Printhead Clogged or Fried???

  • Thread starter Thread starter ray
  • Start date Start date
R

ray

I have a Canon i850 that has given me good service
for the past 2 years or so. Today 1/4 of the heavy
cyan jets stopped printing. On the nozzle check
for the dark cyan the bottom half is good, the upper
half prints every other cycle. It seems unlikely
that it is a clog. Cleaning cycles do not change its
behavior. Is the printhead fried, or is there something
else I should try.

Printheads appear to be about $60 which makes
replacement uneconomic. I have refilled cartridges
about 20 times so my saving over buying new cartridges
is about $900. To keep the resident troll at bay, even
if refilling killed the printhead I am way ahead of the game.
Any recommendations on a replacement printer? Preference
would be given to photo print quality, ease of refill, being
able to use the current ink I have.
 
ray said:
I have a Canon i850 that has given me good service
for the past 2 years or so. Today 1/4 of the heavy
cyan jets stopped printing. On the nozzle check
for the dark cyan the bottom half is good, the upper
half prints every other cycle. It seems unlikely
that it is a clog. Cleaning cycles do not change its
behavior. Is the printhead fried, or is there something
else I should try.

Printheads appear to be about $60 which makes
replacement uneconomic. I have refilled cartridges
Click to expand...
NOT USING CANON OEM INK IS THE REASON WHY YOUR PRINTHEAD CLOGGED. SEE
CHURCH MEMBERS. HERE IS MORE PROOF.
about 20 times so my saving over buying new cartridges
is about $900. To keep the resident troll at bay, even
if
Click to expand...
refilling killed the printhead
Click to expand...
YES IT DID. AND SOON YOUR PRINTS WILL FADE
I am way ahead of the game.
Any recommendations on a replacement printer? Preference
would be given to photo print quality,
Click to expand...
ease of refill,
Click to expand...
LIGHTENING DOES STRIKE TWICE
being
able to use the current ink I have.
Click to expand...
GET AN EPSON R800
 
Is the printhead fried, or is there something else I should try.

Other than trying a different cyan cartridge... that foam does muck up
after a while.

There was a technique over at
http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=316 that seemed
interesting... should be somewhere in the faqs. Basicly it involved
windex, toilet paper folded over a few times, and applying pressure
slowly and lifting it up, and reapeating this over and over again till
all the ink is sopped out and what's left is windex, ignoring it for a
day or so and repeating the procedure. Others have spoke about boiling
water, or compressed air.

But what's important to keep in mind is that those printheads do have a
limited lifespan... in theory between 10 or 20 cartridge changes, and
yes in everywhere but Japan it's not very ecconomic as they are 50% to
75% the value of a new printer. The cheapest is e-bay for $50ish.
It's a question whether or not you want to invest $50 in your i850 or
get something newer.

The i850 IIRC is onpar with the ip3000.. and sharing the same printhead
the QY6-0042. Those where onsale for $60 pre-september and there was a
$20ish rebate on them so you tend to find them on e-bay now with the
barcode removed for under $80ish. The ip4000 under $120ish.

The new pixmas are not so cool for refilling as they have chips in the
tanks... i'm told you can use the offical OEM canon tanks to refill you
get a big flag saying "print at your own risk" after the chip thinks
it's empty. I have no direct experence but from what i'm able to
gather you can't use your old tanks on the new printer, no unless it's
got a chip on it. Up to you whether you want a model like this or
still with last years models.
 
ray said:
I have a Canon i850 that has given me good service
for the past 2 years or so. Today 1/4 of the heavy
cyan jets stopped printing. On the nozzle check
for the dark cyan the bottom half is good, the upper
half prints every other cycle. It seems unlikely
that it is a clog. Cleaning cycles do not change its
behavior. Is the printhead fried, or is there something
else I should try.
Click to expand...

