Is it OK to keep using a blocked printhead? + other questions

[OM2]

I have a Canon MP540 printer
Magenta not printing

Question: am I ok to keep printing on black forever!?
Or will the print head burn out (even though colour is not being used)?

Question: Once a print head is gone (like the above) is it worth trying to rescue?
The reason why I ask is that I have an MP640. The damn yellow doesn't come out
I've soaked in shallow distil water and have used an unblocking solution I purchased from eBay
It worked! Printhead unblocked. But then became blocked again - same yellow
Damn!
Should I give up? Or does the fact that I successfully unblocked means I got hope?

Thanks!


Omar

 

[crenedecotret]

I had my cyan block up on me twice in two weeks.. I had soaked it for hours the first time and it seemed fine. The second time, I gave it another go, rinsing the ink inlet side under fairly warm water then after a minute switch to the ink outlet side. after about 5 minutes, a bit of cyan poured out. I kept going.... It actually took close to 30 minutes of doing this before no more cyan came out of the printhead. It would appear clean (no more cyan running) for a minute or two then more would come out... I think it needs some time for the warm water to go through the printhead and soften whatever is baked into the head. Other colors stopped dripping way way before that. I then let the print head dry overnight and Ive been OK ever since. I hardly ever shutdown the printer or run cleanings. I just make sure I print one color page every week

don't give up on your print head! just try warm water and a LOT of patience

 

[OM2]

u used just normal water and nothing else?
not even distill water?
i've seen a few videos un utube and have seen people giving the print heads a bath and a good damn soaking!

 

[crenedecotret]

Distilled is probably better, but I think the little bit of pressure from the faucet combined with the warm water helped a bit

 

[OM2]

Distilled is probably better, but I think the little bit of pressure from the faucet combined with the warm water helped a bit

faucet...? sorry i missed that first time round
apologies for being stupid, but what's a faucet?

 

[fotofreek]

Distilled is probably better, but I think the little bit of pressure from the faucet combined with the warm water helped a bit

faucet...? sorry i missed that first time round
apologies for being stupid, but what's a faucet?

No apoligies necessary. Here in the US we wonder what you brits are talking about when you say the lorrie (truck), the lift (elevator), or the boot (car trunk). A faucet is the device at the kitchen or bathroom (Loo) sink out of which you get water. I think you call it a "tap". We use the term, "tap water" to differentuate it from bottled water, distilled water, or any water that doesn't come out of the faucet (tap).

While in London my wife went into a beauty salon to get her hair cut. She mentioned that she wanted her "bangs" trimmed. The hair cutter said that "bangs" are what a cannon does and that she wanted her "fringe" trimmed. And I thought we both spoke English!

 

[OM2]

@fotofreek thanks for the answer
not wanting to appear thick, i googled 'faucet' before sending my reply
all i could see where taps - i thought i must be missing something
thanks for clearing up

one other thing: if a print head cannot be physically seen as being broken, does this mean it can be unblocked??

 

[fotofreek]

@fotofreek thanks for the answer
not wanting to appear thick, i googled 'faucet' before sending my reply
all i could see where taps - i thought i must be missing something
thanks for clearing up

one other thing: if a print head cannot be physically seen as being broken, does this mean it can be unblocked??

"Broken" is an interesting term to use. When you break a cookie or a thin piece of wood you immediately know, visually, that it is broken. Damaged or clogged printheads have no obvious external signs that they are "broken." You only know when you have a symptom such as banding or lack of a color printing on a nozzle check. You then know it is really "broken" when you try proper cleaning techniques and can't restore the printhead to proper function.

 

[crenedecotret]

Distilled is probably better, but I think the little bit of pressure from the faucet combined with the warm water helped a bit

faucet...? sorry i missed that first time round
apologies for being stupid, but what's a faucet?

No apoligies necessary. Here in the US we wonder what you brits are talking about when you say the lorrie (truck), the lift (elevator), or the boot (car trunk). A faucet is the device at the kitchen or bathroom (Loo) sink out of which you get water. I think you call it a "tap". We use the term, "tap water" to differentuate it from bottled water, distilled water, or any water that doesn't come out of the faucet (tap).

While in London my wife went into a beauty salon to get her hair cut. She mentioned that she wanted her "bangs" trimmed. The hair cutter said that "bangs" are what a cannon does and that she wanted her "fringe" trimmed. And I thought we both spoke English!

I'm from Canada if you need a US to UK translator