How often should you use your inkjet printer to avoid clogging and other problems

Summary

Keith Cooper, an expert in printer testing, discusses the usage and maintenance of inkjet printers, focusing on the Epson P5300. He addresses common concerns about printer drying issues due to inactivity and advises on how often to use printers to avoid such problems. While there’s no definitive answer, Keith suggests printing a nozzle check every one to two weeks to keep the printer in good condition. He also emphasizes the importance of proper care, such as extended warranties for expensive models and avoiding prolonged periods of disuse to prevent costly repairs.

Takeaways

• 🖨️ Regular use is important: Lack of use is the number one reason for inkjet printers having issues.
• ⏳ Longer inactivity increases risk: The more time a printer is left unused, the higher the likelihood of problems developing.
• 📅 Weekly usage recommended: For the Epson P5300, it's advised to use the printer weekly, though it can probably go longer with proper care.
• 🔄 Perform regular nozzle checks: Printing nozzle checks every week or two helps keep the printer functioning well.
• 💧 Avoid consecutive cleanings: If a cleaning cycle doesn't work, wait 10-15 minutes before trying again to avoid wasting ink.
• 🛡️ Warranty is important: For expensive printers like the P5300, investing in an extended warranty is recommended due to high repair costs.
• 📏 Larger printers need more care: Commercial-grade printers like the Epson P5000 require more frequent use than consumer-grade models like the P900.
• 💻 Keep printer software settings default: Allow the printer to manage its own sleep and power-down modes unless there's a reason to change them.
• 🌡️ Humidity control helps: For smaller printers, sealing them in plastic bags when left unused can prevent drying out.
• 📈 Positive reviews are rare: People are more likely to complain about printer issues than share long-term positive experiences.

Q & A

What is the primary issue with inkjet printers when they are not used regularly?

The primary issue with inkjet printers is that the ink can dry out and cause problems, especially if the printer is not used frequently. The likelihood of issues increases the longer a printer remains unused.

How often should the Epson P5300 be used to prevent drying out, according to the manual?

Epson recommends using the P5300 weekly to prevent drying out, although the speaker believes this suggestion is on the cautious side and suggests printing every week or two as a precaution.

Why is there no simple answer to how often you need to use a printer to prevent issues?

There’s no simple answer because the problem depends on various factors, including the printer model, the frequency of use, and environmental conditions. While some printers may work after being left unused for months, others might experience problems even after shorter periods of inactivity.

What is the difference between consumer-grade printers like the P900 and commercial-grade printers like the P5000?

Consumer-grade printers like the P900 are designed for occasional use and can tolerate longer periods of inactivity, while commercial-grade printers like the P5000 are built for daily, heavy-duty use and may encounter more problems if left unused for extended periods.

What is a nozzle check, and why is it recommended to perform one regularly?

A nozzle check is a test print that checks if the printer’s nozzles are functioning properly. It is recommended to perform one regularly to keep the printer’s ink flowing and prevent clogs, which can occur if the printer is left unused.

How should you clean your printer if a nozzle check shows problems?

If the nozzle check shows problems, the printer should be cleaned, but it’s important to wait at least 10 to 15 minutes between cleanings. Running multiple clean cycles back-to-back is ineffective and wastes ink.

Why does the speaker suggest setting a diary reminder for using the printer?

The speaker suggests setting a diary reminder because it’s easy to forget when you last used the printer. Regular use is crucial for preventing ink from drying out, so having a reminder helps ensure consistent maintenance.

What is the significance of replaceable print heads in Canon printers?

While replaceable print heads in Canon printers are sometimes touted as an advantage, the speaker notes that this is not a significant difference compared to Epson printers. Both brands use different print head technologies, but neither is inherently better in terms of reliability.

What advice does the speaker give for leaving a printer unused for an extended period?

For extended periods of disuse, the speaker suggests sealing smaller printers in a plastic bag to maintain humidity and prevent the ink from drying out. Additionally, arranging for someone to turn the printer on occasionally can help keep it functional.

Why should negative comments about printer reliability be viewed cautiously?

Negative comments about printer reliability should be viewed cautiously because they are often based on isolated experiences. People are more likely to share complaints than positive feedback, so it’s important to consider a variety of opinions and the context behind them.

Outlines

00:00

🖨️ Understanding Printer Usage Frequency

In this introduction, Keith Cooper shares his expertise in testing various printers, particularly the Epson P5300. He highlights a common question about how often printers need to be used to avoid drying out. While there is no simple answer, he emphasizes that printers should be used regularly to prevent issues. Cooper discusses the differences in printer technologies, such as Canon's replaceable print heads and Epson’s systems, and shares anecdotes about how printers may work even after long periods of inactivity. However, he stresses that the risk of problems increases with lack of use, particularly with more expensive, commercial-grade printers.