The cartridge may have reached the end of its life. Try a new
cartridge. I had this problem with an i850 a couple of years ago.
This has nothing to do with OEM or non-OEM inks. It just wouldn't work
anymore with one of my refilled cartridge sets, problems similar to
yours. I put in a new compatible cartridge set (not filled by me) and
everything was fine again. It's worth a try. It's probably wise to junk
refilled cartridges after a year of use. Remember, OEM cartridges are
used only once, and then the still perfectly good cartridge is wasted by
throwing them out. I recycle my OEM cartridges for refill use. They're
good for about a year, maybe longer.
Printheads appear to be about $60 which makes
replacement uneconomic. I have refilled cartridges
about 20 times so my saving over buying new cartridges
is about $900.
Click to expand...

20 times refilling seems awful high and might be way past their useful
life. That's much longer than I run mine. Their effective usefulness
deteriorates slightly with each refill. I'd suggest shortening the
life span.

I like the hobbicolors.com refill kits (sold on eBay). I just ordered a
new set. They come with nifty new blank cartridges with plastic screws
to seal the refill hole. New, clean blanks avoid the problem of putting
new ink into another brand's cartridge that previously held another type
of ink.
To keep the resident troll at bay, even
if refilling killed the printhead I am way ahead of the game.
Click to expand...

You and I save so much by refilling we don't worry about replacements. I
actually run 3 printers now - i860, iP4000 and iP5000, and all with bulk
or prefilled cartridges. If I bought OEM ink I couldn't afford to buy
the ink even for 1 printer. My i860 is used only for special, long print
jobs at high resolution. It's the one I'm willing to sacrifice first as
it is the oldest. When there's nothing for it to print I take out the
printhead and wash out 100% of the ink, run some lubricant in the intake
tubes and put it in a plastic bag for storage until I need it again. It
might be 2 or 3 times a year, max. The other two printers are for
everyday use. Sometimes I split a job over two printers (running
simultaneously) to shorten a job. Very handy.
Any recommendations on a replacement printer? Preference
would be given to photo print quality, ease of refill, being
able to use the current ink I have.
Click to expand...

iP4000, and iP5000, if you can still find them, they're greatly
discounted. Bulk inks for the current line of iP4200 and iP5200 are a
little hard to find at the moment, but they are available. There are no
compatible cartridges yet, that I have seen.

I believe the i850 used ink for BCI-3 cartridges. The i860, iP4000 and
iP5000 all use BCI-6 inks. However, the large BCI-3e black is used by
all the printers. Hang on to that one.

-Taliesyn
 
Taliesyn said:
The cartridge may have reached the end of its life.
Click to expand...

DUE TO AFTERMARKET INKS
Try a new
cartridge. I had this problem with an i850 a couple of years ago.
This has nothing
EVERYTHING

to do with OEM or non-OEM inks. It just wouldn't work
anymore with one of my
MESSY

refilled cartridge sets, problems similar to
yours. I put in a new compatible cartridge set (not filled by me)
Click to expand...

HE REALLY DOES NOT KNOW WHAT IS IN THERE
and
everything was fine again. It's worth a try. It's probably wise to junk
refilled cartridges after a year of use. Remember, OEM cartridges are
used only once, and then the still perfectly good cartridge is wasted by
throwing them out. I recycle my OEM cartridges for refill use. They're
good for about a year, maybe longer.



20 times refilling seems awful high and might be way past their useful
life. That's much longer than I run mine. Their effective usefulness
deteriorates slightly with each refill. I'd suggest shortening the
life span.
Click to expand...

I SUGGEST USING CANON OEM INK CARTS. THEN YOU WILL NOT HAVE THE PROBLEM
I like the hobbicolors.com refill kits (sold on eBay).
Click to expand...

