Is It Safe To Refill Your HP Toner On Your Own?
An increasing number of laser printer users are purchasing HP toner refill kits to do refills on their own. It is not too difficult to accomplish and with a plethora of information and tips available on the World Wide Web, many have become quite adept at it. But is it really safe? Does it pose any dangers?
Despite several studies on the subject, there is still no evidence to suggest that HP toner or any other kind of laser printer toner has any harmful effects on those who carry out refills even on a massive scale. Toner contains harsh chemicals like carbon black and resins that can do harm in any environments where concentration is high, but in small quantities they do not pose any significant danger or health risk.
Ensure that there is plenty of open air and ventilation every time you do your toner refill work. After you have completed your HP toner refills, always be sure to clean up thoroughly and carefully. It is important to note that toner washes off easily from skin and clothes as long as you use cold water. You need to avoid warm or hot water at all costs because this will melt the toner and cause it to fuse to the garment or skin. If toner does bond with the skin, it will eventually wear off or can also be removed with the use of a good abrasive cleaner. Remember that toner behaves in this way because it is designed to melt when heated – images are created this way in the laser printing process. Two washes are recommended and you should avoid ironing the clothes until you are completely sure that there are no traces of tiny toner particles still hidden somewhere within the clothes.
If you make a mistake when refilling you toner cartridge and do not check the seals properly, the toner may spill onto your laser printer and cause damage. It is therefore important to clean any leaks or spills immediately. If this is required, you need to be very careful – your options for cleaning toner are limited. The particles of toner are electrostatic which means that they emit electric charges when they come into contact with other particles. Using an ordinary vacuum cleaner can cause the particles to ignite or even cause a small explosion in an environment where there are enough particles airborne. This is referred to as a tribo explosion. An explosion is usually unlikely because it requires a very large toner cloud and very high concentration in one place. A special type of vacuum cleaner with a hose that conducts electricity coupled with a high efficiency filter is ideal for cleaning toner that has spilled onto a laser printer.
All in all, performing your own toner refills requires knowledge and care, but the risks are completely preventable. Refilling will ultimately save money, off-setting the risks and effort in the long run.
9 Pitfalls to Avoid When Refilling Your Inkjet Cartridges
Refilling your inkjet cartridges offers you significant cost savings. For those who have a lot of experience in the practice of refilling cartridges, this could be a very simple process. A typical refilling procedure will involve buying a refill kit, removing your cartridge from the printer and following the simple instructions required to refill your particular brand of printer cartridge.
However, experience has shown that many people try to refill their cartridges and do not get satisfactory print outs after refilling. So in this article, you will discover several pitfalls to avoid so that your next attempt at refilling your cartridge can yield fruitful results.
Here are pitfalls to avoid when refilling your inkjet cartridges:
Don't buy a refill pack that contains only ink. Make sure the refill pack has complete instructions and drawings for refilling your particular kind of cartridge. Some excellent refill packs have online videos that you can watch to master the art of refilling your cartridge effectively
Avoid assumptions about your inkjet cartridge. This is especially vital if you are using a new printer. Printer manufacturers change the designs of their printer cartridges to prevent successful refills. Take time to read the instructions that come with your refill pack to ensure that you are refilling the cartridge the correct way.
Don't allow the ink in your cartridges to run out completely. Try and refill your inkjet cartridges once the printer ink level indicator shows that the ink has run low. You should top up your cartridge regularly to keep it from running dry. Due to the fact that unused ink dries up, and can clog up the printer head, avoid leaving your ink cartridge unused for an extended period of time.
Don't work with bare hands when refilling your cartridge. Always wear plastic disposable gloves. The ink is relatively permanent and can stain your hands. You should equally prevent the ink from staining your clothes as well.
Avoid using your bare office table for refill tasks. When refilling your inkjet cartridges, always cover your table with a thick paper towel. You may even find it more convenient to refill your cartridge in the sink or wash hand basin.
Avoid pushing air into the inner cartridge foam. Any pockets of air or air bubbles that get into the foam will hinder the ink from getting to the print head; and this will not allow the cartridge to print effectively.
Avoid injecting the ink into the cartridge very fast. When it comes to refilling cartridges, slow and steady is better. This eliminates the injection of air bubbles and helps to prevent over filling of the cartridge.
Never overfill the cartridge. It is preferable to measure a small quantity of ink and then inject into the cartridge instead of injecting ink continuously into the cartridge until it ink starts oozing out of it. If you are not sure about how much ink you should put in, try injecting ink in 2 or 4 ml. installments. For a color cartridge, avoid adding more than 4 mls. of each color at a time.
Never re-install a leaking cartridge back into your printer. The excess ink could damage your printer. Take time to blot the print head gently on a paper towel after refilling. This will remove any excess ink. You should stand the cartridge in an upright position for at least 30 minutes to ensure that all excess ink has stopped flowing out of the print heads before you put it back into your printer.
That was a brief discussion of the pitfalls to avoid when refilling your inkjet cartridges. Take note of them so that you can have a fulfilling experience the next time you decide to refill your cartridges.
