Long Term Storage Of Full Carts

[Ash]

My carts always seems to run out at the wrong time so I'm making up a second set of 521,520 carts with 526,225 chips.

I have Octoinkjet cart clips on them but do I need to put some Aluminium tape over the top vent holes if there going to sit around for a while?

 

[PeterBJ]

Use a storage clip or the original orange clips attached with rubber bands, to seal the ink outlet, and use aluminium tape to secure the silicone low profile plug in place if you are top filling. Use a piece of aluminium tape to seal the refill hole if you are using the "German" refill method. Some say the sealing of the "German" refill hole is not necessary, but I prefer to do it.

The vent should be left open, meaning it should not be sealed using aluminium tape, especially if you are using the "German" method refill. The vent sealing might be stronger than the refill hole sealing, causing the cartridge to leak when temperature and barometric pressure changes. I have experienced such leaking.

 

[MP640]

Peter, I'm a bit confused by your answer. New Canon cartridges are always completely sealed, including top vents. So why should we leave them open if we don't use them right away?

 

[The Hat]

It’s optional to seal the air vent if your top filling but don’t do it if you’re using the German method, otherwise the cartridge will leak, I don’t seal the air vent on any of mine.

 

[PeterBJ]

The Hat is right. You certainly should not seal the vent if you are using the German refill method.

I remember a post by ghwellsjr where it was explained that a cartridge, that was refilled by the German method and had both the refill hole and the vent sealed using tape, had a great risk of leaking through the refill hole as the vent sealing most likely is stronger than the refill hole sealing. I thought that this was a bit exaggerated, until I had cartridges, that I had refilled using the German method and sealed the vent on, leak through the refill hole sealing aluminium tape.

The orange clip attached using rubber bands is also a weaker seal than the factory welded on orange clips, so I think the advice not to seal the vent also applies to top filled cartridges. Maybe the use of a storage clip instead of the original orange clip attached with rubber bands changes this? But then you stress the sealing of the refill hole, if you also seal the vent. If you want to seal the vent on top filled cartridges, I suggest to store them in an upright position to minimize the risk of leaking.

If you refill the cartridges using the Freedom method and use a storage clip, maybe sealing of the vent will cause no leaking?

Here is more about the vent sealing: http://www.printerknowledge.com/threads/shipping-canon-printers.1884/

The reason the vent should not be sealed is that it is very difficult for the refiller to replicate the Canon factory sealing of the cartridges.