How to Protect and Replace Your Inkjet's Print Head

Inkjet printers don't last forever. In fact, in my experience, they don't last very long at all. I have been through three printers in the past three years, and I don't particularly much want to go through another this year. Here is a list of tips I have compiled as to how to keep your print head going.

Inkjet printers work by spraying tiny droplets, measured in trillionths of a liter, of ink out of thousands of microscopic nozzles. It is an incredibly complicated and precise system, and naturally prone to failure. The most common problem, which sooner or later spells the end of most all print heads, is nozzle clogging. Every day, the microscopic passages of the nozzles are exposed to ink, and, of course, occasionally the ink congeals and stops up the nozzle. Running a print head cleaning often solves this problem, but eventually the nozzles get too badly damaged to be helped.

When this happens, you will need a new print head. For some printers, these will be available for a rather hefty sum, often more than half the cost of the printer, for others they will come on every single cartridge you buy, costing you much more than is necessary, and on others replacement heads will simply not be available. You'll need a new printer.

To stretch out your print head's life span, print often, every day if possible. While this uses a lot of ink, (Score!, say the printer companies) it will go a long way to prevent the ink from congealing. Additionally, it helps to run head cleaning cycles frequently, especially after doing a lot of printing. Again, this uses ink. If you refill, make sure the ink you use is clean and no dust gets in.

If your heads do get clogged, try cleaning them in printer head cleaner, which is available online. Some printer manufacturers offer cartridges of this, designed to clean out the nozzles from the inside. Use these if you can. Whatever you do, though, don't touch the print head! The oils on your finger will wreak havoc.

If you do need a new print head, look on eBay. You might be able to find something inexpensive. And, if you need a new printer, get an HP and refill it. Every HP cartridge comes with its own print head, so you will be able to use each $20 cartridge for as long as possible, and then replace it without shelling out $50 for a new print head.