When it comes to expiry dates, they are easy to overlook and ignore. Have you ever checked the expiry dates for beef or noodles? Same as the cup having mixed berry yogurt, toner and ink cartridges also come with expiry dates which are significant to pay attention to. Particularly when it comes to storage and usage. Honestly, the operations are quite tricky. For example, if the ink cartridge expires the reliability of the ink is no longer trustworthy. But if a toner cartridge expires you can still use it for a few more years but if stored properly.
Ink Cartridges
There have been hundreds of queries when it comes to Ink cartridge. General queries are whether to refill or not, New or refurbished cartridge, Epson or HP?
When it comes to internal assembly or structure various features have been modified like recently Hewlett Packard developed cartridges that have microchip. As soon as they reach expiration date, the chip starts alerting the printer and will stop the cartridge from operating until the cartridge becomes full.
Toner Cartridges
Expired ink cartridges might harm your printer due to fault in the cartridge. In case your printer got damaged, your warranty will be voided due to usage of expired cartridges.
Sometimes cartridges can be more costly than the actual printer, various companies take advantage of sales and fill their stocks when the cost of toner is high. You might face the danger of expired cartridges even before usage. There is an easy solution to avoid such situations. In case there is no chance to use them in the near future and your product is factory sealed and free of damage then you can offer that to toner buyers for a good profit.
Expiry and Warranty
Whenever you buy ink cartridges, try to be aware of two important dates.
There will be a date mentioned on the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) box that addresses that when the warranty ends (mostly a year). The second date is the expiry date. This is stamped on the packaging of the actual cartridge and sometimes on the cartridge itself (generally for ink). In case you own a refurbished cartridge, then there is no need to get surprised if the expiry date has passed while you are purchasing it. That date is particularly for the first original purchaser. Try to note somewhere about the date of purchasing as that toner cartridges could be operational for about two years however ink can last up to a few months.
Post Expiry
After expiry, the liquid turns into sluggish, further usage might clog your print head and result in damaging your printer. After some time moisture’s entrance in the cartridge can clump up the powder. Various people have shared their experience of using cartridges that are already more than three years expired. Technically they are “expired”. By doing so people use to put their printer’s warranty on stake. after the expiry of your cartridges, you can select whether to purchase new from an OEM or search for a cheaper refurbished items.
Safe Storage
There is no way to stop or halt the expiry period, what you can do is to store them properly that can create a huge difference. For that purpose, keep them in their original packaging. Store in a cool controlled condition. Extreme weather conditions might result in damaging of powder and ink.
Storage of Toner:
First thing is to make sure that toner is lying flat, in a dust free area, in the absence of corrosive gas
Storage For the ink:
Ink should be stored in an upright position, particularly dark storeroom having no access of sunlight, last but not least, Keep the cartridge sealed
