Precision inks shelf life

[mikem65d]

I have several sets for several printers that are all a month past the "best used by" date.
Have kept all ink in a dry cool closet.
I don't smell any fungal smells, but am wondering if i should continue to use, or dump and replace..........anyone know the answer?

I did send Mike an email, but he may be gone or behind in answering, so i figure it might make a good topic for discussion here.

 

[Roy Sletcher]

I have several sets for several printers that are all a month past the "best used by" date.
Have kept all ink in a dry cool closet.
I don't smell any fungal smells, but am wondering if i should continue to use, or dump and replace..........anyone know the answer?

I did send Mike an email, but he may be gone or behind in answering, so i figure it might make a good topic for discussion here.

At 10 bucks or thereabout for 4 oz of refill inks, why take a chance?

Whether opened or not, and storage condition may be a factor. Will be interesting to see what Mike says.

rs

 

[The Hat]

@mikem65d, Most of my inks are several years old and I have some going back as far as 2009, I have yet to suffered from fungal or bacterial infestation from any of my sealed bottled inks...

I use the same dye inks in 4 of my printers and the same pigment inks in 3 others, so if I were to experience an infestation of any sort, then it would make itself known very quickly, because I’d have the same issues across each affected printer, an epidemic is much easier to spot that a lone infection.

Once you practice a clean and healthy refilling procedure then there should be no need to toss away any out of date ink, there is nothing wrong with the ink, except there is no guarantee after such date, it will in fact work safely for years with proper hygiene controls in place.

I have a policy of never dumping good ink until proven otherwise, and that has never happened yet, I always rinse my empty refill bottles before refilling them, I have never attempted to drink my ink but if I did I wouldn’t die from infection, but I’d be still dead...Ops..

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

yes, I only can confirm that, just don't fill back ink from cartridges into the original ink bottle to reduce the risk of infestation. If you would collect ink from partially empty cartridges just use a separate bottle . And pigment inks may need some agitation after a longer shelf time - after several months - to prevent settling of pigments, but beyond that I don't see a risk with inks under normal storage conditions.

 

[InkFu]

I had some ink from precision colors for my mg5320 that started turning to globs. However the bottle had been open long before the expiration date and didn't start turning to goo till a year after. I'm so glad I have a pro-100 now refilling is much better and I don't see myself having stored ink like before.

Edit: I do remember it happening the black especially but I don't know if it was the pigment or the dye.

 

[The Hat]

It’s very important to keep air away from ink as much as possible, and only expose it during refilling, you also need to keep the lids on the ink bottles and a scarab on all your Easy refill needles...

 

[mikem65d]

appreciate the replies everyone.
The only 2 bottles of ink from PC i have smelled fungal activity were the PM and M from the first purchase set for the Pro-100, and those were replaced with Mike's upgraded version set for the B,PM, and M.
Man they smelled bad too...............tossed em on the weeds

 

[The Hat]

Man they smelled bad too...............tossed em on the weeds

I have yet to find an ink that does smell nice...