Accidentally put wrong color ink in wrong tank

[Star1974]

Accidentally placed wrong ink in wrong tank

[VikramTheGreat]

Hi @Star1974,

Welcome to the HP Support Community.
 

Thank you for posting your query. I will be glad to help you.

Thanks for letting me know. Accidentally placing the wrong ink into the wrong tank in an HP printer—especially if it’s an HP Smart Tank or Ink Tank series—can cause serious issues, but it’s often fixable if addressed quickly.

1. Stop Printing Immediately

• Don’t run any print jobs. This can prevent the wrong ink from spreading further into the system.

2. Do Not Power Off Yet

• Keep the printer on if it’s already on. Some models will try to clean or reset when powered off and on, which could make things worse.

3. Manually Drain the Wrong Ink

If you can see the ink tanks:

• Use a syringe or ink suction tool to carefully remove the ink from the wrong tank.
• Wipe the tank opening with a lint-free cloth.

4. Flush the Ink Tank (If Possible)

Some HP models allow flushing or cleaning the ink system:

• Check your printer’s manual or HP Smart app for a “Clean Ink System” or “Flush Ink” option.
• If not available, you may need to contact HP support for a manual flush kit.

5. Refill with Correct Ink

• Once the wrong ink is removed, refill the tank with the correct color ink.
• Run a printhead cleaning cycle from the printer’s control panel or HP Smart app.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

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VikramTheGreat

HP Support