Occasionally, a printer will stop working, even though the cartridge obviously contains more ink. In this case, the problem typically has to do with clogged print heads. Obviously, the printer cartridge contains lots of ink, and the printer head has tiny holes that selectively place that ink wherever you need an image. Over time, ink can dry in those tiny holes, blocking the flow of ink and making your printer unusable, causing printer errors or just bad print quality. What do you do if your print head gets clogged?
Self-Cleaning Printers
Most printers have a self-cleaning feature, designed to unclog the heads automatically. Use the printer utility to run this cycle. You will need to repeat it multiple times to see results. You should also recognize that the cleaning cycle does use lots of ink, but it is still better than replacing the cartridge completely.
If automatic cleaning is unsuccessful, there are several other methods you can use. After removing the cartridge from the printer, gently rub a cotton swab soaked in water across the head. It is important to move from back to front rather than side to side, so that you don’t mix different colors. If water doesn’t work, try isopropyl alcohol (this is different than rubbing alcohol and may be sold as a cleaner for electronic heads). Allow several hours for the head to dry before replacing the cartridge and running the cleaning cycle again.
If cleaning the head this way still doesn’t work, you could try soaking the cartridge head in water for several hours or even overnight. If water isn’t enough, you can soak the cartridge in isopropyl alcohol, though this should be used as an extreme measure since the alcohol may damage the rubber in the head.
Some models of printers (mostly Epson) have their print heads built into the printer rather than as part of the cartridge. In this case, you should remove the cartridge and put 7-10 drops of isopropyl alcohol directly inside the head (where the ink from the cartridge normally flows to the printer). Once again, you should give several hours for the head to dry and then run the cleaning cycle again. You may need to repeat the entire process as many as 10-15 times but you should eventually see results. If none of these measures work, you will need to replace the print cartridge. If your printer has the heads built in, this usually means replacing the entire printer, since replacement heads cost nearly as much as a new printer.
Stopped Up Print Head Error MaintenanceIf you were able to unclog your printer’s heads, you probably discovered that the process can be quite time-consuming. For the future, it’s a good idea to prevent the same problem from happening again. First, you should print something (as little as one page) in both black and color every week. Clogged heads happen when the ink sits in the heads too long without being used. You should also turn off or unplug the printer when you aren’t using it for long periods of time, since the heads stay warm when ready to print. If you store your printer, remove the cartridge first and keep them both covered. Of course, you should always be careful not to ever touch the printer head.
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