Canon waste ink absorbers
Canon printers are well known for producing wonderful photos and graphics. A lot of people don’t realize, though, that sometimes those amazing results come at a price. For instance, many of their inkjet printers require extra maintenance with something called a Canon waste ink pad or a waste ink absorber. To watch a video with instructions on how to replace the ink pads in a Canon IP3000, you may want to visit Youtube.
So what is a waste ink pad? The easiest way to describe it is several felt pads stacked on top of each other. These waste pads really aren’t anything special, but what they do inside your printer actually is. The waste ink pad does exactly what you would think—it absorbs waste ink.
How do you know when it’s time to change or clean your waste ink absorber? Most Canon printers that include a waste ink absorber will tell you when the life of that pad has expired. Generally this will be because it is filled up with too much ink. Though many of the printers will still allow you to print once the error message appears, this is a very bad idea. It is possible for it to overflow and end up leaking onto the inside of your printer. If this occurs your printer will experience damage and need replaced in order to work properly again.
While some people find that cleaning the part works just fine, you will need to replace it eventually. Make sure when you do this, you are careful with the used absorber. It may be dripping, so make sure you dispose of it properly. Though waste ink absorbers are not needed for every Canon printer, many in the Canon IP1000 and the Canon BJC 6000 will need their absorbers clean so that they can keep on printing.