I'll be gone for 4 months --- what about my printer?

[Zepper]

I agree with Peter to the extent that leaving the ink tanks out will result in probably unrecoverable clogs in the print head. Unless you have the name of the person at Canon you spoke with and s/he is willing to take personal responsibility for the consequences of that advice, I would ignore it. The advice I have gotten from Canon in the past is in line with Peter's, but I'm not satisfied with that for my own equipment.

There is a tradeoff of disassembly and cleaning in that the spittoon (the mechanism that's used in the nozzle cleaning cycles of the printer) will dry out in storage and perhaps be less effective after reassembly, so that will really need to be cleaned off and sealed off as well as you can during storage for best results.

Here again is my order of preference if you really don't want to experience clogs (even recoverable ones) on your return:

1- Remove and seal ink tanks. Remove heads, clear ink from heads with whatever means you deem safe. Store head in original cllip if possible and store in heavy zip-lock bag with most of the air pressed out. Clean spittoon seals with rubbing alcohol and seal the spittoon off with a couple layers of plastic wrap or similar. Leave yourself a note to be sure you remember to remove the plastic wrap prior to reassembly.

2- Just leave everything as-is. Make sure heads are parked properly. And hope for the best. In this method I would clean off the nozzle face of the head and the spittoon seal prior to final parking to get the best possible seal.

.bh.

 

[Lemon law]

If you go to the nifty stuff forums you will get many threads on how to clean a printhead. None of these posts advocate a simple wash to the outsides. You have to get that several milli-liters of ink inside the printhead washed out or its worse than leaving the cartridges in as you point out.

But getting that point clarified is helpful to that extent if anyone is confused---I have always referred those interested to the nifty stuff forums for proper printhead cleaning proseidures. But Peter's point is valid, if you don't get the ink inside of the printhead cleaned out, its not only worse than the alternative, its also a time consuming job that takes reading to bone up on.

In terms of a printhead burning out due to all ink being washed out, I simply ask, how much ink was inside of that printhead when you both got it and the printer brand new?

Why the hostility-----don't you think people on the nifty stuff forums know what they are doing --or for that matter Canon themselves?

 

[Steve]

A lot of tech support people don't know what they're talking about, regardless of company.

 

[sgleo87]

alright..I think the easiest and probably best thing to do is just leave the printer as it is, turn it off and do a nozzle cleaning when I come back.

 

[Steve]

Good call.