Every lucky owner of an inkjet printer will sooner or later have to learn how to clean the printer. Canon supplies some of the most popular printer models to the market, which this problem also did not pass by.
Types and causes of breakdowns
The most common problem with inkjet printers is clogging the print head. Often this problem occurs with printers that have stood idle for a long time. The use of low-quality ink can lead to this outcome. Office equipment users often buy such ink because of their low cost. They rarely think that non-original ink leads to premature wear of the print head and its frequent clogging.
Signs of head clogging:
- the appearance of white stripes on the printed sheet;
- a blank sheet output (with a refilled cartridge);
- lack of any color in color printing.
Software Cleaning Method
Most modern printer models include software cleaning. With little clogging, this feature ensures that inexperienced users do not puzzle over how to clean the Canon printer head. The activation of this function entails the supply of ink (black or color) to the head under increased pressure. Program cleaning can be done in two modes: standard cleaning and deep cleaning. The ink supply pressure in the deep cleaning mode is higher when compared with the standard mode. First, standard cleaning is performed; if necessary, the standard cleaning procedure is repeated. If this does not bring the desired result, deep cleaning is performed. It should be remembered that the ink consumption during deep cleaning is higher, so you should not abuse this mode.
Cleaning Wash Fluids
Computer stores offer a wide selection of flushing fluids. Prices are quite high. If the problem regarding how to clean the print head of a Canon printer cannot be solved due to the high cost of special products, then such a liquid can be prepared on its own. For this, isopropyl or ammonia and even vinegar are suitable, which must be diluted with distilled water. A significant drawback of the liquid prepared according to this recipe will be a sufficiently long time for soaking the cartridge (up to a week). You can also use a glass cleaner. In any case, close attention should be paid to the composition of such a liquid. It should not contain ethyl alcohol and acids, as they can damage printheads.
Preparing the head for cleaning
Canon PIXMA models are very popular for home office. How to clean the printer of this model? This problem is faced by more and more users.
The first step is to remove the print head. The printer turns on and the cover opens. The carriage with the head moves from the initial position to the place for removal. The printer is turning off. Direct removal of the head should not cause any particular difficulties. You need to find the latch and remove the head from the printer.
Soaking the head in flushing fluid
There are several ways to clean the Canon PIXMA printer head. One of them is soaking in a cleaning fluid. The removed print head is carefully inspected for burnouts to ensure that it is cleaned. If the head is in good condition, you can start the procedure. In addition to the flushing fluid, you will need a syringe, a soaking container, bandages, a dropper tube or a thin rubber hose.
Folded in several layers, the bandage is wetted with washing liquid and placed on the bottom of the tank. The print head is mounted on top of the bandage. Another piece of the folded bandage is also wetted with flushing fluid and used to wipe the area around the intake openings of the housing. O-rings should be cleaned periodically for the purpose of prevention.
Passing cleaning fluid through printhead gateways
How else can I clean my Canon printer? You can pass the cleaning fluid through the head locks. Using a syringe, flushing fluid begins to be instilled into each head lock. It passes through the print head and gradually gives the bandage a black color. As the bandage gets dirty, a new one is replaced. When the bandage ceases to strongly change its color under the influence of a leaking fluid, you should make sure that all the gateways pass the fluid well. The cleaned cartridge is placed on a piece of cloth. In about an hour, ink marks will appear on the fabric. This indicates a successful cleaning. The head can be installed in its place in the printer.
Soaking the head in a warm liquid
If the bandages did not help dissolve the dried ink in the nozzles of a Canon printer, how to clean them then? The cartridge must be soaked in flushing fluid heated to 40 ° C. The liquid is poured into the container so that its height is several millimeters. The print head is immersed in a receptacle with flushing fluid nozzles down. Rubber tubules several centimeters long are put on the intake holes. The tubes are filled with cleaning fluid. When the liquid gradually begins to seep through the head, it must be added. The soaking process lasts 2-3 days.
Syringe suction
You can use a syringe without a needle to clean the cartridge on a Canon printer (both for suction and for expelling flushing fluid). The cartridge is installed on a piece of cloth in a container with cleaning fluid. The syringe in the closed position is inserted into the tube and the fluid is carefully drawn into the syringe. The liquid suction procedure can be alternated with its extrusion.
Other cleaning methods
If none of the above methods of cleaning the cartridge helped to return it to a healthy state, you can resort to more stringent cleaning methods.
How to clean a Canon printer in other ways:
- A syringe completely filled with flushing fluid is used to flush nozzles under relatively high pressure.
- The nozzles of the print head are kept above the steam for 2-3 minutes, and then washed with a syringe. The flushing fluid can also be heated.
Different cleaning methods can be used in combination. It should be remembered that if you overdo it, the print head may permanently fail. Therefore, aggressive cleaning methods should be resorted to only if all previous attempts to restore the cartridge did not lead to a positive result. Otherwise, you will have to buy a new cartridge.
In addition, the inkjet printer must be constantly in operation. Long downtimes are accompanied by drying of the ink. Therefore, for preventive purposes, it is recommended to periodically perform control printing in an economical mode.
Cleaning the laser printer
Laser printers, like inkjet printers, may also need to be cleaned. If black stripes began to appear on paper after printing on a laser printer, or it simply began to get dirty very much, most likely the problem lies in the cartridge.
One of the reasons why paper is soiled with toner is the overflow of the waste powder compartment. How to clean a Canon printer in this case? To clean it, you will need to disassemble the cartridge. This compartment is typically located at the front of the cartridge.
If the cause is the drum, then cleaning will not help. Damage to the drum is associated with the ingress of foreign objects or wear of parts. Often, users make one very common mistake - often shake the drum to evenly redistribute the remaining toner. This seemingly innocent procedure can lead to big problems. Debris and waste toner can come into the printer parts from the dedicated cartridge compartment.
Any scratches on the drum will result in a noticeable decrease in print quality. Therefore, there is no other solution to such a problem than replacing a drum or a photosensitive shaft.
It is better to entrust the laser printer cleaning work to specialists:
- they often use special equipment for this;
- inexpensive gas station;
- toner is a danger to the human respiratory tract.