What Happens When the Waste Ink Container Fills Up on HP Inkjet Printers?

Question:
I've been looking for an explanation for a simple thing: how do cleaning cycles of the printhead work? I figured out that it gets vacuumed out, but I could not find it; where does the wasted ink go? Kudos for the fantastic video and your thorough explanation. What if the waste ink container is full? Have you ever seen this occur, and what do you think happens? I've been told that HP inkjet printers have a preset number of cleanings, after which they "brick." Is this true? Also, great job with the red premium cleaner! I wish more companies would follow your lead, take your right-to-repair attitude, and focus on e-waste reduction.

Answer:
As for your question about HP inkjet printers and the waste ink container, indeed, it is the printhead cleaning process that has a vacuum system which helps clear the ink nozzles. On older HP printers, this waste ink would often be  dumped into the printer, and its amount would build up over time. I have older HP models that have accumulated 20 years of dried ink. In the later models, HP started using absorption pads, leading them to absorb the waste ink during cleaning instead of leaving a puddle of ink that is impossible to contain.

Coming back to the waste ink container, what is listed here is that it does not have the potential for side effects. When the container is filled to maximum levels, the printer will usually notify you, often with a description like "Waste Ink Tank Full," or it may stop printing until the problem has been fixed. This can vary depending on the model for the result, but in some cases, the printer would enter a "service mode" and need to be serviced by a professional. Failure of the printer to drain the waste ink, or the machine may need to be wiped out, can render the printer unusable, which is a considerable inconvenience.

As far as the rumor that HP inkjet printers have a finite number of cleanings before they "brick" or stop working, that is technically true but somewhat exaggerated. So yes, HP printers are designed to do a certain number of cleanings (varies by model), which is less than the number of cleanings the printer will need before it requires servicing. This is usually for a limited number of head cleaning or waste ink absorption cycles. Once the waste ink container or the internal absorption pads get full, the printer often needs to be reset/serviced by an authorized technician. But there's no strict cut-off for how many cleanings before the printer gets "bricked." Instead, it's a matter of maintenance — once the system is complete, service is needed to clean out the waste ink to keep things running correctly.
Thank you again for your thought-provoking questions! It's good to see folks interested in repairing and reducing e-waste. Here at BCH, we feel that everyone should have the right to repair their stuff, and we can help empower you to do just that.

Printer repair can be a tricky business because of the manual input you are required to perform to try to resolve the initial issue. Therefore, we cannot troubleshoot remotely or recommend service for the printer. Our local diagnostic center, Printer Repair Service, provides in-house assessments and repairs. Because of high demand, we operate on a first-come, first-served system, and it could be a few weeks before we can get to your printer. Services: We offer repair services not only for printers but also for some parts of them that will be broken down according to the instructions. Our rates may not be the cheapest in town, but we encourage you to troubleshoot online. Check out our YouTube channel at BCH Technologies. Use the search feature to locate specific videos. And since we receive many questions directly, a search using YouTube's search bar is often the fastest way to find relevant tutorials. Moreover, videos from other channels that might be helpful would also be recommended by YouTube.