). *I'm surprised the Print Head hasn't disintegrated, really!!

This is where it gets really interesting ->

Rubber Tubing/Syringe to watch the blue Windex-D drip down -> here's the thing... It kind of did initially and then didn't. Just stayed in the tube.

HERE'S THE THING...

Unscrew the Nozzle [Ceramic] Plate *see attached photos*

I would try to use the Syringe and nothing would budge. Even seriously forceful (at
this point I was ready to destroy the P.H. as I had it in my mind I would either ask Canon to send me a new one or buy one so nothing to lose)
So at this point I figured all this soaking of the Nozzles was risking damaging them and after all it wasn't even at that end we had a problem, it was inside the plastic block. But what was blocking the Yellow channel so badly that even extreme physical force (syringe) wouldn't dislodge whatever was constantly in there.

Here's how I fixed it. And so far so good for the past few days, I didn't want to keep coming crying here with this problem. I know The Hat and others would have told me otherwise and certainly not advise what I am about to tell you. Ready?

Boiling hot water from the kettle and pure 'deadly to breathe' Ammonia alternating in the tubing for about 2-5 minutes. Ran this procedure for about 20 minutes having separated the delicate (yeah right, this thing is stronger than we think) ribbon cable-attached Nozzle section out of harms way - in fact not one drop of anything came close to the Nozzles doing this.

Hey. It worked! A try at the syringe just eased the ammonia/hot water out the other end and test of just plain water in the tubing went straight through in about a minute. Quicker than I have ever witnessed before.

My whole point of this post is, don't always presume the Nozzles are clogged. In this instance mine weren't. At all. It was the block all along.

Now whatever was causing this we may never know, but for now all is good. And seen as we are not tampering with the Electrical contacts, Silicone glue, Ribbon Cable, etc don't worry too much about using "deadly force".

This print head still has life in it. Granted it's only 8 months old, but it's taken a beating and been doused with every lethal chemical barring hydrocloric acid and toilet bleach (hmm, put those on my shopping list for next time?)

Thank for hearing my success story. Glad to be of assistance. Yep, that's a mixture of Ammonia and Boiling Hot Water alternating. For a few minutes each pass. Just separate the Nozzles. Enjoy!

 

[Photographic Memory]

Meant to upload this test print recommended by The Hat recently. Yes I was having problems. Also faint (horizontal regardless if print is portrait or landscape) lines that have now (hopefully) gone away.

*Just want to point out I decided to stay AWAY from Windex-D and Isopropyl Alcohol this time. I find while it may clean it isn't such a "creamy" texture so it was an experiment to try for the first time without this formula.

Oh I just remembered I did also drop a few drops of Lemon Juice into the tubing too. Nature's own for a change.

Another edit:
You see Windex on the Paper Towels there and I said I didn't use Windex. Well I did. On the ceramic Nozzle Plate (inside, because it was extremely messy with ink for obvious reasons and I didn't want to put that back together (with the fiddly screws, one is counter-clockwise, the other is clockwise) and why would I? That would have been silly, so the Windex was used to clean the Cermaic Plate and try and get it white again, I did not want to use Windex for either the Ink Channel or the Nozzles (probably lost trust in Windex having soaked the Print Head in it for no less than 4 or 5 times during the past month so now was an all or nothing alternative experiment. Truly was at my wit's end at this stage)

 

[The Hat]

@Photographic Memory, Well congratulations for curing your current print head problem, but I wouldn’t clap myself on the back for that achievement, because I reckon you have damaged the print head with the methods you’ve employed.

I reckon there is something else wrong with your refilling procedure for the head to get such a serious clog in that space of time, and the use of Ammonia and Hot Water can never be recommended because it’s just not Feckin safe.

Your problem is fixed for now, but its likely to return unless you find the real cause, because you’ve broken just about every rule in the un-clogging hand book.

When you first noticed the poor ink flow, your next step was to jump straight in and blame the print head without checking any of your cartridges first, your next step was to soak the head, which was correct, but you forgot to get the help of your two best friends, Time, and Patience.