05:00

🧼 Printer Cleaning and Maintenance

Keith advises that regular maintenance, such as running a nozzle check or cleaning, is important for preventing printer issues. For the Epson P5300, he recommends printing a nozzle check every week or two to keep it operational. He warns against running multiple cleaning cycles consecutively as this wastes ink. Cooper mentions that while some printers allow paperless nozzle checks, others may require using paper. Keeping the printer active, even with small tasks, is critical to maintaining its functionality over time.

10:02

🤔 Navigating Printer Reviews and User Biases

In this section, Keith explores common biases in online printer reviews. Many people share negative experiences about printers breaking down, but he cautions against placing too much weight on these comments, as they often stem from isolated incidents. Printer technologies have evolved significantly over the years, making past grievances irrelevant. He explains that people are less likely to post positive feedback when their printers work well for extended periods. As a result, online reviews can be skewed. Keith also emphasizes that he doesn't assess long-term reliability in his reviews because his test periods are too short to draw such conclusions.

Keywords

💡Inkjet Printers

Inkjet printers are devices that use liquid ink sprayed onto paper to create prints. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of regular use for inkjet printers to avoid issues like ink drying out, which can lead to malfunctions. The discussion focuses on the frequency of usage and maintenance to keep the printer in good working condition.

💡Print Heads

Print heads are the components in inkjet printers responsible for dispensing ink onto the paper. The video contrasts the print heads of Epson and Canon printers, explaining that different technologies are used, but regular use is essential for both to avoid clogging. The speaker mentions that Canon printers often feature replaceable print heads, which some people consider an advantage.

💡Nozzle Check

A nozzle check is a test pattern printed by inkjet printers to ensure that the print heads are functioning properly and not clogged. In the video, the speaker recommends performing regular nozzle checks to keep the printer in good working condition, particularly for high-end models like the Epson P5000 and P5300. The speaker also mentions that some printers, like the P5000, can do paperless nozzle checks.

💡Cleaning Cycles

Cleaning cycles are automatic or manual processes that flush ink through the print heads to remove clogs and maintain print quality. The speaker advises against running multiple cleaning cycles in quick succession, as it wastes ink. The video also highlights how some printers use a lot of ink during cleaning cycles if left unused for long periods, such as the Canon Pro 1000.

💡Consumer vs. Commercial Printers

Consumer printers are designed for casual, home use, while commercial printers are built for heavy-duty, frequent printing in professional settings. The speaker compares models like the Epson P900 (consumer) and the Epson P5000 (commercial), explaining that commercial printers require more regular use and maintenance, while consumer models can handle longer periods of inactivity.

💡Extended Warranty

An extended warranty is a service agreement that covers repairs beyond the standard warranty period. The speaker recommends purchasing an extended warranty for expensive printers like the Epson P5300 or Canon Pro 1000, as repairs can be costly if the printer fails outside the warranty period. This is especially important for high-end models used in professional settings.

💡Humidity

Humidity refers to the amount of moisture in the air. The video discusses how maintaining proper humidity levels can help prevent ink from drying out, particularly if a printer is left unused for an extended period. The speaker advises sealing a printer in a plastic bag to retain humidity and avoid ink drying out if it will be left idle for a long time.

💡Printer Reliability

Printer reliability refers to the consistency and longevity of a printer's performance without malfunctioning. The speaker notes that while some users report long-term reliability with little use, in general, printers are more prone to issues when they are left idle for extended periods. The video emphasizes that regular use enhances a printer's reliability, especially for more expensive models.

💡Selective Observation

Selective observation is the cognitive bias where people remember and emphasize certain experiences while ignoring others. The speaker uses this term to explain why some people may hold strong opinions about printer brands based on isolated bad experiences, such as someone swearing off Epson printers after a single failure years ago. The speaker urges viewers to look at a broader range of reviews and comments before forming opinions.

💡Power Management

Power management refers to the settings that control when a printer enters sleep or shutdown modes to conserve energy. The speaker mentions that printers like the Epson P5300 have default settings for entering sleep mode when not in use. He suggests leaving these settings as is, as printers can handle their own power cycles efficiently, ensuring that the printer doesn’t waste power when idle.

Highlights

Lack of use is the number one reason for problems with inkjet printers.

More frequent periods of inactivity increase the likelihood of printer issues.

