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Frequently Asked Questions: Refill Basics
What are the advantages of a refilled cartridge? You save money on your cartridge purchase AND it is good for the environment since you get to reuse your cartridge.
With a machine-controlled fill process and your own well-cared for cartridge, you will get excellent quality for less than buying a new cartridge.
When should I refill a cartridge? We recommend that you refill your cartridge as soon as you see the print quality begin to degrade. Continuing to print a cartridge that is running dry will damage it.
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Stop printing when a color completely runs out (“ink starvation”) or damage to an integrated cartridge (i.e. two cartridge printer models) or permanent/built-in printhead (i.e. four, five and six cartridge printer models) can occur if you continue to print with the remaining colors only.
How many times can I refill a cartridge? Print cartridges can deliver excellent quality long after they first run out of ink. The number of refills depends on many factors but, most importantly, how well you take care of your cartridge. Customers can achieve multiple refills on a well-maintained cartridge before deciding to replace it with a new one.
What is the proper way to handle a cartridge? 2
As soon as you remove the cartridge from your printer, place it into the plastic storage clip, provided after initial refill (for individual ink tanks, apply protective caps). This will protect the cartridge and prevent it from drying out. If you do not have the clip, place 1 to 3 cartridges in a letter sized envelope, be careful not to rub print heads together when transporting. Keep in cool place. Bring in for refilling as soon as possible.
For integrated ink cartridges, do not allow print head nozzles to make contact with objects – this can damage the micro-electronics. Never place tape over the print head nozzles.
When refilling and using integrated ink cartridges (i.e. all 2 ink cartridge printer models), it is suggested to follow these general guidelines to help maximize print quality output and maintain a healthy printer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnXoDIblpdU
When refilling and using individual ink tanks/cartridges (i.e. all 4, 5, and 6 ink cartridge printer models), it is suggested to follow these general guidelines to help maximize print quality output and maintain a healthy printer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1Kl3QEQbs8
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Refill Quality
How do I know that the cartridge will work in my printer? Our refill center tests your cartridge and verifies that ink is flowing through the nozzles correctly.
How much ink do I get in a refill? We closely match and in most cases significantly exceed the amount of ink you get when you buy a new cartridge.
Is the ink the same quality as an original HP, Canon, Epson, Lexmark or Dell cartridge? Ink quality does make a difference in your print quality, that’s why we do not use Universal Ink in our refill solution. We use cartridge specific ink to match OEM colors and to ensure the highest possible output quality for each cartridge type.
Will I get similar results to a new cartridge?
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Yes, the results you will get from a refilled cartridge will closely match OEM. For most consumers, there will be no significant difference in everyday printing quality. Refilling your cartridge is an easy and cost effective way of supplying your printer with ink. Whether printing with new or refilled cartridges, always use inkjet specific paper for best printing results.
What if there is a problem with my cartridge and it can’t be refilled? We can recycle the cartridge for you. We recommend that you purchase a new OEM cartridge and bring it in for a refill the next time you run out of ink.
Cartridge Refill Service
What types of cartridges can be refilled? HP/Canon/Epson/Dell/Lexmark – We currently refill select cartridges from the market leaders, in order to deliver our service to the greatest number of customers. If there is strong demand, we may add more cartridges to those we support. Please see our Cartridge Menu list for those currently supported.
Why doesn’t your service support my cartridge? Some cartridges have a different design which are not economical to refill them. For replacement, please check the retailers website to see which cartridges are covered.
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Others – In order to provide the lowest price possible, we are currently limiting our service to the cartridges that represent the majority of the market.
You may consider buying a new printer, which can cost about the same as replacing two older cartridges. This will allow you to use our service.
How long does it take to refill a cartridge? Typically, it takes less than an hour to refill a cartridge. Representatives should provide you with a pickup time based on the daily service volume.
Can I refill my cartridge here even if I have had it refilled elsewhere? As long as your cartridge is in good working order, we will make every attempt to refill it for you.
Is there a recommended usage date for a refilled cartridge? The refilled integrated printhead ink cartridge (i.e. cartridges with a nozzle plate attached) should be used within 90 days of refill, and remain in the plastic storage clip until ready for use.
Individual ink tanks have an extended life; often up to one year following refill.
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For select tanks, ensure the orange or black protective cap remains intact until ready for use – remove prior to installation.
When refilling and using individual ink tanks/cartridges (i.e. all 4, 5, and 6 ink cartridge printer models), it is suggested to follow these general guidelines to help maximize print quality output and maintain a healthy printer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1Kl3QEQbs8
Printer Issues & Warranty
What should I do if my printer displays a low ink or cartridge error message? Some printers have trouble recognizing refilled cartridges. The following tips should help address these issues.
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Generally you can ignore low ink indicator messages until you actually see the print quality begin to degrade. Low Ink Warnings (HP Integrated Printhead Cartridges) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA-DsIDuq6k
HP Nuisance Alert Messages (HP 21-99 & 901 Ink Cartridges) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCp3aSTk3nw
For integrated ink cartridge error messages, try cleaning the cartridge’s copper area, and the back of the printer’s cartridge insertion slots, i.e. where the copper printed circuits exist. See cleaning instructions on the printer manufacturers website; some of which suggest cleaning the connections with a damp coffee filter.
Next power cycle the printer by turning it off and on. A hard reset may also be needed; turn the printer off, unplug it, wait several seconds, plug it back in and turn it on.
Will using a refilled cartridge void my printer warranty? Federal law prohibits any company from requiring you to purchase only their products and prohibits a manufacturer from voiding your machine’s warranty simply by using alternative cartridge solutions. See Magnuson-Moss Warranty Improvement Act for more details.
The law excerpt below indicates that a printer manufacturer cannot void the printer warranty due to refilled cartridges, unless they can prove that the refills caused or contributed to the failure in the printer. Under no circumstances may any company or associate, salesperson, or service technician deny you service or warranty work that would otherwise be covered under a warranty program simply because the cartridge was refilled. The U.S. government protects your consumer rights. 8
If a representative threatens to void the machine warranty or charge for a service call because you are using a refilled ink supply, ask for their statement in writing.
MAGNUSON-MOSS WARRANTY ACT United States Code Annotated Title 15 - Commerce and Trade Chapter 50 - Consumer Product Warranties 15 Section 2302 “(c) No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumer's using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade or corporate name; except that the prohibition of this subsection be waived by the commission if: 1) The warrantor satisfies the Commission that the warranted product will function properly only if the article or service so identified is used in connection with the warranted product, and 2) the Commission finds that such a waiver is in the public interest.”
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