Refilling Envy 4500 Ink Cartridges

[Sonja87]

Hi everyone!

Thought I'd try to save a bit by refilling my ink cartridges. Purchased the HP ink, and it lists a website on the back 'learnaboutsupplies.' What should I be looking at on this website to do this? Or a direct email to HP for support? Their virtual agent didn't help.

I have refilled them, and it prints the allign page but refuses to scan it. Just states 'scan failed.' If I try to print, it prints, but it prints a blank page.

Thanks!

[sandytechy20]

@Sonja87

Welcome to the HP support community.

Did you make a copy and check if that works fine?

[Sonja87]

What's a copy and check? I have no instructions to follow, I'm looking for a link for the instructions, but it wasn't provided. 

[Bob_Headrick]

There are several issues here:

• HP does not support refilling ink cartridges for most printers.  While you may find a seller that offers "HP Ink" for your printer, the ink may or may not actually be compatible, and it is most assuredly *not* HP Ink for your printer.  While HP does have "Smart Tank" printer models that have refillable ink tanks, these are not compatible with your Envy 4500 printer.  See the document here.
• If the cartridges were allowed to run out of ink completely you may have air in the internal ink passages.  Since the pages are blank it would appear the cartridges are blocked.  This would also account for the "unable to scan" message when you try to perform the alignment.

You may be able to recover the cartridges as follows:  get two clean coffee cups and put 1" of hot water in each.  Put the ink cartridge in the water with the nozzles facing downward (in the same orientation they would be in the printer).  Let the cartridges soak in the hot water for fifteen minutes.  Remove the cartridge and dry the electrical contacts with a lint-free wipe.  A clean coffee filter works well for this. Next, install the cartridges in the printer and run up to three levels of cleaning cycles.

[Sonja87]

Thankyou for explaining. A little annoying that HP sell ink, with zero instructions, only to find out after that I cannot use them for my printer. Would much prefer a list of compatible printers on the back of the box as they do with the rest of their cartridges. Where can I provide this feedback? I no longer have the receipt so I cannot make a claim for reimbursement (otherwise I most definitely would). Guess I'll see if I can resell. 

The cartridges aren't blocked though, they stamp onto paper just fine. I have since put new cartridges in, regardless that the old ones weren't empty when I refilled them (so should he no air issues). 

[Bob_Headrick]

I am curious - what HP ink did you purchase? Do you have a link?