Inkjet printers are characterized by low cost and excellent quality of color printing. However, these devices have one common drawback - the quick drying of any ink in the cartridge. This leads to a change in the quality of the printer and even a complete lack of printing. If the cartridge is dry, what should I do?
Dried cartridge: what to do to the user?
The fastest and most reliable way to solve the problem will be to purchase a new cartridge. With a dried device, you can contact the service center, where you will receive professional help. You can try to restore the printer using the forced cleaning mode.
You can try to solve the task of resuscitating the cartridge yourself using several effective methods. But this will take time and, of course, some efforts will have to be made. In addition, you need to consider that this is quite a dirty job - then you have to wash your hands and workplace.
To implement one of the methods of cleaning the cartridge, you need to purchase washing liquid and a syringe with a needle, prepare paper towels and a small container with a lid.
It is necessary to determine the degree of drying of the ink: turn the unusable cartridges with the print heads up and drip washing liquid from the syringe onto them. If the composition is absorbed through the nozzles, this means that the recovery process will be short-lived.
Recovery
What to do if a Canon or HP cartridge is dry? In this case, it is necessary to dissolve the remaining ink and clean the nozzles. In order to fill the purchased flushing fluid into the cartridge, you need to carefully peel off the number label. Under it you can see special holes. Then the foam rubber adsorber should be filled with flushing fluid from the syringe.
For a color cartridge, 5 milliliters of composition will be required, for black - 10 ml. The remains of the special cleaning fluid must be poured into an empty container. In it, you should install the cartridge with the nozzles down. Close the container with a lid and leave the cartridge soaked for 24 hours.
After a day, pump out the solution with the remaining ink using a syringe. Then you can start refilling the cartridge and then installing it in the printer. Enable forced cleaning mode and print a test page. If the user is not satisfied with the print quality, then he can repeat the soaking of the cartridge in any container with washing liquid.
Home Remedies
What should I do if the ink in the cartridge is dry and the wash liquid cannot be found? First you need to make sure that the lack of printing is not due to a printer breakdown. To do this, press the cartridge nozzles to a paper towel or napkin. A missing or fuzzy print will indicate that the ink in the cartridge is dry. To restore print properties, we recommend using home tools.
Steam cleaning
The dried cartridge should be carefully installed on the spout of a boiling kettle (preferably the old one). Steam generated during the heating of water will fall on the nozzles, thus reviving the coloring capabilities of the part. Do not hold nozzle above steam for more than 5 seconds. After the procedure, wipe the cartridge with a tissue. It is recommended to repeat the action several times. This method is not suitable for all printer models.
"Mr. Muscle" to help
What should I do if the cartridges in my printer are dry and I cannot find a special fluid? Instead, you can use the spray "Mr. Muscle to clean the glass" (blue).
You need to turn the cartridge upside down with the nozzles, drip a little of the product onto the print head and wait 10 minutes. Then you need to press the nozzles to the napkin and check the print. If the result is negative, you must use a different method of cleaning the print head.
Pressure
There are situations when the user is in a hurry to print a document, turns on the printer and finds that the HP cartridge is dry. What to do if there are no cleaning products at hand? You can flush nozzles with ink. To do this, create pressure inside the cartridge. The user needs to break off part of the needle with pliers so that 2 centimeters of metal remain on the syringe.
Next, cut a small piece from an eraser or eraser. Put the improvised seal on the shortened needle, draw air into the syringe. Place the cartridge on the napkin with the nozzles up, insert the needle into the filling hole and squeeze air out of the syringe. In this case, a piece of eraser should completely cover the filling hole. Ink will come out through the nozzles.
Dry cleaning
There are three types of formulations:
- Acid. It consists of 10% essence of acetic acid, 10% alcohol, 80% distilled water. Suitable for HP color printers.
- Neutral. Consists of 10% glycerol, 10% alcohol, 80% distilled water. It is used when cleaning any cartridges.
- Alkaline. Components - 10% ammonia, 10% alcohol, 10% glycerol, 70% distilled water. Suitable for Canon and Epson printers.
The user can prepare the appropriate composition on their own, having discovered that the cartridge has dried up. What to do with a homemade cleaner?
Pour liquid onto a paper towel. Place the cartridge with nozzles down on a napkin with a special composition. Wait 2 days. An empty cartridge can be placed in the whole solution. It is worth noting that the foam can not be immersed in the composition.
Alternative methods
Many users get frustrated when they discover that an ink cartridge is dry. What should I do if I cannot restore normal print quality using the above methods? A completely unusable cartridge can be placed in the tub with the nozzles up. Then you should open the hot water. A small trickle should hit directly on the print head.
The cartridge should be moved so that water passes through all nozzles. The jet will wash out dried holes that do not lend themselves to regular cleaning. After 2 minutes, turn off the tap. After that, you need to put the cartridge on a piece of fabric with the nozzles down, let it dry, wipe it thoroughly with a tissue and install it in the printer. Print a test page.
Cartridge Drying Prevention
If none of the recovery methods helped, then the user will have to purchase a new removable ink unit.
What measures should be taken to prevent the cartridge from drying out? What to do for this?
- Run a print weekly to check for all colors.
- Do not keep the printer near a heater, in a draft, in the sun.
Do not seal the nozzles with tape or duct tape. If the printer will not be used for a long time, it is recommended that you close all covers of the device. Spare cartridges should be stored in cool and dark places.