EBAY IS NOT THE PLACE TO BUY
I just ordered a new set. They come with nifty new blank cartridges
with plastic screws to seal the refill hole. New, clean blanks avoid
the problem of putting
new ink into another brand's cartridge that previously held another type
of ink.
Click to expand...
THERE IS NO IF
You and I save so much by refilling we don't worry about replacements.
I actually run 3 printers now - i860, iP4000 and iP5000, and all with
bulk
or prefilled cartridges. If I bought OEM ink I couldn't afford to buy
the ink even for 1 printer. My i860 is used only for special, long print
jobs at high resolution. It's the one I'm willing to sacrifice first
as it is the oldest. When there's nothing for it to print I take out the
printhead and wash out 100% of the ink, run some lubricant in the intake
tubes and put it in a plastic bag for storage until I need it again.
Click to expand...

WHAT A WASTE OF TIME AND PAIN IN THE ASS. I GUESS HIGH SCHOOL KIDS HAVE
A LOT OF TIME TO WASTE.
It
might be 2 or 3 times a year, max. The other two printers are for
everyday use. Sometimes I split a job over two printers (running
simultaneously) to shorten a job. Very handy.
Click to expand...
A TOTAL WASTE
iP4000, and iP5000, if you can still find them, they're greatly
discounted. Bulk inks for the current line of iP4200 and iP5200 are a
little hard to find at the moment,
Click to expand...

THAT IS REAL GOOD NEWS
 
ray said:
I have a Canon i850 that has given me good service
for the past 2 years or so. Today 1/4 of the heavy
cyan jets stopped printing. On the nozzle check
for the dark cyan the bottom half is good, the upper
half prints every other cycle. It seems unlikely
that it is a clog. Cleaning cycles do not change its
behavior. Is the printhead fried, or is there something
else I should try.
Click to expand...

This is not an issue with clogged nozzles or a problem with the ink supply, it
is an electrical issue. You might try removing the printhead and cleaning the
contacts with a damp lint free cloth (something like a barely damp coffee
filter would work) and then reinstalling.

Regards,
Bob Headrick, MS MVP Printing/Imaging
 
Taliesyn said:
The cartridge may have reached the end of its life. Try a new
cartridge. I had this problem with an i850 a couple of years ago.
This has nothing to do with OEM or non-OEM inks. It just wouldn't work
anymore with one of my refilled cartridge sets, problems similar to
yours. I put in a new compatible cartridge set (not filled by me) and
everything was fine again. It's worth a try. It's probably wise to junk
refilled cartridges after a year of use. Remember, OEM cartridges are
used only once, and then the still perfectly good cartridge is wasted by
throwing them out. I recycle my OEM cartridges for refill use. They're
good for about a year, maybe longer.


20 times refilling seems awful high and might be way past their useful
life. That's much longer than I run mine. Their effective usefulness
deteriorates slightly with each refill. I'd suggest shortening the
life span.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply

The cartrige had been replaced a short while ago. I am familiar
with cartridge wear out where the sponge will not give enough
ink flow. This problem is different. You are right in that I can
get about 10 refills per cartridge
I like the hobbicolors.com refill kits (sold on eBay). I just ordered a
new set. They come with nifty new blank cartridges with plastic screws to
seal the refill hole. New, clean blanks avoid the problem of putting
new ink into another brand's cartridge that previously held another type
of ink.


You and I save so much by refilling we don't worry about replacements. I
actually run 3 printers now - i860, iP4000 and iP5000, and all with bulk
or prefilled cartridges. If I bought OEM ink I couldn't afford to buy the
ink even for 1 printer. My i860 is used only for special, long print
jobs at high resolution. It's the one I'm willing to sacrifice first as it
is the oldest. When there's nothing for it to print I take out the
printhead and wash out 100% of the ink, run some lubricant in the intake
tubes and put it in a plastic bag for storage until I need it again. It
might be 2 or 3 times a year, max. The other two printers are for everyday
use. Sometimes I split a job over two printers (running simultaneously) to
shorten a job. Very handy.


iP4000, and iP5000, if you can still find them, they're greatly
discounted. Bulk inks for the current line of iP4200 and iP5200 are a
little hard to find at the moment, but they are available. There are no
compatible cartridges yet, that I have seen.

