Replacement printhead for Smart Tank 725

[Irena969]

Hello, I bought an HP Smart Tank 725, PN 28B51A. It's out of Warranty and as it doesn't recognize inserted printheads any more (could this be a problem following few weeks of n use?) I have to buy new ones. But there is confusion about the right replacement printheads.

I ordered 6ZA18AE colour printhead as listed as an adequate substitute and it turned to be different size, smaller than 3YP17A which was originally inserted. I suppose I have to look for 3YP17A? It's a shame I threw away the money for a wrong purchase based on information from official HP product sheet.

To replace the black printhead i need the 6ZA17AE or the X4E75A? Are they the same? There is no way to get X4E75A in my country and I'd not like to make the same expensive mistake again.

Best regards, Irena

[BeemerBiker]

I used "Smart Tank 725" here and found 28851A

There are 4 printheads listed.

To get an exact parts list one should use the serial number of the device, not the name like I did.

In any event, I was unable to find any stock when looking up any of those printhead part numbers here

https://parts.hp.com/hpparts

I do not know where you obtained 6ZA18AE

Did you try cleaning the printhead contacts or removing any bubbles in the ink tubes?

==>Debris such as glue / tape residue or dried ink in the electrical contact area of the printhead <==
Some printers have a printhead cleaning procedure.

To clean the printhead on an HP printer, access the printer settings through the HP Smart app, navigate to "Print Quality Tools," and select "Clean Printhead"; this will initiate a cleaning cycle where the printer will automatically run a cleaning process to clear any clogs in the printhead

This video shows how to remove a printhead

You may have bubbles in the ink tubes
To prevent bubbles from forming in the ink tubes, keep the ink levels above the minimum line, refill the tanks before they run too low, make sure the tank caps are closed securely, and avoid tilting or transporting the printer unnecessarily.

HP's SupportGPT recommends using HP Smart (or the HP App) to run HP's clean printhead function that many of our inkjet or tank printers have.

Google's AI provides a fallback in the event that maintenance cycle fails.
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• Turn off the printer: Power off the machine and safely open the access doors to expose the ink tanks and printhead carriage.
• Locate the air bubble: Visually identify where the air bubble is trapped in the translucent ink pipe.
• Manually push the air: You can often gently tap along the ink tubes to help the air bubble travel up into the main ink tank reservoir.
• Use a syringe (for stubborn clogs): If tapping fails, you can use an ink refilling syringe (often found in printer cleaning kits). Remove the ink cartridge or damper inside the printhead, attach the syringe to the ink outlet, and gently pull back on the plunger until ink flows smoothly and the air is drawn out.

OpenAI states what not to do
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• Don't squeeze the ink bottles while they're installed.
• Don't try to force ink through the tubes with compressed air.
• Don't use a syringe on the ink tanks unless you are experienced with HP ink systems—it's easy to damage the pressure regulation or introduce more air.