Jump to content

HP Deskjet 5150 Color Inkjet Printer Troubleshooting

Cleaning the printer and the cartridges

  • PrintPrint
  • Share

Cleaning the printer exterior

Inkjet printers print by spraying a fine mist of ink from the print head onto the paper. Sometimes, small amounts of ink from the printing process accumulate on the printer case and become visible over time.
If you want to remove ink deposits, or dust, smudges, and fingerprints, clean the printer exterior with a soft cloth, moistened with water. You can use a mild detergent if necessary. Do not use harsh household cleaners because they might damage the finish on the printer case.
CAUTION:Do not clean or lubricate anything inside the printer. All inkjet printers produce a small amount of ink residue that might build up inside the printer's case. This residue is normal. Keep all liquids away from inside the printer.

Cleaning the cartridges

Use the following solution to clean the cartridges when the printout is missing lines or dots or white lines run throughout the text and graphics. This can occur if the spray nozzles clog or if the cartridge is running out of ink. If the cartridge is running out of ink, replace the cartridge. If it is not low on ink, complete the following steps:
  1. Press the Power button ( ) to turn on the product.
  2. Open the cartridge door.
    The cartridges move to the center of the product. Wait until the product is idle and silent before continuing.
  3. Press down on the problem cartridge to release it, an then pull it out of its slot.
    CAUTION:Do not remove both cartridges at the same time. Do not leave a cartridge outside the product for more than 30 minutes.
  4. Place the cartridge on a piece of paper with the ink nozzles facing up.
  5. Lightly moisten a clean, foam-rubber swab with distilled water.
  6. Clean the face and edges around the ink nozzle with the swab.
    CAUTION:Do not clean the ink nozzle plate.
    Figure 1: Clean the area around the ink nozzle
    Illustration of a cartridge turned upside down with a cotton swab cleaning around the print nozzles.
    1 - Nozzle plate - Do not clean
    2 - Area surrounding ink nozzle - Do clean
  7. Use a new swab to dry the cartridge. If you don't have another swab, let the cartridge sit for 10 minutes to make sure it is dry.
  8. Hold the cartridge by its sides with the nozzles toward the product, and then slide the cartridge into its color-coded slot until it snaps into place. Make sure that the icon on the cartridge matches the icon on the slot.
  9. Close the cartridge door.