I believe the i850 used ink for BCI-3 cartridges. The i860, iP4000 and
iP5000 all use BCI-6 inks. However, the large BCI-3e black is used by all
the printers. Hang on to that one.
Click to expand...

IP4000 is selling for just over $100. How does your IP4000 compare
with your i860 for photo printing? There was some discussion on
BCI-3 and BCI-6 inks and I think the consensus is the ink is interchangable.
MIS sells the same ink for BCI-3 and BCI-6 cartridges. Do you know
otherwise?
Is $100 for an IP4000 a good deal?
 
Taliesyn said:
The cartridge may have reached the end of its life. Try a new
cartridge. I had this problem with an i850 a couple of years ago.
This has nothing to do with OEM or non-OEM inks. It just wouldn't work
anymore with one of my refilled cartridge sets, problems similar to
yours. I put in a new compatible cartridge set (not filled by me) and
everything was fine again. It's worth a try. It's probably wise to junk
refilled cartridges after a year of use. Remember, OEM cartridges are
used only once, and then the still perfectly good cartridge is wasted by
throwing them out. I recycle my OEM cartridges for refill use. They're
good for about a year, maybe longer.
Click to expand...

You make an important point for people who refill their carts, Taliesyn.
Refilling requires gaining some knowledge to be able to discern the
difference between a poorly performing cart and a fried printhead.

As carts are refilled several times they can either start "starving" for
air intake at the air vent which then prevents ink from flowing out on
demand, or there can be an internal buildup of dried ink inside the cart
which doesn't let the ink flow out. Both of these conditions can be checked
quickly by removing the cart from the printer, removing the seal from the
fill hole, and seeing if ink drips from the outlet port. You can also blow
gentlly into the air vent, and that should produce some ink drips fromt the
ink outlet port. If you have to really blow hard into the air vent to get
some drips the cart will not function properly in the printer. You should
always have a set of good carts on hand, and simply replacing the errant
cart will let you know very soon if the problem was the old cart.

On the Nifty-Stuff forum there are several articles on rejuvinating tired
carts that have been refilled several times and stop functioning. One
person has a "purge" device that he hooks up to the hot water faucet. He
backflushes all his carts perioodically to disolve dried ink, vacuums out
the excess water, lets the carts dry in the sun, and then refills as if they
were new. Another approach which works is to fill the cart enough to fill
the sponge and microwave the cart for VERY short bursts - 5 sec at a time.
Best to also have a glass of water in the microwave to absorb some of the
energy as you can overdo it quickly and spend the rest of the day cleaning
the ink out of the microwave! Easier to just buy new virgin carts, but some
people are diehard recyclers and will spend the time to work over their old
carts so they can then function like new until the sponge deteriorates and
renders them DOA.

Buying OEM carts for one time use is certainly a "no-brainer," but for me
the considerable savings justifies refilling, especially in view of the
excellent results I get with MIS inks and the absolute lack of clogs in over
a year with two Canon i960 printers. OEM carts are excellent for refilling
as are several vendors' virgin and/or prefilled carts.

One thing for sure- running the cleaning routine repeatedly for either a
head clog or poorly functioning cart is a waste of time and ink. A few
light cleanings and a heavy one will either work or you need to move on to
techniques that have been mentioned on this NG or, in more detail, on the
Nifty-Stuff forum.
 
zakezuke said:
Other than trying a different cyan cartridge... that foam does muck up
after a while.

There was a technique over at
http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=316 that seemed
interesting... should be somewhere in the faqs. Basicly it involved
windex, toilet paper folded over a few times, and applying pressure
slowly and lifting it up, and reapeating this over and over again till
all the ink is sopped out and what's left is windex, ignoring it for a
day or so and repeating the procedure. Others have spoke about boiling
water, or compressed air.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. I tried the Windex to no avail. I will try alcohol,
if it that doesn't work compressed air.
But what's important to keep in mind is that those printheads do have a
limited lifespan... in theory between 10 or 20 cartridge changes, and
yes in everywhere but Japan it's not very ecconomic as they are 50% to
75% the value of a new printer. The cheapest is e-bay for $50ish.
It's a question whether or not you want to invest $50 in your i850 or
get something newer.

