Long Term Storage Canon MX922

[stratman]

But I tried once to clean a printhead with ink diluted with this solution in the cartridges, doing multiple cleanings and nozzle checks and I ruined the head.

Probably not nearly a concern if only preparing the print head for storage, even more so with Pharmacist's print head storage solution, since many cleanings and nozzle checks not needed.

Pharmacist's print head storage solution with propylene glycol or glycerol, similar to the additives in Canon OEM ink, are also bacteriostic and may (???) provide better thermal characteristics to protect the print head nozzles that water and Isopropyl alcohol that your cleaning solution did not.

 

[palombian]

When water indeed can ruin a printhead, I still wonder what is the basis of the ink then.

 

[vienna01]

Quoting the Hat
"I'm not very comfortable recommending filling Canon Carts with any cleaning solution or running deep head cleans either, because some guy just might get the bright idea to print a nozzle check and destroy the print head they were trying so hard to protect, Epson printers maybe, but not Canon.."

When I saw that printing a cleaning nozzle check could destroy the head-I got confused. Do I need to do all three operations or just one of these three to protect printer?
Do I need to store printer with print cartridges installed?
Should I flood the parking station/purge unit with windex/dilute ammonia solution? {isn't this going to cause destroying print head if some of that gets into head?}
-----If flooding print inlets[on print head I guess] with Propylene glycol then years later running print cleaning cycle- Won't that ruin print head.
Is the parking station easy to flood with windex? Not sure -is it exposed? Do I need to do something to expose the parking station?

AFTER DOING the SHUT DOWN THINGS-WHAT ARE THE STARTUP PROCEDURES 2=3 YEARS LATER?

 

[palombian]

Storing the printhead (after rinsing the ink) with "pharmacist conservation fluid" (50% propylene glycol) in a sealed bag or jar is also a good solution.

To startup just replace the printhead and cartridges with ink as you setup a new printer.

There is no need for ammonia to rinse the parking station, ordinary "pharmacist solution" will be OK for a printer in working condition.

 

[vienna01]

Thanks PALOMBIAN-
OK I understand what to do prior to storing print head.
Is there any need to do anything with the "parking station"? Is Rinsing with the Rx"Solution" ALSO needed?
Since it has lots of ink in it what exactly is needed in rinsing it? Pour some given amount of solution into it?

ALSO any diagram or photos of the "parking station" And instructions how to expose it for rinsing?

 

[vienna01]

Palombian- I just found the instruction to FLOOD THE PARKING STATION [with RX Solution?] and run "cleaning" cycle.
I have read here that running the cleaning cycle, with non-ink in printer, can ruin the printhead.
Is it safe to flood the parking station & then run cleaning cycle if the Rxsolution has ALREADY been used to RINSE the printhead?
OR Have I got the sequence confused?
OR Is it the WINDEX/Ammonia solution the stuff that kills the print head?

 

[stratman]

I have read here that running the cleaning cycle, with non-ink in printer, can ruin the printhead.

This was a murky and brief discussion that had very little detail on what the user's did prior to the failed print head.

What were the components of the fluid used? How many cleanings and of what kind, spaced how far apart? Did the fluid leak out of the cartridge and cause the malfunction? Were there issues with the print head before the solution was used?

I am skeptical that the brief regular cleaning cycle used, with a nozzle check, will harm the print head without something else extraordinary is involved. That a nozzle check would cause harm is absolutely counterintuitive to what has always been said on this forum - eg only print nozzle checks until ink flow returns.

I am also skeptical because I have used cartridges filled with Pharmacist's cleaning solution, performing several cleaning cycles and nozzle checks in a row and then repeated the following day, and no malfunction occurred. Do I believe a malfunction happened to someone - yes. But without the details I cannot make more out of it than a general caution of a potential event, not a warning with specifics.

I am also skeptical because Pharmacist's print head solution contains propylene glycol (or glycerol) similar to what is in Canon ink and the fluid found with a new print head in its sealed foil pouch. A brief exposure of the print head to Pharmacist's print head solution should not significantly elevate risk for malfunction based on its constituents.

Can anyone recall or point to the posts on malfunctioning print heads due to Pharmacist's cleaning or print head fluid over the years until this thread? (calling PeterBJ, the man with the incredible recall!) I honestly do not remember any.

Where is Pharmacist? I'd think he'd pay attention and remember if people reported issues with his solutions.

 

[palombian]

I clean, rinse and store printers with pharmacist solution for a few years now and never caused damage with cleaning cycles.
Also did a nozzle check to verify the printhead was (almost) clean.

Only when I tried to unblock a head by printing with ink diluted with the solution (how else could I see the nozzle check ?) it developed a B200 error.
But since propylene glycol is also in Canon ink I am not certain this was the reason.

 

[The Hat]

What we’re dealing with here is The Canon Print Head, the most expensive part of every printer, and it’s also the most contentious, I don’t reckon any two behave the same.

The Print head can just fail for no apparent reason so trying to judge what’s best for all print heads to me is impossible, sure trying to do that for your own print head is also equality impossible.

All we can do is give advice on what WORKED for their own print head, and hopefully it will also work for many others too, because FUBAR is never far away when dealing with these print heads and can call when least expected.

I’ve had printers stop in the middle of a print run, because the print head just failed, and I still don’t know why, but that’s the chance you take with every printer, I’ve also got a 10-year-old printer with over 54,000 on its original head.

Most of the suggestions already given will probably work successfully, so just choose one that your most comfortable with, that’s the best you can do, and always remember print heads don’t need our permission to just FUBAR...

 

[vienna01]

Thanks to everyone for clarifying that the risk to the printhead from non-ink in a cleaning cycle may not be as real as I thought or may have occurred only in special situations. I recognize from forum discussions that printhead failures can be unique to a poster's local conditions. I will risk using Rx solution to store my print head long term. If I have any failures I will report them here.