Howto : Unclog Print Heads

Clogging of print heads is a perennial problem; so far, no major printer manufacturer has been able to find a way to avert drying of ink at the opening of the ink cartridge. Usually, serious clogs happen if the printer is left idle for a long time.

Print heads are not necessarily a part of the printer. In fact, manufacturers such as HP and Lexmark have built the print heads on the ink cartridges while others like Xerox, Epson and Canon have an inbuilt print head on the printer. Print heads embedded onto the printer are usually harder to clean owing to lack of space.

If you are facing a severe clog on your print head, try to run the print head cleaning cycle which is a part of the printer software 3-5 times. Do not try and print a test page after each print head cleaning cycle; you probably end up wasting ink. If you see improvements in the prints post print head cleaning cycle, let your printer cool down for a few minutes before you attempt the next cycle. This would ensure that the ink spurting out would do the job while it sits idle.

If unsuccessful after print head cleaning, purchase a professional print head cleaner such as E.K.S. I am not sure which stores would store them across UK but is definitely available on Ebay. Apply some of this liquid on a cleaning towel and rub it across the print head. If the printer head is hidden or non-accessible, switch on the printer, and while the print head starts moving towards the center, switch it off. Most print heads are movable in this condition. Applying this liquid should most definitely do the trick.

A homemade cleaner solution can also be employed. Mix distilled water and ammonia in equal amounts which contains properties of a cleaner.

If you have warranty on your printer, don’t waste your time unclogging the print head, just send it across. If not on warranty, employing a professional to do the job is just not worth it.