Steam cleaning blocked H.P. ink jet cartridges.

cirrus18

Cleaning blocked H.P. ink jet cartridges.

I have a Hewlett-Packard 710 C. and I've found over the years that always the yellow colour gets blocked. I suppose it runs out first.

Filling it with new ink and doing all the recommended cleaning practices using the cleaner that comes with these refill kits etc, to no avail. Even soaking the ink-jet head for several hours in the cleaning fluid didn't work, It remained blocked and I didn't want to buy a new cartridge.

Looking on the Internet to see if there was any better cleaning methods, I read that the people who recondition inkjet cartridges use steam cleaning. This gave me an idea.

I have an espresso machine with a steamer on it for frothing the milk. Now, if you use this method be extremely careful as you are in danger of giving yourself a very bad burn. Keep your fingers and hands well away.
Of course if you haven't got a espresso machine toughs. I suppose you could always borrow your friends one though eh.

Put some ink into the blocked colour ink reservoir, otherwise you won't know when it is unblocked.

Switch on the espresso machine so that it has a good head of steam and ready for action.

Prop up the cartridge and arranged the steam nozzle about 10 mm above the ink-jet head and get your fingers and hands well away.
Give a couple of one or two second burst of steam, spraying onto the blocked small holes of the ink-jet head, dissolving and blowing out the dried ink.

Turn the cartridge the right way round and check to see if it is unblocked by placing it onto a kitchen towel and see if you now have three colours soaking into the tissue. Repeat the process if still blocked.

I have kept one cartridge operating for two years now using this method.

Good luck.