INKJET printer - print heads

[orfajackson]

What is best to use to clean the nozzles of a printhead on an INKJET printer? Isopropryl Alcohol, Water? or is there a cleaner specifically for this that will not ruin the expensive and fragile prinhead.

Strangely enough, the printhead that continually needs cleaning is the YELLOW. Why?

[minidv2dvd]

i've used alcohol and/or hot water soaks. but, once they start clogging up, they always seem to continue no matter what.

every printer is different.....

[MJA]

What is best to use to clean the nozzles of a printhead on an INKJET printer? Isopropryl Alcohol, Water? or is there a cleaner specifically for this that will not ruin the expensive and fragile prinhead.

Strangely enough, the printhead that continually needs cleaning is the YELLOW. Why?

generic ink ? what brand is the printer?

[classfour]

DEnatured Alcohol - Isopropyl may rust the metal parts of the printhead.

Assuming you're talking about a Canon or Epson. Most others change the printhead when you change the cartridge.

[tomlee59]

DEnatured Alcohol - Isopropyl may rust the metal parts of the printhead.

Assuming you're talking about a Canon or Epson. Most others change the printhead when you change the cartridge.

"Denatured" does not imply "water free." Denatured alcohol is just alcohol (almost always ethanol) with crap added to make it undesirable/unsuitable for drinking.

Some alcohol sold as denatured has substantial water content, so if rusting is a concern, what you really want is low water content.

[classfour]

Denatured Alcohol is what is contained within most printhead cleaners commercially available.

[tomlee59]

"Denatured" has no established chemical formulation. Many denaturants are used (since the aim is to make it unfit for human consumption). One may safely assume that denatured alcohol sold specifically as a printhead cleaner would have the right composition for that task. Your original recommendation was too general, and erroneously implied that any denatured alcohol would prevent the rust problem. Low water-content isopropyl would do just as well.

It's the water, not the denaturing elements, that's relevant.

[minidv2dvd]

afaik printheads don't rust. the waterbased ink would cause quite a problem otherwise....

[orfajackson]

It is an Hewlett Packard Business Inkjet 1200

These printheads cloggin up is drivin' me nuts

[orfajackson]

Can anyone recommend a specific product to buy?

[tomlee59]

I no longer use inkjets (the clogging drove me nuts), but when I did, I used isopropyl alcohol. It did a fine job of unclogging, but dicn't prevent future clogging, of course.

Inkjets are a PITA.

[TimA-C]

A colleague has recently tried something called 'Magic Bullet' to clean the heads on an A3 printer. He's really pleased with the results but it's only been a few days. I think the product was about £10 + P&P for the cleaning fluid and applicator. I've used a cleaning fluid on a couple of Epson printers a few years ago - both are still working well - but I can't for the life of me remember what the stuff was called.

[videobread]

Once they start giving you problems it's time to toss the printer. One way to prevent head clogging is to use the printer regularly. Don't let them sit for months. I've not found generic ink to be a problem. Printers are cheap and disposable.

[Nelson37]

Most ink refill kits come with a bottle of cleaning fluid that seems to be mostly alcohol of some type, though it's always pink for some reason. Have used this several times with some success.

Also been using generic ink refills for several years with no problems. As mentioned, the real key to preventing inkjet clogging is to use the printer on a regular basis, at least weekly.