How to Fix Leaking Refillable Cartridges on HP Photosmart 7520: Troubleshooting Guide

Question:

I bought some refillable empty cartridges for my HP Photosmart 7520 printer and it started to leak the Photo Black ink. I bought the ink from your store as specified in the order history provided. One thing the company that sold me the refillable cartridges mentioned…MAKE SURE YOU ARE USING THE RIGHT INK FORMULATION TO AVOID LEAKAGE. Was this the reason for the leak?

Also I bought 5 PCS Silicone Washer Seal Pad for HP but still have not used because the plunger inductive switch with the seal is already installed. Where is the leak coming from and what can I do about it?

Answer:

We appreciate the message—at least they tried to contact us! We will continue to provide better content for you and are really grateful for your support of BCH Technologies, especially through the YouTube channel BCH Technologies (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies). Your questions help us sharpen our skillset to provide more specific assistance.

Now, the theme at hand. Let me elaborate on that— inks are more or less all created equal when it comes to their viscosity and formulation. There is no ink in the industry that their viscosity is so severely deviates from other inks that it can cling to the cartridge and thus don't leak. Therefore, there is very little likelihood for the ink formulation to cause your Photo Black cartridge leakage. If a company thinks a different ink formula can cause a cartridge leak, then I would question their knowledge and the quality of work.

It's more probable that the leak stems from filling or constructing your cartridge. Some potential reasons and ideas for resolving such issues:

Overfilled cartridge: One of the reasons for ink leaks from your printer is overfilling the cartridge. The capacity of a cartridge is key: Do not overfill a cartridge when you refill it. Ink overfill and leakage Even with two-chambered cartridges (in the case of your HP Photosmart 7520). There are two chambers. The big chamber in the back should be airtight and filled with ink. Not only the big chamber stores ink, it also create enough internal pressure to hold in the ink back from the small front chamber so the ink will not leak out. The front chamber, if filled correctly, should only contain half a tank of ink. If you fill the cartridge too full, that extra half tank will leak out.

Secondly, gaps or faulty seals in refillable cartridges: Poor-quality or defective refillable cartridges sometimes have gaps or weak adhesive, which allows ink to escape. In such cases, it will be best to replace the cartridge. The big tank in the back should especially be airtight. If it isn't, there will be a leak.

The Silicone Washer Seal Pads — The silicone washer seal pads you buy should help prevent leaks if the cartridge's irregular ink outlet causes the leak. The pads are pieces of plastic that sit on top of the printhead's rubber gaskets covering them and adding s another layer to seal. They help prevent leaks and prevent no play between the cartridge and the printhead. If you already have a gasket on your printhead, adding silicone pads helps if the defect is on the cartridge's ink outlet. However, if the defect is in the tanks, it won't help much.

Leak-Free Cartridge Testing: For additional evidence of this still differential test, make sure to watch one of the videos on my YouTube channel, where I show that a correctly filled cart should not leak when laid flat on a table. It makes it easier to envision where things might be going wrong and how to avoid pitfalls moving forward.

Thirdly, it could be your printer. HP's printhead has been known for leaking ink slowly. You had the OEM cartridge before, and there is no way to know if you have a slow leak or not because you can't see inside. Now, you have a third-party transparent cartridge, and you can tell there is a leak. 

I would fill the cartridge, insert the refill plug in the back tank, and make sure it is airtight. Then, put the cartridge on the table for 20 minutes. It may have one or two ink drops coming out, but it shouldn't be pouring out. If it passes the test, the cartridge body is made correctly. Then, I will lay the silicone pad on top of HP's gasket and install the cartridge. If I see the ink is gone after a day, then the HP's printhead is defective. I will either live with it (do not fill too much ink at a time) or purchase a replacement printhead.

Fixing printer issues is a practical task because the problems are so fingers-to-keyboard. We do not offer remote troubleshooting/support for printer repairs. However, we do provide an in-house diagnostic and repair service at our local site (https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service). Please note that we are serviced on a first-come-first-serve basis, so it may take a few weeks before your printer can be examined due to the high demand.

We encourage you to check out some of our YouTube videos on the subject for a DIY solution. You may use the search icon next to the "About" section found on our Homepage to find particular content. YouTube sometimes recommends videos from a different channel that can help you troubleshoot.

Thanks for reaching out again, hope the above information helps you in solving your issue!