I'm off to work outside of Thailand and have a new Canon inkjet printer that will be staying home and I'd like to get some ideas on how I can store it for 6+ months to 1 year so the ink won't all dry out and the heads clog rendering it useless when I return.

It's a Cannon printer with one of these external tanks attached to the side of it, the tanks are pretty much 80-90% full.

Thanks

My Canon 9000 Pro (MkII) survives very well just left (but not for 6 months). I'd seal it an a large plastic bag and leave alone.

If I was you, I would try something as on the link below.

My Epson L210 is left for 2 month (when go working) and no mater how many flushing/cleanings I do the test print page is not good.

I then keep on printing again and again (L210 has huge tanks) and it improves slightly and when printing on photo paper in photo quality the prints seems okay.

http://www.printerknowledge.com/threads/long-term-storage-of-inkjet-printers.1419/

You'd be best to sell it. Ink jet doesn't handle that situation well.

We have the same style as yours, external tanks.

We ended up junking it because of so many returns to the printer shop for repairs for dry ink clogging the heads.

Only a couple of weeks of non-use at a time.

Sorry, I don't a solution for you.

Luke

Unless you absolutely must have color printing, I found that switching to a good old monochrome laser printer solved the problem completely.

That however, does not solve your problem. Do you have a friend that you trust, that you could leave your printer with, who would be willing to print off a sheet or two once a week?

An alternative thought... If the print heads are removable, would it be possible to put them in a sealed container at least partially immersed in water? Then place that container in the fridge. At least it should prevent the heads from drying out.

Thanks for the answers guys.

WhizBang, the mate in the same buiding isn't arriving until 30 Dec, after I'm already gone. I'll be turning the leccy off when I go too.

Inn Between, I've left it a bit too late for that.

guzzi850m2 Thanks for the link, so many suggestions I guess it's pot luck which one will work.None seem to be for the modified tank arrangements you get here though

Crossy, that's one suggestion on guzzi850m2 link, I may just wrap it in cling film and put it back in the original box and hope for the best. Maybe not ideal but simple and I've other things on my mind at the moment to keep me busy.

I was researching buying an external ink tank for my cannon printer today and ran across this. Maybe it will help you when you return.

7 Ways to Clean Blocked Clogged Ink Cartridges

These printers with external tanks hate not being used. I have to print something out every couple days otherwise the thing gives problems if not used frequently. Leave for 2 weeks or more then it normally requires a trip to super printer repair man to have the thing unclogged.

The best advice I can give is prepare the printer for storage before you go away. Empty the ink from the external tanks back into the bottles you bought the ink in. Place the external tanks back onto the printer again. Print out several solid black and colour images, big solid squares for example until the cartridges are emptied of ink. Then take out the cartridges clean with alcohol. Then store it all in a cool area. And that`s about all you can do with a hope for the best when you return.

Try asking the computer shops if there is anything they have for flushing out the printer.

The Tanks of ink can be disconnected,sealed and left.

chanks for the suggestions Cyberfarang & MAJIC.

The tanks are glued onto the side of the machine so I can't remove them and I'd read in guzzi850m2 link that ine recommendation is to leave the cartridges attached to the heads, but then others suggest to remove and store so I'm hoping for the best with my choice.

I'll let you know in a year if it was successful !!! but I don't hold out any hopes and expect whatever I do I'll likely have to replace the printer.

Update:

 

I wrapped the printer in clingfilm and put it back in it's original box and stored in a cool dry place.

 

I was away for a total of 8.5 months and on return the printer worked OKish. It was printing a bit faded and a couple of the supply tubes didn't have any ink going into the head.

 

So I took the printer to the shop and they cleaned the heads and drew the ink up the tubes to fill the cartridges and on taking it back home it works fine.