If you are frustrated by issues with your print quality, you may be asking yourself, amongst other things, “How do I know if I need a new printhead?”.
In this article we will be looking at how you can tell if your printhead needs changing.
Printheads are tiny nozzles that printers have, their job is to fire tiny ink droplets that make up the overall image of the print.
They do tend to get worn off and dirty after some time. Read on to find out more about when to clean or replace these printer component.
There are many ways and reasons why printheads needs changing, which we will fully discuss in this article.
Without further ado, here are signs that shows that you need a new printhead.
How do I know if I need a new printhead?
1). Print appears faded
- If the print appears faded or parts of the prints are faded, then it’s time to invest in new printheads.
- Streaks in the texts that’s printed, is also a sign.
- Missing texts or blank lines also indicate this.
2). Your printer shows messages that require you to change the printhead.
- Some, if not most printers, will display error messages stating that it’s time to change it.
- If after some time, your printer does not recognize your printhead, or maybe an incompatible message is showing, then it’s time to change it.
3). If you are having to clean your printhead regularly in-between six months.
- Cleaning is needed if the prints have missing lines or streaking
- 2 or more instances of cleaning, means that it’s ready to go.
- Your printhead should need to be cleaned within 6 months
- There are cleaning kits that available from Amazon, that can be used to thoroughly clean your printheads.
Why do printheads need changing?
One of the most common reasons for printhead malfunctions, is that they have been idle for a really long time, such that the ink has clogged up the line and nozzles.
It is therefore, recommended for printer owners to print at least once or twice a month, this is to ensure that the ink does not clog up inside their printers.
Secondly, is that the printheads are dirty. Although a nice thorough clean will solve this, after a while it will need changing altogether from wearing out.
As with most electronic and mechanical devices, it will often go through wear and tear, especially for gadgets with moving parts and will need to be replaced after many hundreds of uses.
So how long should I expect my printhead to last?
It is realistic to expect your printhead to last from 1 year 6 months to 2 years, although some printheads may last slightly longer.
Some HP printheads may be expected to last slightly shorter than other printheads.
Is it worth replacing a printhead?
This is a question of economics.
For most home uses, it may not be cost effective to make the repair.
If, however, the printer is of a commercial, office type, then this could be more viable, although in many instances, this type of equipment can be hired on a contract basis which includes maintenance.