The i850 IIRC is onpar with the ip3000.. and sharing the same printhead
the QY6-0042. Those where onsale for $60 pre-september and there was a
$20ish rebate on them so you tend to find them on e-bay now with the
barcode removed for under $80ish. The ip4000 under $120ish.
Click to expand...
Spending $60 on a new printhead seems uneconomic. It looks
like a new printer is in my future. You are making the ip3000 or ip4000
sound more appealing than the newer technology.
 
Bob Headrick said:
This is not an issue with clogged nozzles or a problem with the ink
supply, it is an electrical issue. You might try removing the printhead
and cleaning the contacts with a damp lint free cloth (something like a
barely damp coffee filter would work) and then reinstalling.
Click to expand...
That is what I thought. I tried cleaning the contacts on the printhead.
The
contacts in the printer are springs and they look fine. As the gypsy said
I see a new printer in my future.
 
ray said:
IP4000 is selling for just over $100. How does your IP4000 compare
with your i860 for photo printing?
Click to expand...

I have different ink brands in each printer at the moment (some
prefilled, some on bulk) so any test I do would not be entirely
accurate. I will assume that the iP4000 and iP5000 print better photos
than the i860 if simply for the reason that they use slightly upgraded
technology and drivers. I just printed a stunning 8x10 photo on my
iP5000 at 9600 dpi using HobbiColors refill inks. Maybe one day when
my iP4000 and iP5000 have the same inks inside them I'll do a side by
side test between those two similar printers. But a test is really of no
importance to me as I consider the iP5000 my premium printer because of
its superior resolution (9600 dpi).
There was some discussion on
BCI-3 and BCI-6 inks and I think the consensus is the ink is interchangable.
Click to expand...

That may or may not be true. But when I finally retired my i850, I took
no chance and gave the inks to my sister who also had an i850. I moved
up to the official BCI-6 inks. If you get an BCI-6 type printer, you
might think about that. . .
MIS sells the same ink for BCI-3 and BCI-6 cartridges. Do you know
otherwise?
Click to expand...

No, I don't. Sorry.
Is $100 for an IP4000 a good deal?
Click to expand...

One of our major chain stores in Canada was recently selling them for
the same price here, but in Canadian dollars, which was about $85 US.
This was a ridiculously low price as the same store was selling just
the Canon cartridges alone for about $120 CAD! So, I don't know, you
might be able to get it for around $85 US if you shop around.

-Taliesyn
 
Is $100 for an IP4000 a good deal?

$100 is peachy for an ip4000. The new ip4200 floats at about the same
price but due to the chips is not presently a refiller's choice..
unless you are happy to poke a hole in your cartridges and have the
printer display a warning "continue at own risk" or some such.

The ip3000 isn't bad either and would have the benifit of taking the
same head as your i850... but speaking as an ip3000 owner i'd lean
tward the ip4000 even though I have a hard time telling which one
printed what. The only real benifit of the ip4000 from my
understanding is the extra dye black which i'm told kicks in when
printing anything 80% black or above on photo papers. It's not used
often but there is every reason to believe that it would cut down the
use of your color cartridges, and there is a speed increase with the
ip4000... though my evaluation is on the ip3000 vs the mp760.
 
zakezuke said:
$100 is peachy for an ip4000. The new ip4200 floats at about the same
price but due to the chips is not presently a refiller's choice..
Click to expand...
THAT IS TERIFFIC
unless you are happy to poke a hole in your cartridges and have the
printer display a warning "continue at own risk" or some such.

GOOD

The ip3000 isn't bad either and would have the benifit of taking the
same head as your i850... but speaking as an ip3000 owner i'd lean
tward the ip4000 even though I have a hard time telling which one
printed what. The only real benifit of the ip4000 from my
understanding is the extra dye black which i'm told kicks in when
printing anything 80% black or above on photo papers. It's not used
often
Click to expand...
NOT TRUE
 
Taliesyn said:
I have different ink brands
Click to expand...

