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siteWhat To Do When a Printer Ink Cartridge Bursts
Printer ink problems are never a good thing, particularly when ink has begun leaking out of a cartridge. This can create quite a mess, and can ruin your prints (or even your printer). The good news is that a burst ink cartridge doesn’t have to be a serious problem–in fact, the cartridge might even still be usable after a minor leak. If you’ve had problems with bursting or leaking printer ink cartridges, you’ve got to first discover the source of the problem, then take a few simple steps to clean your printer and avoid a re-occurrence of the problem.
First, note which type of cartridge your printer has been using, specifically whether you’re using a refillable cartridge or a standard cartridge. It shouldn’t matter whether the cartridge is remanufactured or not–contrary to popular belief, remanufactured, cheap printer ink cartridges aren’t necessarily any more likely to break than the expensive printer ink cartridges. Cheap printer ink cartridges are simply–well, cheaper. Inspect the cartridge for any cracks or breaks. Cracks can happen due to improper handling, excessive heat or cold, or manufacturing defects. If the cartridge has been cracked or shows any abnormal signs of outward physical damage, it probably can’t be saved. Clean it up a bit and bring it to your nearest recycling center (most chain department stores will have a place to bring used cartridges, and they won’t mind that it’s broken).
If you’ve been using printer ink cartridge refills, check the refill kit instructions to make sure you didn’t add too much ink. If you did, don’t worry–you haven’t ruined the printer ink cartridge refills. Set the cartridge on a folded over paper towel in a sink or somewhere else where it can leak out for a while. The leak is caused by excessive ink, but once the extra ink leaves the cartridge, you should be able to re-use it. Before putting the cartridge back into your printer, clean it off with a slightly damp paper towel. This is important; if you don’t clean the cartridge, it could cause jammed print heads, which can be a serious problem on printers that have built-in heads. What’s more, the extra ink will show up on your prints if it’s not cleaned.
If your printer has dried ink from a burst cartridge on it, you can usually clean it with a bit of rubbing alcohol and a soft cloth or paper towel. Burst printer ink cartridges are a bit of a hassle, but they won’t permanently damage a printer in most cases, and they can be avoided with good ink cartridge maintenance habits. Review all of the above tips before deciding what to do with your printer.
