Cleaning print heads on a Canon i950?

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

jean wrote:
> My I950 performed quite well until a few weeks ago when it started to miss
> some lines. I tried many cleaning cycles and even dunked the head in
> distilled water overnight but when I do the check nozzle test, there are a
> few still not firing.
>
> What would be the best method of cleaning the heads? Is this common with
> Canon printers?

Are you sure the heads are aligned properly? Go to Printers, Properties,
Maintenance and do the alignment procedure. It would at least tell you
if there is a pattern that is smooth and line free.

Sorry if you're way ahead of me.

Gary Eickmeier

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

"Gary Eickmeier" <geickmei@tampabay.rr.com> a écrit dans le message de
news24Dd.182987$8G4.113963@tornado.tampabay.rr.com...
>
>
> jean wrote:
> > My I950 performed quite well until a few weeks ago when it started to
miss
> > some lines. I tried many cleaning cycles and even dunked the head in
> > distilled water overnight but when I do the check nozzle test, there are
a
> > few still not firing.
> >
> > What would be the best method of cleaning the heads? Is this common
with
> > Canon printers?
>
> Are you sure the heads are aligned properly? Go to Printers, Properties,
> Maintenance and do the alignment procedure. It would at least tell you
> if there is a pattern that is smooth and line free.
>

Yes, checked that everytime I removed and replaced the head.

Jean

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

"jean" <try-to@find.it> wrote in message
news:NKcDd.48798$P%3.1844301@news20.bellglobal.com...
>
> "Keith Sheppard" <keith.sheppard@tesco.net> a écrit dans le message de
> news:ht8Dd.36$Ow3.13@newsfe2-win.ntli.net...
> > >>I tried many cleaning cycles and even dunked the head in
> > >>distilled water overnight but when I do the check nozzle test, there
are
> a
> > >>few still not firing.
> >
> > If all else fails, remember that print heads on the Canon are a consumer
> > replaceable item. They are quite expensive. I seem to recall a price
of
> > around 80 British pounds here in the UK last time I looked. Try Gary's
> > alignment suggestions first.
>
> I know, I missed the post christmas sales for a new printer at $99 while a
> print head is way more expensive than that. My old BJC8200's print head
> went bad, replacement cost of the head was only a few dollars less than a
> new printer, that is why I bought the i950. After two heads going bad, I
> may just go and get something else like an Epson. I liked the fact the
> Canon printers had separate ink tanks but if the heads don't last that
long,
> then it's a bad criteria for choosing a printer.

Just went thru the same thing with my friend's i950. Cleaning in distilled
water, the only practical solution, only made things worse. A new printhead
is $85; a new i950 or i960 is only slightly more expensive, about $125-150,
and you get 6 new ink cartridges to boot.

I can't complain, however, because over the past couple of years, the
savings
we've achieved due to the separate ink tanks more than made up for the
price of a new printhead. But since my friend's photo printing requirements
have become more critical, we're going with a new i9900 instead. Eventually,
I'll get a new printhead if I can find one more cheaply on Ebay. As for the
new i9900, we're also getting an extended 3-yr warranty from Canon for $135,
essentially pre-paying for the printhead that will eventually need
replacement
on this one, too.

Bob

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Of course, the colors printed fine however I never could get the blacks to
print correctly so I buy Canon black cartriges, guess what I have one black
nozzle which does not work as well as a couple of magenta the others are OK.
It takes a single non working nozzle to ruin a print.

Jean

"measekite" <measekite@yahoo.com> a écrit dans le message de
news:QXhDd.7184$wZ2.2403@newssvr13.news.prodigy.com...
> Have you ever used non Canon brand of inks?
>
> jean wrote:
>
> >My I950 performed quite well until a few weeks ago when it started to
miss
> >some lines. I tried many cleaning cycles and even dunked the head in
> >distilled water overnight but when I do the check nozzle test, there are
a
> >few still not firing.
> >
> >What would be the best method of cleaning the heads? Is this common with
> >Canon printers?
> >
> >TIA
> >
> >Jean
> >
> >
> >
> >

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Second attempt to send. Apologies if you get it twice...

>>I tried many cleaning cycles and even dunked the head in
>>distilled water overnight but when I do the check nozzle test, there are a
>>few still not firing.

If all else fails, remember that print heads on the Canon are a consumer
replaceable item. They are quite expensive. I seem to recall a price of
around 80 British pounds here in the UK last time I looked. Try Gary's
alignment suggestions first.

Keith

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

"jean" <try-to@find.it> wrote in message
news:RVlDd.61761$P%3.2034076@news20.bellglobal.com...
>
> "Bob Bailin" <72027.3605@compuserve.com> a écrit dans le message de
> news:crjqmv$m2v$1@ngspool-d02.news.aol.com...
> >
> > "jean" <try-to@find.it> wrote in message
> > news:NKcDd.48798$P%3.1844301@news20.bellglobal.com...
> > >
> > > "Keith Sheppard" <keith.sheppard@tesco.net> a écrit dans le message de
> > > news:ht8Dd.36$Ow3.13@newsfe2-win.ntli.net...
> > > > >>I tried many cleaning cycles and even dunked the head in
> > > > >>distilled water overnight but when I do the check nozzle test,
there
> > are
> > > a
> > > > >>few still not firing.
> > > >
> > > > If all else fails, remember that print heads on the Canon are a
> consumer
> > > > replaceable item. They are quite expensive. I seem to recall a
price
> > of
> > > > around 80 British pounds here in the UK last time I looked. Try
> Gary's
> > > > alignment suggestions first.
> > >
> > > I know, I missed the post christmas sales for a new printer at $99
while
> a
> > > print head is way more expensive than that. My old BJC8200's print
head
> > > went bad, replacement cost of the head was only a few dollars less
than
> a
> > > new printer, that is why I bought the i950. After two heads going
bad,
> I
> > > may just go and get something else like an Epson. I liked the fact
the
> > > Canon printers had separate ink tanks but if the heads don't last that
> > long,
> > > then it's a bad criteria for choosing a printer.
> >
> > Just went thru the same thing with my friend's i950. Cleaning in
distilled
> > water, the only practical solution, only made things worse. A new
> printhead
> > is $85; a new i950 or i960 is only slightly more expensive, about
> $125-150,
> > and you get 6 new ink cartridges to boot.
> >
> > I can't complain, however, because over the past couple of years, the
> > savings
> > we've achieved due to the separate ink tanks more than made up for the
> > price of a new printhead. But since my friend's photo printing
> requirements
> > have become more critical, we're going with a new i9900 instead.
> Eventually,
> > I'll get a new printhead if I can find one more cheaply on Ebay. As for
> the
> > new i9900, we're also getting an extended 3-yr warranty from Canon for
> $135,
> > essentially pre-paying for the printhead that will eventually need
> > replacement
> > on this one, too.
>
> The extended warranty I was offered on my i950 did not cover the heads
> otherwise I would have taken it.
>
> Jean

Thank you for pointing this out. I didn't bother to read the fine print of
the
warranty agreement, so I didn't see the clause that considers the printhead
to be a non-covered, consumable item (even if it is 25% of the cost of the
entire printer!).

Fortunately, there's a 30-day cancellation option that I'll probably use.
Other than the printhead, nothing ever went amiss with the i950, and I
expect the i9900 to act the same.

Bob