Inkjet printers

[G. Morgan]

Yes, unfortunately.

Once a print head gets clogged I've found no remedy other than to replace it. I've tried alcohol with swabs, even acetone.

You have to decide whether it's cost effective to buy a new head, or a new printer. In your case, if nothing else is wrong with the printer or it's other multi-function features it may be better to buy the print head. I see one on Amazon for $70 that is refurbished by Cannon.

You can help prevent a clogged head by leaving the printer on all the time, so it can do it's self cleaning everyday. Did you regularly turn yours off?

[ng_reader]

As a follow up, it was a defective cyan ink cart, once replaced, that seemed to fix it. The black, however, still is not *perfect* after soaking the head in isopropal alcohol over night.

At least not perfect on the self-test. But with another black in there it might "fix itself".

As for Dan C, well, if I am writing about print heads why on earth would I want the advice to "chuck it". I think, rather, I'd "chuck" your answer. Silly.

[G. Morgan]

I told you chuck the printhead too. Am I silly?

[Mike Easter]

The experts that I read recommend against alcohol in favor of appropriately diluting ammonia with distilled water.

Alcohol doesn't work well and has disadvantages to the system.

Ammonia works much better and doesn't have those disadvantages, except you have to be more careful about exposing yourself to it wrongly such as breathing and mishandling.

[ng_reader]

a-ha! I knew someone would provide some helpful information. Welp, the alcohol route has been done, and done again.

Perhaps next time I'll try ammonia (as that's regularly in the house). The distilled water (rain water in Kubrick's classic Strangelove), err, not so easy. That's a special trip.

Of note, though, when researching, was that alcohol for we colonialists is about 70% pure, whilst in Jolly Old, it's more than 90%. Is that a truism?

[ng_reader]

Well the easiest answer *would be* "get a new microwave oven". That's always the case. But providing some additional inasmuch as providing a thoughtful answer, does not deserve derision. And silly is derision.

Maybe Dan C isn't such a bad person after all, what do you think?

[Mark Lloyd]

[snip]

Here (east Texas) the Wal-Mart has both 70% and 90% alcohol.

[G. Morgan]

You can buy it in both strengths, genius. Since you're such a cheapskate I figured you would have scoured the aisle. I bet you asked for a 20% discount at the counter to make up for the dilution.

[aemeijers]

I'll never buy an inkjet again. Between the printheads getting clogged, and them following the Gillette business model of basically giving away the printers and gouging forever on the refills, they just aren't worth it. Entry-level lasers are just too cheap.

[Tony Miklos]

innews:idmdnd0P5KAwX9_QnZ2dnUVZ [e-mail]:

Where do you buy them?

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, I get them from eBay. A set of 6 carts. for Canon MP990 costs ~17.00 including postage. Works great. If one prints a lot on inkjet, better invest in a CISS kit.

[G. Morgan]

That's true, and 95% of my printing is B&W. I've been eyeballing them but I've had a Brother MFC-210C for a couple of years and it keeps chugging away. I'm also well-stocked on ink for it, so I hope it does not get bricked anytime soon.

[clare]

Just remember what "entry level" and "cheap" mean. If you want "inexpensive" laser class printers on the long run, you cannot beat an OKIDATA LED printer. Like the Energizer bunny they just keep on going, and going, and going, and----- And you do not have to replace the whole drum assembly when you run out of toner. A roughly $28 tube of toner does the trick, and the drums last a LONG time. Just replaced the drum on my brother's unit I sold him something like 8 years ago that prints all the invoices and workorders in his auto repair shop. The drum was still in excellent condition but the crud in the air (being in an active repair shop) had stiffened up some of the bushings in the drive assembly in the drum, causing paper feed to slow down and fault out.

They cost a bit more to BUY than an entry level Lexmark or HP, but a LOT less to own.

[Roy]

UVZ [e-mail]:

=3D=3D I get mine from a small book store that sells computer supplies and general home and office supplies. A travelling salesman calls on him so I don't know all the poop. =3D=3D

[Jim Yanik]

G. Morgan wrote in news: [e-mail]:

it's cheaper to buy the whole Canon printer from WalMart($35) than to buy a single print cartridge,and you need both color and black cartridges.

I wonder if an ultrasonic cleaner would unclog a printhead?

If you leave your printer on all day,the heads stay uncovered and dry out faster. when the printer is off,the heads are parked and covered by a cap. that's why new ink cartridges don't dry out in the packaging while on the shelf.

[Jim Yanik]

G. Morgan wrote in news: [e-mail]:

CVS carries 90% isopropyl alcohol. WalMart doesn't,IIRC,Walgreens doesn't either.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, My printer stays on all the time and standyby power is only 3 Watts. I never had problem and it seems it does less self cleaning and ilk lasts longer. I used Epson, HP, Lexmark, Canon and always kept them on.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Any one tried Freon?

[clare]

I've tried, and it actually killed some of them instead of cleaning them. They are Piezo Electric, and the shock waves MAY have killed them. (they sorta half worked before cleaning - then totally dead)

[clare]

The heads are parked and covered even with the printer turned on, and every time you turn it on it goes through the complete startup routine(prime head) - wasting ink.