storing a printer

[mrelmo]

obviously if you take the print head out you can put the printer in storage for years without any issues, so maybe the question is how to store a print head that is being used, i ask this as i have picked up an ip 4200 that has been used very little, and prints great. as i have a printer i don't have the room to setup 2 printers and alternate the use to keep the ink flowing through the print head. lets hear your thoughts

 

[embguy]

There are three areas that you need to take care of before put a previously enjoyed printer to storage. The following was what I did for my iP4500.

Purge System cleaning:
1. Take the ink cartridges and print head out of the carriage.
2. Ensure the print head locking level is at the lock position (i.e. down position)
3. Flood the purge pads with Windex.
4. Close the cover
5. Turn off the printer using the power button. Don't unplug the power. The carriage will move to the park position.
6. Turn on the power again and wait until the noise stop. Open the cover and repeat step 3 to 6 ten times.
7. The purge pad will be white or close to white after 10 cleaning.

Print Head
1. Flush out the ink in the print head nozzles under a small steady stream of tap water. Take extra care not to get any water on to the electronic components. Do this until no ink is coming out from the bottom.
2. Put the print head on top of a paper towel. Slowly drops Windex or distilled water on the ink inlet screens. The Windex will slowly flow from the inlet screen through the nozzles onto the paper towel. Continue until no more ink coming out of the nozzle.
3. Put the treated print head in a ziplock bag for storage.
4. Label the bag with the printer model number just in case you have more than one print head in storage.

Ink Cartridges
Put the ink cartridge in a Ziplock bag to prevent ink from drying. If you have another printer uses the same ink, use them as soon as possible.

 

[ghwellsjr]

Your question, "how to store a print head that is being used" doesn't sound like it could have an answer. Doesn't the word "store" mean it's not being used? I really don't know what you are asking.

EDIT: I composed my response while embguy was also responding. He, of course, gave an excellent answer to how you should store a printer that is not being used and what you should do but it sounded to me like you wanted an answer that did not require removing the print head from the printer.

One thing I would add to embguy's response: you should seal the outlet port of your cartridges when they are not in your printer. You can do this with the original orange seals they came with using rubber bands to hold them in place or you can stretch a piece of vinyl tape across the outlet port. Also, if you use the German method of refill, you should seal that hole, too. You should not seal the air vent hole on the top of the cartridge. It is the proper way for the cartridge to breathe in and out as the ambient air pressure goes through its daily fluctuations.

 

[mrelmo]

hmmmmp i should have said a printer that has been used. storing the cartridges won't be an issue as they will be placed into rotation with other cartridges, but the flushing of the print head is what i was looking for and i never considered flushing the purge pads, thanks for the information

 

[jasiiboss]

The answer by embguy is well documented and comprehensive except for the tap water part, I am rather sceptical on using tap water as part of the cleaning process, more so ,if we live in an area which has hard water. Distilled water is easy to come by, and is cheap especially when we take the cost of the print head in consideration.

Rgds,

Jasii

 

[mrelmo]

i agree for long term storage distilled water should be used and after seeing a picture from rob of a syrine with plastic tubing on it, this would be a better way to flush as you can control the amount of pressure from the syringe, then after clear water is coming out use the syringe to push air only through the printhead, so this will be my 1st attempt to store a printhead

 

[Nifty]

You mean this:

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=681#p681

 

[mrelmo]

no this one

 

[Smile]

Great old thread, I have a question is there any better biocides to use than just alcohol when storing print heads? Perhaps there is some chemical that kills germs, fungus etc and does no cause corrosion and etc.

 

[PeterBJ]

Pharmacist also made a print head conservation fluid, which is less known than the cleaning and conditioning fluids. Link here. I think this fluid is better than using only isopropyl alcohol.