Now to use a combination of the Boiling Water/Ammonia was crazy and could have cause you serious health issues or far worse and then to remover the ceramic plate from the head was just another bad mistake.

Yes, your methods did work this time, but at what cost firstly to your health and then the print head itself, you need to seriously sit down and re-examine your whole approach to inkjet printing, you’ve had a near miss this time and you may not be so luck in the future.

This may come across as harsh and critical to some, but it must said, because risking everything just for a lousy print head can never be justified, safety first is in everyone’s interest and should not taken likely, thankfully you didn’t injure yourself and for that we all should be grateful.

Have you ever considered 3D printing, as a safer hobby...?

 

[Photographic Memory]

 

[Photographic Memory]

I totally hear what you're saying Mr Hat, just one word... Money.

If Canon UK didn't charge extortionate prices unlike in the US where they are practically giving away this printer which in turn has given many customers over there to opportunity to stock up on Pro-100's. Makes my blood boil to know there are some who have like 3 or more and many only buy then in order to sell the Print Heads on places like eBay targeting the likes of us UK folk for more than they bought their actual printer for.

3D Printing huh?

Would that enable my Photos to, erm, pop?

 

[The Hat]

I hear what you’re saying too, but please be careful, the Yanks may have two or three of these printers but there’s only one of you, and a Wake cost more than a new print head...

Would that enable my Photos to, erm, pop?

It’s not the photos that pop, it’s you with pure delight and excitement...
It’s a whole new dimension...

 

[kdsdata]

What hasn't been said is that Ammonia in gaseous state is an extreme explosion hazard. In the right air/ammonia mix an explosion can be started by a simply static spark. There is no safe way to handle ammonia when air is present.

 

[Photographic Memory]

That's pretty concerning. So many alternating advices out there, even reading these forums from years before my time some posts recommend using Ammonia. Even read somewhere some had used boiling water.

I do think maybe the nozzles are shot because ever since I soaked and resoaked the [entire] print head (nozzles included) it now prints faded horizontal lines maybe 5 millimeters apart using certain colors/hues (see blue sky will be fine, other photos with an alternative blue sky - for example - will have the faint lines.

Also, now we know that my particular instance regarding a blocked channel amd trying everything "tame" (Windex, Dish Soap, Isopropanol) and nothing worked I'm the past, only this pure Ammonia/boiling water - only left in tube for around 2-4 minutes max, what else that would have been safer should I have tried?

 

[The Hat]

That's pretty concerning. So many alternating advices out there, even reading these forums from years before my time some posts recommend using Ammonia. Even read somewhere some had used boiling water. what else that would have been safer should I have tried?

Yes, in the past and now still in the present, we do recommend the use of Ammonia for cleaning purpose, but wait a minute, no one recommended the use of boiling water and certainly not pure Ammonia.

The use of hot water is recommended but that means hand hot to 40c, and only tiny amounts of Ammonia should be used in a mix with other ingredients of 2 to 3%.

The purpose of these cleaning methods is to get a user back printing as quickly and as painless as possible without harming themselves or their print head, so any harsh or quick fix methods you've heard on other sites are never used here.

Again 99% of print issues are caused by the cartridges and not the print head at all, neglected or idle printers left for long periods without use sometime need the head to be soaked in a solution of warm water and a few drops Fairy liquid and Windex for 12/24 hours, doing a Nozzle check once a week will also cause a mini purge to happen.

This is where your friends called Patients and Time come to your aid (If let) you can’t hurry out a clog in the nozzles, but you can make it worse by doing all the other speediest things you can think of.

Most users here use 3rd party inks to save on the ridiculous cost of OEM ink, but if you don’t look after the print head properly then you might as well use OEM ink, because OEM inks are far cheaper than replacing print heads.

So, if you ever have a print issue again, please start the diagnostic process at the cartridge end first and not the innocent print head, it won’t fail to print if it gets sufficient ink, and when it doesn’t the results are usually poor quality output.

A Canon Print Head is only as good as the inks that are flowing through it, so please know your printer and know you ink supplier because they can work well together when they are a good match...

 

[Photographic Memory]

Thank you!!