NOT BRANDS BUT LABELS
in each printer at the moment (some
prefilled, some on bulk) so any test I do would not be entirely
accurate. I will assume that the iP4000 and iP5000 print better photos
than the i860 if simply for the reason that they use slightly upgraded
technology and drivers. I just printed a stunning 8x10 photo on my
iP5000 at 9600 dpi using HobbiColors refill inks.
Click to expand...

WHO IS THE FORMULATOR
Maybe one day when
my iP4000 and iP5000 have the same inks inside them I'll do a side by
side test between those two similar printers. But a test is really of no
importance to me as I consider the iP5000 my premium printer because
of its superior resolution (9600 dpi).
Click to expand...

ON BUSINESS DOCUMENTS ONLY
That may or may not be true. But when I finally retired my i850, I
took no chance and gave the inks to my sister who also had an i850. I
moved up to the official BCI-6 inks. If you get an BCI-6 type printer,
you might think about that. . .
Click to expand...
NOBODY KNOWS WHAT THEY SELL SINCE THEY DO NOT DISCLOSE IT
 
ray said:
Thanks for the reply. I tried the Windex to no avail. I will try alcohol,
Click to expand...
I GUESS AFTERMARKET INKS CAUSE PEOPLE TO DRINK
if it that doesn't work compressed air.


Spending $60 on a new printhead seems uneconomic. It looks
like a new printer is in my future. You are making the ip3000 or ip4000
sound more appealing than the newer technology.
Click to expand...
IP4000 ONLY
 
Burt said:
You make an important point for people who refill their carts,
Click to expand...
A MESSY PAIN IN THE ASS
Taliesyn.
Refilling requires gaining some knowledge to be able to discern the
difference between a poorly performing cart and a fried printhead.
Click to expand...
NOBODY REALLY CARES IF YOU USE OEM INK
As carts are refilled several times they can either start "starving" for
air intake at the air vent which then prevents ink from flowing out on
demand, or there can be an internal buildup of dried ink inside the cart
which doesn't let the ink flow out. Both of these conditions can be checked
quickly by removing the cart from the printer, removing the seal from the
fill hole, and seeing if ink drips from the outlet port.
Click to expand...
MAYBE IT WILL DRIP ON THE CARPET
You can also blow
gentlly into the air vent, and that should produce some ink drips fromt the
ink outlet port. If you have to really blow hard into the air vent to get
some drips the cart will not function properly in the printer. You should
always have a set of good carts on hand, and simply replacing the errant
cart will let you know very soon if the problem was the old cart.

On the Nifty-Stuff forum
Click to expand...
HAIL MARY
there are several articles on rejuvinating tired
carts that have been refilled several times and stop functioning. One
person has a "purge" device that he hooks up to the hot water faucet. He
backflushes all his carts perioodically to disolve dried ink, vacuums out
the excess water, lets the carts dry in the sun, and then refills as if they
were new.
Click to expand...
NOW IS THAT EVER A PAIN
Another approach which works is to fill the cart enough to fill
the sponge and microwave the cart for VERY short bursts - 5 sec at a time.
Click to expand...
HOW ABOUT 20 MINUTES. LIKE IT WELL DONE
Best to also have a glass of water in the microwave to absorb some of the
energy as you can overdo it quickly and spend the rest of the day cleaning
the ink out of the microwave!
Click to expand...
HA HA HA
Easier to just buy new virgin
Click to expand...
LACK OF EXPERIENCE
carts, but some
people are diehard recyclers and will spend the time to work over their old
carts so they can then function like new until the sponge deteriorates and
renders them DOA.

