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

[sgleo87]

I am going to be gone for 4 months over the summer and since I live alone nobody will be printing anything on my Canon mp500. Is that going to damage the printer in any way (printer head clogged, ink dry,...) and if yes is there anything I can do?

 

[Peter]

It's a Canon. Don't worry.

Make sure none of the ink cartridges is empty or near-empty; give it a new one if required. Then turn it off properly (by its own power button) so that the carriage is in its resting position.

If you want to give it that bit of extra care, store it in a steadily cool (but not cold!) room.

But normally, they need no more than a normal or intense cleaning cycle IF they clog at all.

 

[Lemon law]

Not positive Peter is right---four months is pushing it even if its a Canon. Some more paranoid types would remove and cap all cartridges, remove the printhead, clean it with windex, and store those dis-assemble parts properly while you are gone---see the nifty stuff forums for precise instructions.

Might avoid having a stubborn clog when you come back.--or having the printer waste a lot of ink running cleaning cycles.

 

[Zepper]

I certainly wouldn't want to take the chance either. I would remove the ink tanks - if you can't seal the ink ports (and the vent hole if any) on them air-tight, throw them away. Then I'd remove the print head, and put rubbing alcohol thru all the nozzles until no more color comes out, then set the nozzles on some absorbent, lint-free paper (coffee filter paper works for me) to draw the remaining fluid out.. Then I'd clean all the outer surfaces of the print head and carrier with cotton swabs and alcohol. Dry and store in a sealed storage or freezer zip-lock bag (press as much air out as possible) - if you have the orange clip that came on your print head, use that during storage too to protect the nozzle plate.

When you come back to use it, do the set up just as if it was new.

.bh.

 

[Peter]

Rubbing alcohol kills Canon printheads on the spot. Don't.

The tight seal the printer itself makes is very good, better than anything you could do outside the printer. Most definitely leave the ink cartridges in as well, you can't protect the ink ports any better than with the ink cart mounted.

 

[Zepper]

I've cleaned my Canon heads with rubbing alcohol (70% or less isopropanol - isopropyl is gentle on most materials) for several years with no problems, but if it bothers you, you can get ink jet cleaning fluid (the big bottle) from the company that makes and sells the Universal brand refill kits.

.bh.

 

[Lemon law]

Many recommend windex instead of alchohol. Just use either very sparingly--read up on where to apply and where not to.

 

[Zepper]

Windex contains alcohol and ammonia - just perhaps not as concentrated as rubbing alcohol. Plus it has colorants and other additives. It definitely may help dislodge clogs, but you will want to follow with distilled water to neutralize the ammonia - might not be bad to follow the rubbing alcohol with distilled water as well so as not to leave any alcohol in the nozzles during storage.

.bh.

 

[Peter]

Originally posted by: Zepper
I've cleaned my Canon heads with rubbing alcohol (70% or less isopropanol - isopropyl is gentle on most materials) for several years with no problems, but if it bothers you, you can get ink jet cleaning fluid (the big bottle) from the company that makes and sells the Universal brand refill kits.

.bh.

The problem is not in the cleaning, but in the usage restart. When there's too much alcohol percentage in the nozzles when they fire, the boiling (bubbling) temperature is too low, and that causes the delicate heating elements to overheat and burn out. Remember the ink is not only printing, but also cooling these elements.

 

[Doh!]

I left my i850 untouched for about 6 months due to overseas assignments. Turned it on, printed a test page (initial setup procedure like alignment, nozzle clean). It's as good as new.

 

[sgleo87]

well I doubt that I can seal the ink cartriges very well if I can take them out and I don't want to throw them out since I just got the printer and I doubt I will have used up most of the ink by May which is when I leave for 4 months. Can I just leave them in there and then do a nozzle cleaning when I come back and if it is too clogged clean the printer head with rubbing alcohol or whatever then?

 

[Peter]

That's exactly what I suggested. Make sure there's ink left in every chamber, turn it off properly so the print head homes in to the printer's own seal. That's the best you can do, and that's enough.

 

[Lemon law]

First, in terms of removing the cartridge and sealing it for storage, most recommend using the wing nut type ckip you removed when you first got the cartridge.---just use rubber bands to secure it back over the inh outlet hole---or use scotch tape. If you threw them away, you can just use a good tape over the inklet outlet hole.---some also recommend scotch tape over the air vent to prevent any evaporation.--just remember to clear the air vent prior to use.

But we also have many posting that all this is not necessary, just shut the printer off properly with heads parked---and go off without any worries.

