PRO-100 cart refilling: Do I have this right?

[SkedAddled]

Just got a PRO-100 and love it.
I finally have a pro-quality printer I can use to print and display/share
my photography, and it ultimately will cost a pittance in the face of
current rebate offers.

My plan is to refill carts with PC inks and use their chip resetter(REdSETTER).
I've another set of empty virgin OEM carts on the way, and a couple sets
of storage clips.

I intend to use Precision Colors inks, the chip resetter they offer,
and keep one cart set filled & ready. When a cart needs replacing,
I'll swap sets, refill & reset the used and put 'em on the shelf.
Second set needs a cart replaced, do the same.
Back and forth, just like that.

I've read nearly everything I can find about the dreaded Yello Jello,
and am fully prepared to properly flush those cart tanks before any refill
with a gallon of Windex each, if necessary.

I believe I've got all the bases covered.
Are there any holes in my thinking about this?
Anything else I may have missed that I should know about?

 

[The Hat]

Sounds like you've hit the road running and are ready for anything...
Good Luck...

 

[SkedAddled]

Many thanks, @The Hat

I've come to know that you're respected and very knowledgeable around here,
so your confirmation is much appreciated.

 

[kdsdata]

The only thing I would add is a cation about the Jello Jello. Make sure the cart is dry before you refill. Period. The yellow ink is simply not compatible with the flush water, or any hint of it. I suggest, so don't have disappointing results, plan well ahead, so you have lots of drying time. I have managed with 4 weeks, and am very satisfied. 4 weeks is of course arbitrary, but because of my practice I have no experience with a shorter period to suggest. Good luck.

 

[The Hat]

@kdsdata, likes to take the belt and braces approach to his refilling and it clearly works for him, but what he was really trying to say was, take your time and meet your best friend called patients...

 

[kdsdata]

Thanks @The Hat, I mentioned that the 4 weeks are arbitrary. Only sort of. I got started with refilling when I simply refilled an OEM cart, without any research. The resulting yellow jello forced me to study the subject. I found that the instruction are good for everything except the drying time. No complaints, because it is the hardest to nail down. My decision to go with 4 weeks was actually a bit strategic. As I was drying my first set of flushed OEM carts, I realized that if I refill to early, I could get yellow jello again, and would have to start over. Not having a second set on the go, I decided to give the drying it's 4 weeks, and I haven't look back at shortening the time. Looking back at that first 4 weeks was a rather terrible time for me, with having to do with an old black and white narrow carriage laser printer, bbrrr...

 

[stratman]

As I was drying my first set of flushed OEM carts, I realized that if I refill to early, I could get yellow jello again

This seems counterintuitive. If the OEM Yellow ink is purged, then there is no more OEM Yellow ink to react with water from any source, purging or refill ink, and the amount of water left after purging should not be a factor in a reappearance of Yello Gello.

 

[kdsdata]

@stratman, you raise a good question. You say "should" not be a factor in creating Yellow Jello. So I do need to ask, do you mean certainty as in "is not" a factor? That I could live with, and would like very much. "Should" is a little ify for me.

I do have to admit that I have no experience other than refilling on top of OEM ink. That caused the Yellow Jello. I have not had that with any of my refills. The long drying has worked fine. But If traces of water is not a factor then I could shorten the drying time. I just always thought it's was absolutely necessary.

 

[stratman]

I just always thought it's was absolutely necessary.

Your post is the first I had heard of this technique.

Since Yello Gello is a chemical reaction between OEM Yellow and water (unknown if other constituent elements are involved), it stands that if OEM Yello resides in the cartridge, even as a nidus hiding out in the sponge, then the chemical reaction occurs.

At what part per million of residual OEM Yellow crosses a reaction threshold is unknown, so it is all spitballing. That is why the recommendation is if you are going to use the OEM Yellow cartridge then flush until the sponge is white, or pretty darn near it, to avoid the problem.

Residual water in the cartridge without OEM Yellow admixture is just water and therefore non-reactive with your refill ink, however too much water dilution to the refill ink will cause color shifts that gradually dissipate over subsequent refills. Whether a tiny amount of residual water in the sponge after the purge causes too much color shift is left to the eye of the beholder.

Regardless, if it works for you then don't fix what ain't broken.

 

[SkedAddled]

That's an interesting exchange you guys just had.

Just to inform all of my progress on the matter, I received the empty carts today.
First one I grabbed was yellow.
I have tools and small enough screws to have removed the ball plug without incident
or damage to the fill hole.

First thing I did was to push 8 to 10, 10ml syringes worth of Windex through it.
I alternated between pad and vent holes. Watching the progress, it cleared from
the bottom into an upward-swirling path around towards the outflow.
That's when I switched to flushing through the vent.
It helped, but didn't get the sponge clean at the bottom-most corner nearest
the ink outlet.
I then switched to suctioning into the tank, starting through the outflow.
It started to dilute and move the original ink from that spot. A few more applications
of suction in that matter, and all yellow was gone from the corner.

The dye had been drawn up into the upper parts of the sponge, so I switched to
suctioning the Windex through the vent opening. After a few more suction passes
in this matter, it was diluted throughout the sponge in a weak quantity.

A few more flushes with Windex seems to have cleared it completely, with nothing
but blue liquid draining, not green in any sense. I then followed the same process
of flushing/suctioning alternately with clean water, then submerged the cart
in warm water, alternating between suction and pressure, as well as alternating
between vent and output holes. The sponge is now as white as is likely possible,
with a paper napkin pressed onto the outlet with an elastic band to wick water out.
Neither I nor my wife are able to see any traces of the original yellow,
and the napkin is nearly dry despite the very humid weather conditions we have now.

I have followed the same process for the other 7 carts, but without the Windex
except for the 2 Magentas. Those dyes don't come out of the sponges very well
with just water, while Windex clears it out nicely. The remaining carts show
traces of original dye inks, but are still very clean.

I'll grab some photos of my results and post them soon.