Buying OEM carts for one time use is certainly a "no-brainer," but for me
the considerable savings justifies refilling, especially in view of the
excellent results I get with MIS
Click to expand...
HE DOES NOT KNOW WHO THE MFG/FORMULATOR IS BECAUSE THE LABELER WILL NOT
TELL THEM.
inks and the absolute lack of clogs in over
a year with two Canon i960 printers.
Click to expand...
MOST PEOPLE HAVE CLOGS
OEM carts are excellent for refilling
Click to expand...
NO CART IS GOOD FOR REFILLING.
as are several vendors' virgin and/or prefilled carts.

One thing for sure- running the cleaning routine repeatedly for either a
head clog or poorly functioning cart is a waste of time and ink. A few
light cleanings and a heavy one will either work or you need to move on to
techniques that have been mentioned on this NG or, in more detail, on the
Nifty-Stuff forum.
Click to expand...
HERE COME DA CHURCH
 
ray said:
Thanks for the reply

The cartrige had been replaced a short while ago. I am familiar
with cartridge wear out where the sponge will not give enough
ink flow. This problem is different. You are right in that I can
get about 10 refills per cartridge
Click to expand...
TRY 100
 
Burt said:
You make an important point for people who refill their carts, Taliesyn.
Refilling requires gaining some knowledge to be able to discern the
difference between a poorly performing cart and a fried printhead.

As carts are refilled several times they can either start "starving" for
air intake at the air vent which then prevents ink from flowing out on
demand, or there can be an internal buildup of dried ink inside the cart
which doesn't let the ink flow out. Both of these conditions can be checked
quickly by removing the cart from the printer, removing the seal from the
fill hole, and seeing if ink drips from the outlet port. You can also blow
gentlly into the air vent, and that should produce some ink drips fromt the
ink outlet port. If you have to really blow hard into the air vent to get
some drips the cart will not function properly in the printer. You should
always have a set of good carts on hand, and simply replacing the errant
cart will let you know very soon if the problem was the old cart.

On the Nifty-Stuff forum there are several articles on rejuvinating tired
carts that have been refilled several times and stop functioning. One
person has a "purge" device that he hooks up to the hot water faucet. He
backflushes all his carts perioodically to disolve dried ink, vacuums out
the excess water, lets the carts dry in the sun, and then refills as if they
were new. Another approach which works is to fill the cart enough to fill
the sponge and microwave the cart for VERY short bursts - 5 sec at a time.
Best to also have a glass of water in the microwave to absorb some of the
energy as you can overdo it quickly and spend the rest of the day cleaning
the ink out of the microwave! Easier to just buy new virgin carts, but some
people are diehard recyclers and will spend the time to work over their old
carts so they can then function like new until the sponge deteriorates and
renders them DOA.

Buying OEM carts for one time use is certainly a "no-brainer," but for me
the considerable savings justifies refilling, especially in view of the
excellent results I get with MIS inks and the absolute lack of clogs in over
a year with two Canon i960 printers. OEM carts are excellent for refilling
as are several vendors' virgin and/or prefilled carts.

One thing for sure- running the cleaning routine repeatedly for either a
head clog or poorly functioning cart is a waste of time and ink. A few
light cleanings and a heavy one will either work or you need to move on to
techniques that have been mentioned on this NG or, in more detail, on the
Nifty-Stuff forum.
Click to expand...
Excellent advice for those planning on refilling their carts.
Frank
 
measekite said:
A MESSY PAIN IN THE ASS

NOBODY REALLY CARES IF YOU USE OEM INK

MAYBE IT WILL DRIP ON THE CARPET

HAIL MARY

NOW IS THAT EVER A PAIN

HOW ABOUT 20 MINUTES. LIKE IT WELL DONE

HA HA HA

LACK OF EXPERIENCE

HE DOES NOT KNOW WHO THE MFG/FORMULATOR IS BECAUSE THE LABELER WILL NOT
TELL THEM.
MOST PEOPLE HAVE CLOGS

NO CART IS GOOD FOR REFILLING.

HERE COME DA CHURCH
Click to expand...

Quit shouting, we can hear you just fine.
 
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