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HP Photosmart p1000/1000 Printer Troubleshooting

Maintaining and Cleaning the Printer

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Introduction

The HP Photosmart P1000, P1100, 1000, 1115, 1200, and 1315 series printers require very little maintenance. It is essential to keep print cartridges fresh (do not let them sit unused for long periods of time), and to keep the printer clean and in good condition to avoid problems. This document explains how to clean and maintain the HP Photosmart printer and print cartridges. Because this document contains instructions, it might be useful to print it as a reference.
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Cleaning materials

Before beginning, make sure to have the following items:
  • Cotton swabs or any soft material that will not come apart or leave fibers (for example, a piece of clean cotton cloth, such as a handkerchief).
  • Distilled, filtered, or bottled water. (Tap water might contain contaminants that can damage the HP Inkjet print cartridges.)
  • Scrap paper or a paper towel on which to set the HP Inkjet print cartridges while you are working.
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Maintaining the printer

To clean the outside of the printer, use a cloth that has been lightly moistened with water. Do not use any other type of cleaner, because cleansers might damage the HP Photosmart printer's finish. In addition, observe the following when cleaning the HP Photosmart printer:
  • Do not clean the interior of the HP Photosmart printer. Keep all fluids away from the interior.
  • If a household cleaner or detergent is used on the HP Photosmart printer, wipe the exterior surfaces of the printer with a soft cloth that has been moistened with water.
  • Do not lubricate the rod on which the print cartridge cradle moves. Noise is normal when the cradles move back and forth.
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About cleaning the print cartridge

If white lines or single-color streaks appear on prints, the print cartridge might need to be cleaned. Clean the print cartridges by using different methods:
  • Use the printer Toolbox if the HP Photosmart printer is connected to a computer.
  • Clean the print cartridge manually if the HP Photosmart printer is not connected to a computer.
  • Clean the print cartridge by using the Tools button on the front panel. These three methods are described in this document.
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Cleaning the print cartridge by using the Toolbox

  1. Open the printer Toolbox.
  2. In Printer Services, click Clean the Print Cartridges .
  3. Click Clean .
  4. Follow the instructions on the computer screen.
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Cleaning the print cartridge manually

Removing the print cartridge

  1. Turn the printer on and lift the HP Photosmart printer top cover. The HP Inkjet print cartridges move to the center of the printer.
  2. After the HP Inkjet print cartridges have moved to the center of the printer, unplug the power cord from the back of the HP Photosmart printer.
  3. Remove the print cartridges and place them wide-side-down on a piece of paper.
WARNING: Keep new and used print cartridges out of the reach of children.
CAUTION: When the HP Inkjet print cartridges have been removed, make sure that they are not outside of the printer more than 30 minutes.

Cleaning the print cartridge

  1. Prepare a clean, foam-rubber swab or a lint-free by dampening it with water.
  2. Locate the copper-colored circuitry strip on the back of the cartridge.
  3. Clean the copper-colored strip by using the dampened swab or cloth. Do not wipe the nozzle end of the cartridge or touch the nozzle plate.
  4. Clean the carriage contacts on the back wall of the ink cartridge carriage by using a damp foam-rubber swab or lint-free cloth.
  5. Use a dry foam-rubber swab or a lint-free cloth to remove moisture from the contacts.

Cleaning the print cartridge cradle

  1. Take a position at eye level with the HP Photosmart printer.
  2. Locate the cradle that held the HP Inkjet print cartridges.
  3. Using clean, moistened swabs, wipe the underside of each wall of the carriage where fibers might collect and come in contact with the paper. Repeat this procedure until no ink residue is seen on a clean swab.

Reinstalling the print cartridge

  1. Insert the bottom of the print cartridge into the holder.
  2. Push the top of the cartridge firmly toward the back of the printer until it is completely seated in place.
  3. Close the printer cartridge holder cover.
  4. Close the top cover.
  5. Load white plain paper into the IN tray.
  6. Reinsert the electrical power cord into the back of the printer.
  7. When the printer shows a message to load plain paper, press OK/YES.
  8. The printer should begin to print a calibration page.
    NOTE: If streaking still appears, repeat the procedure until the test printout is clean. Click here to find additional maintenance tips .To get the best performance from the HP Photosmart printer, HP recommends using only genuine HP supplies. Damage resulting from the modification or refilling of HP print cartridges is specifically excluded from the coverage of HP printer warranties. The HP Inkjet print cartridge numbers for the HP Photosmart printer are: Black HP 51645 series and Tri-Color HP C6578 series.
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Cleaning the print cartridge by using the Tools button

  1. Make sure that plain paper is loaded in the paper tray.
  2. Press the Tools button until a message appears on the liquid-crystal display (LCD) to clean the print cartridge.
  3. Press OK/YES.
  4. When the printer shos a message to load plain paper, press OK/YES.
The HP Photosmart printer begins cleaning the print cartridge. The power light begins blinking. When the HP Photosmart printer stops making noises and the power light is no longer blinking, the printer has finished cleaning the print cartridge. The HP Photosmart printer then prints a test page.
NOTE: If the test page has white streaks or missing colors, clean the print cartridge again using one of the other methods that are described above.
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