Canon printers have replaceable print heads, but this isn't a major advantage as it's a different print head technology compared to Epson.

Some users may report not using a printer for months without issues, but this is anecdotal and not guaranteed for all printers.

Commercial printers like the Epson P5000 are designed for heavy, daily use, unlike consumer-grade printers like the P900, which can be left idle for longer periods.

Epson recommends using the P5300 weekly to avoid problems, but a user can likely leave it idle for longer with proper care.

Setting a diary reminder to periodically print can help prevent forgetting when the printer was last used.

A simple nozzle check print can help maintain the printer's functionality and prevent ink from drying out.

Running multiple cleaning cycles in succession is not effective and wastes ink. A 10-15 minute gap between cleaning attempts is recommended.

Printers like the P5000 can perform paperless nozzle checks, but the P5300 requires actual printing.

The reliability of a printer increases with regular use, and expensive models often require more consistent use.

User feedback on printer reliability is often biased toward negative experiences, so it's important to consider a variety of perspectives.

Printers left idle for long periods can consume significant amounts of ink during startup cleaning cycles.

Small printers left unattended for long periods should be sealed in plastic bags to maintain humidity and prevent drying out.

Extended warranties are recommended for expensive printers, as repairs can be costly without one.

Transcripts

hi my name is Keith Cooper nor FL images

I test a lot of printers I use a lot of

printers um both as my work and also

because well I enjoy testing printers at

the moment I've got this

p5300 here this is a new printer from

Epson it's based on the p5000 chassis

but with the ink um ink system and print

heads of the p700 p900 and a question

I'm getting asked a lot and and

regularly get asked is how often do I

need to use a printer to stop it drying

out um there is no simple answer to this

and I give you a run through of some of

the considerations that I have when I'm

looking at printers and for printers

that I might keep for myself ones that I

might use now first of all the number

one reason for printers inkjet printers

having problems is lack of use um it is

not something that you say if you don't

use this printer for 4 weeks your

printer will break it is that the more

often you leave the printer for any

length of time without using it the

increased likelihood is that you'll get

some problem with the printer now the

fact that Canon printers have

replaceable print heads is sometimes

touted as a big Advantage it's not they

are different technology um there is no

great difference between Epson and canon

in this respect they are different print

head Technologies so you cannot really

directly connect compare one with the

other now it's quite possible that you

will hear of somebody going well I left

a printer unconnected for months and it

worked perfectly when I started it up in

fact I did a review when I had had the

Pro 300 here I think it was Canam Pro

300 I left it for months um because it

was here and I didn't need it and I

forgot about it I started it up it

needed a bit of a clean and then it

worked perfectly now that is but one

example as to say the problem is that

the more often you don't use something

generally the pro the problems build up

and in general the bigger the more

expensive the printer the more care you

actually need in using it regularly now

the p5000 that I've got one of the

problems with a p5000 was that it was

designed for commercial print use that

means running the printer every day all

day long and it got through a lot of

printing now it's got all sorts of

aspects of the design of it to minimize

the buildup of dust paper dust ink Vapor

ink droplets collecting inside and

causing problems but it was not designed

to be left for weeks on end now the p700

the

p900 are also well SE p900 is a 17in

printer the p900 for example is a

consumer grade printer it's aimed at

consumer use you would not expect to be

able to get the levels of use out of a

p900 that you could out of a p5000 for

example they're just completely

different uh the fact that I can lift

one up and move it about and this one

needs two people to shift it is you a

good indication of it so with the more

consumer oriented printers you can leave

them longer how long would I leave them

though well for this printer for P5

5300 Epson actually in the manual

suggest you use it

weekly now I think this is them being a

little bit on the safe side I think that

if I was to set a diary reminder and

it's how I remember to do it I have to

set a diary reminder to actually do this

because this is easily easy to forget

did I last print something two weeks ago

or 3 weeks ago was it last month you

will forget that sort of stuff so I have

a diary reminder pops up every week

tells me to start up the

p5000 I would if I had one of these I

would probably keep it because does no

harm if you really want to do a test

print on it now the p5000 can do a

paperless nozzle check this can't cuz

it's different technology

all you need to do to exercise your

printer is just produce a nozzle check

print now that's on an A3 A4 sheet of

paper if you're feeling really tight

then you can use the same sheet of paper

several times put back through the

printer and just do a quick check now it

may not be that you get a perfect nozzle

check if you leave it it's worthwhile

doing maybe a clean if it looks like a

serious problem

but do remember that if you run a clean

on a printer and it doesn't fix things

leave the printer a minimum of 10 to 15

minutes before doing it again doing

multiple printer cleans just one after

the other achieves very little and

