Cleaning print heads

[SS]

I am changing my printer for a Canon MP780 which has an easily removable
print head. Not that I should have to do it for a while but I have found
that for blocked cartridges with integral heads holding over a steaming
kettle worked wonders for getting ink flowing. I wondered if this might
damage a proper ink head (the heat) bearing in mind its only 100C - better
than flushing solvents through?

 

[Guest]

I am changing my printer for a Canon MP780 which has an easily removable
print head. Not that I should have to do it for a while but I have found
that for blocked cartridges with integral heads holding over a steaming
kettle worked wonders for getting ink flowing. I wondered if this might
damage a proper ink head (the heat) bearing in mind its only 100C - better
than flushing solvents through?

One ink supplier suggested using boiling water and immersing the head
in it for a short time. On a really stubborn head i've done it two or
three times for maybe up to 30 secs. If it works you've won if not
what have you lost, it didn't work anyway?

Mostly I do it for an old Olivetti battery printer which needs using
about oncea month or it clogs up!

 

[Richard Steinfeld]

One ink supplier suggested using boiling water and immersing the head
in it for a short time. On a really stubborn head i've done it two or
three times for maybe up to 30 secs. If it works you've won if not
what have you lost, it didn't work anyway?

I did this with a couple of HP cartridges that had run dry. One BW, the
other color. The color cart has sponges inside. I used hot, not boiling
water -- after all, I don't want to melt or deform the cartridge or melt
the sponges.

I haven't refilled the color cartridge yet. The black one is working
perfectly after a refill.

Note that I used distilled water.

Richard

 

[Gary Tait]

I am changing my printer for a Canon MP780 which has an easily
removable print head. Not that I should have to do it for a while but
I have found that for blocked cartridges with integral heads holding
over a steaming kettle worked wonders for getting ink flowing. I
wondered if this might damage a proper ink head (the heat) bearing in
mind its only 100C - better than flushing solvents through?

It shouldn't, as Canon uses nearly identical head technology as HP and
Lexmark. I've steamed heads on my i320 no problem.

 

[Arthur Entlich]

The actual head surface needs to be able to accept a bit of heat, since
these are thermal ink heads, which heat (boil) the ink in each nozzle to
project it forward. Of course, the ink is only hot for a very small
fraction of a second each time, and has to conduct the heat down cool
again before the next 'dot' come through, but I'd imagine the heads can
take a bit of boiling water vapour (steam).

Art

 

[journey]

I am changing my printer for a Canon MP780 which has an easily removable
print head. Not that I should have to do it for a while but I have found
that for blocked cartridges with integral heads holding over a steaming
kettle worked wonders for getting ink flowing. I wondered if this might
damage a proper ink head (the heat) bearing in mind its only 100C - better
than flushing solvents through?

Gad, I was hoping to avoid this kind of thing. I have used HP
cartridges since they first came out, and I always shyed away from
anything that didn't have the print head in the cartridge.

Now, however, I bought a Canon 5200r (looks pretty good, is wireless)
that uses a lot of inks. Will I need to worry about cleaning print
heads and all that malarky? If so, how long until that happens?

I also have a Dell Photo 924, which creates OK photos but I was able
to take a finger nail and the coating flaked off (not easily, but it
sure didn't seem durable -- maybe I needed to let it dry overnight). I
am unloading the 924 however when I sell one of my computers hopefully
in the next month or so.

I love wireless. My workhorse printer is a HP7410 wireless. It
prints photo also but I am tired of changing the print cartridges when
I want to do photo.

So, with the Canon, will I need to be concerned about cleaning the
printer's heads?

 

[Gary Tait]

So, with the Canon, will I need to be concerned about cleaning the
printer's heads?

If you follow instructions, no.

 

[journey]

If you follow instructions, no.

What are the main instructions to follow. Knowing those will help.
Feel free to just list, and I can take it from there...