🚀 go-pugleaf

More on re-filling HP DeskJet ink cartridges.

There was some worry mentioned a while back about re-filled ink clogging up
the little plastic (sort of rubbery) hose.  The hose travels from the little
coupling down through a sort of artificial-heart pump (where the hose is
formed in a semi-circle and a little wheel rotary pinches the hose on its
way around the semi-circle) and into the base of the unit where a 4x4 inch
hunk of ink blotter paper sits to collect anything.

Apparently the hose is there for two reasons.  When the machine is off or idle,
any ink "siphoning" will get directed into the blotter.  And, secondly, when
you push the prime button, the little heart pump is engaged and a bunch of ink
is sucked out of the cartridge.

Which leads me to this first observation:  DO NOT PRESS THE PRIMING BUTTON
UNLESS YOU ACTUALLY FEEL IT IS NECESSARY -- you are just throwing away ink,
and unless you re-fill your own cartridges, you are throwing away big
money.

On power-up the cartridge moves about two inches from its resting place and
does a different (electrical) kind of prime.  It shoots some ink into a
little "L" shaped groove.  You can see the grove, and probably some dried
ink, which you can clean if you are so motivated.

So, the hose should not get ink in it unless you press the priming button.
If you do, or if you just like to clean things, or you are worried about
your re-filled ink clogging the hose, do the following.

With the same hypodermic needle you used for refilling the ink cartridge,
slowly squirt some water into the little "resting/priming" coupler.  The
water may sit there for a few seconds/minutes but it will slowly find its
way down the hose.  As the water level drops in the coupler, you may want
to keep adding more, oh say, up to 1/4 cc.  This should wash out the hose
and get rid of any residue ink.

If the process seems stalled, you may want to remove the ink cartridge,
power up the unit, and press the priming button.  This should help draw the
water through the hose.  If your water DOESN'T go down the hose, then you
have a clogged hose -- however, I don't consider this a likely event, and
if you "wash" your hose once in a while and you don't use the priming
button, it should never happen.

-- 
- John Logajan @ Network Systems; 7600 Boone Ave; Brooklyn Park, MN 55428
- logajan@ns.network.com, john@logajan.mn.org, 612-424-4888, Fax 424-2853