wastes ink which you don't really want

to do so that's all I would do for this

particular printer every week or two I

would print this out just to keep keep

it busy because it's an expensive

printer and you don't want it going

wrong uh I'm not going to say it will go

wrong but it's a brand new model of

printer so we've got no experience of it

I mentioned about the likelihood of

printers failing increases with the

number of times you don't use them and

the amount of time that you don't use

them you know it's it's a random thing

um I suppose in a way it's like taking

out smoking um it may well kill you but

everybody will have examples of people

who've smoked for years and seem to live

to a ripe old age now that selective

observation effect I've noticed a great

deal in Printers in comments on forums

and the like beware the printer winge

now there are several types of this

there are the people who said I had an

Epson printer in 2002 it went wrong I'll

never ever use Epson again or I had a

Canon printer it went wrong in 2004 and

I'll never use one yeah you're going to

get people like that comments like that

I go yeah okay by what you're happy with

I'm not taking much notice of that

printers have changed so much in the

years in recent years that such

observations are ridiculous now they're

not that ridiculous I suppose because um

you I get people saying well you know I

had a Ford um you know car I had years

ago it broke down a lot so I'm never

going to buy a Ford again yeah people

have irrational likes and dislikes like

that um I long since gave up pointing

out the absurdity of such things and

just let them get on with it um so the

other thing is that when printers go

wrong it's annoying it's

expensive people especially these days

are far more likely to make a noise

about it you do not get people making a

noise about oh well I've had this

printer for 14 years now and it's work

perfectly every week and I use it and it

carries on working you don't hear that

you hear the negative comments so always

when you're looking for information

about reliability of printers and that

look at a variety of comments and

remember what the motives behind those

comments may be now I quite specifically

in my reviews do not cover longevity and

things like that because quite often I

don't have printers for a while I've got

this one for just over a month now just

over a month

is no way long enough for me to give any

indications of printer reliability that

can only come over time you won't get it

from this so let's say you've got your

printer I've said you know

reminders should you leave them powered

on well I normally let them leave them

at the defaults if they go into a

shutdown you know quiet mode or

something like that I let them turn

themselves off this one here will turn

itself off after a while it's gone to

sleep now I did some printing a while

ago and it's gone into a quiet mode

literally a quiet mode for this cuz this

is quite a noisy printer you will hear

the fans start up and everything once

once it gets going I leave all the

settings at defaults unless I've got

clear indications to change them there

is I've come across software that will

do test prints for you that might be if

you have to leave your printer for a

long while what should you do well my

solution when I had large format

printers here and I used to go traveling

for a month or so was well I've got lots

of plants around the house um and a

friend would come in to water the plants

and I basically asked them to when they

came into the house if they could switch

the printer on and when they left switch

the printer off didn't really matter whe

they switched off but just to get it to

do something um and it would do cleaning

Cycles I had had a for big printers you

can often set them to do automatic

cleaning

Cycles do remember as well though that

the longer you leave printers they can

use up quite a bit of ink in cleaning

when they start up very I from printer

to printer the Canon Pro 1000 for

example is renowned for occasionally if

you don't use it that often using up

perhaps 50% of its ink in cleanings now

if you use it a lot it uses a much lower

percentage but it's always a possibility

for that so you always think about what

you're doing with different printers

they are all different but essentially

try and switch them on use them in some

way regularly and that will enhance the

chances of your printer living to a ripe

old age for expensive printers like this

I would buy a warranty extended warranty

I know it's expensive but printers like

this are phenomenally expensive to

repair if you haven't got a warranty on

it and if you're paying as much as you

would for one of this or one of the

larger ones then definitely for 700 900

Canon Pro 1000 it might be worthwhile

just have to see what sort of deals you

can get on things but there you have it

uh this one won't be here long enough

for me unfortunately and will be used a

lot to do it but just don't leave your

printers

unattended um oh one other thing while I

remember it if you got a smallish

printer and you're going away for a

length of time seal it up in a plastic

bag keeps the humidity higher stops IT

drying out of course don't leave it in a

hot room where the sun's going to shine

on it and all sorts of things like that

you have any bits of equipment now if

you got any questions please do ask I

mean what I've said here here is purely

personal advice based on what I've

discovered over the years um I

appreciate that some people are going to

say to me well my printer died such and

such or whatever yeah these things

happen it's

annoying there you go uh but uh I say

take care use your printer enjoy using

your printer get more out of it anyway

there you go um thanks for watching

please do subscribe to the channel if

you find it of interest and uh back to

test this thing

thanks