But to settle this debate-----I suggest calling Canon Tech support and see what they say. After all, its still under warranty
and its their baby if it screws up----then you can tell tech support I did what you told me to.

 

[Zepper]

Most tapes won't cling very well to the ink openings because the volatiles in the ink soften the adhesive. I used to use Saran Wrap as the original product was impermeable, but the new stuff is just another plastic wrap - I guess the old stuff was making life too difficult for the drug-sniffing dogs... Now I use shrink-wrap which comes disguised as "indoor window film" and is supposed to be used to keep the drafts out here in the north country.

.bh.

 

[Peter]

Tape on the nozzles is a surefire way to clog them, unless you use the same special tape Canon does. (But that sticks only to a brandnew, completely dry head anyway). Ink evaporation through the air vent on the cartridge is irrelevant.

Just don't.

 

[sgleo87]

I emailed canon and this is what they told me in case anyone is interested:

It is recommended to remove the ink tanks. After doing so seal the hole
on the bottom with tape and store the inks in a cool dry place. This
should help prevent any damage to the unit or inks.

I guess I'll do that. Since I just bought the printer I still have the orange things that were on the ink cartriges and I'll use those to seal them when I'm gone.

 

[Peter]

This is the best way to make sure the ink residue in your print head will dry out and clog it forever.

You may not leave the print head without ink tanks once you've had ink in it. This should be obvious, no?

 

[sgleo87]

well...this is what canon said...

 

[Madwand1]

I have a Canon S900 and an Epson R800. When I got the Epson R800 (not too long after it was released), I did a few photo printing comparison tests, and thereafter pretty much retired the Canon. Seeing this thread, and also having some interest in getting my Netgear Wireless Print Server actually set up as a print server instead of just a network bridge, I decided to give the Canon a try.

Now it's been easily more than a year since I last tried the Canon. Before reading this thread and hearing about the self-sealing, I pretty much expected this to be a dismal failure with empty cartridges and clogged nozzles. My Epson does that even after 1 month of no use, let alone a year with summer heat and winter dryness, etc.

I was very pleasantly surprised to see that the printer works perfectly after all this time, and also that the Wireless Print Server actually works with this printer without a great deal of hassle (I didn't even have to connect it to my computers, despite the general instructions.) I did a nozzle check and printed a colour photograph as a means for testing, and both were just fine.

I do not guarantee that this will work for you; I'm just mentioning that it happened to work for me, far far better than I would have expected based on some earlier experiences, and esp. with Epson.

 

[herm0016]

i have an hp that was in a friends cabin over the summer, in a wooden box, unheated and un aircontitioned, turned it on and it works just like when i got it with the same cartreges. dont worry about it! is what i say.

 

[essasin]

i have had a canon printer sitting idle for half a year without any problems

 

[Lemon law]

Ok Ok ---at this point this thread is sounding like various people bragging about passing on a hill and getting away with it because no car was in the other lane.

But if your printer is still under warranty, you are safer taking the Canon advice rather than ignoring it.
Then you are on record following Canon advice--which our OP has done and posted back.

 

[Peter]

Originally posted by: sgleo87
well...this is what canon said...

So? It's still bull. This should be obvious. Ask yourself: With the ink tanks out, how do you protect the print head from all the ink in it drying out to become a hard blob?

Just leave it the fsck alone. It'll be fine. I can't believe we've already gotten to page 2 over that one.

 

[Lemon law]

The point is Peter, when you remove the cartridges, you clean the printhead. Then there is no ink in the printhead to become a hard blob. Removing the cartridges without cleaning the printhead results in what you say and makes the problem worse than just leaving the cartridges in.

 

[Peter]

Cleaning the print head via the printer's own measures lets the nozzles run dry while they're still firing. This burns them out instantly, since they are cooled by the ink.
"Cleaning" by wiping the outside with a piece of cloth is utterly useless. Do you realize how much ink fits into the print head, from the tank scoop down to the nozzles? If you feel like experimenting, rinse a (preferably broken) head under running water. There are several milliliters per color INSIDE the head, and these ARE going to dry out hard if you leave the ink tanks out. This already happens if left open for a day or two, the typical situation being, tank empty, people taking it to the shop "to get the right type". Cleaning the outsides with windex, alcohol or whatever doesn't help that problem AT ALL.

Can you now start listening to those here who (a) have firsthand experience and/or (b) regularly do printer servicing? Time to bite your tongue and stop trying to know it all better. Thanks very much.