Disassembling Cannon iP7220

Alright it's tax season!
Tax is usually due on 4/15 but there's tolerance due to the COVID19 pandemic until 7/15.
It's next week so I gotta print out the tax forms and mail it by the end of tomorrow.

The problem with my printer is "ink absorber is almost full." So I looked up how to handle that and washed the foam pad and sponge with warm soap water.

But the place where they are installed require us to dismantle the printer a bit.
I am so thankful that people actually make really good videos on Youtube that teaches us how to install a CSIS (a continuous ink refill system) and it showed me how to properly dismantle the printer without harming it. And here's a video about removing the print head.

Sponge:

Canon printers use small, spongy pads to absorb excess ink that accumulates while printing and cleaning the print heads. When these pads are saturated, the printer will notify you with an error message such as "Ink Absorber Full." Some models display a series of flashing lights that you must consult the user manual to decipher. When the ink absorber pads are full, you can easily remove and clean them on most Canon printers.

1

Fill a large bowl with warm, soapy water and set it aside. Put on the rubber gloves.

2

Open the ink cartridge compartment. Depending on your Canon printer model, this compartment may be in the front or the back of the machine.

3

Wait for the ink cartridges to move all the way over, then disconnect the printer's power cord.

4

Look for a black rubber frame under the ink cartridge assembly. This contains the ink absorbing pads.

5

Pull the rubber frame out of the printer and remove the ink absorbing pads. The number of pads varies by model.

6

Place the pads in the bowl. Rub and squeeze them to remove the ink. When the water becomes opaque with ink, discard the solution and refill the bowl with more warm, soapy water. Continue this procedure until all ink is removed from the pads.

7

Squeeze the excess water from the pads and place them on a stack of three or four paper towels to dry.

8

Check the pads every hour to determine if they are dry. If the paper towels become saturated, change them out.

9

Place the pads back in the rubber frame when they are completely dry. Reinstall the frame in the printer.

10

Press and hold the "Power" button and reconnect the power cord. When the printer comes on, release the button. Wait five seconds and push the "Power" button again. This resets the printer's internal memory and overrides the "Ink Absorber Full" error code

Foam Pad:

How to Clean a Canon Ink Absorber

By Ty Arthur

The print heads inside your Canon printer can become clogged and dirty over time, both from dried ink and dust particles. Each Canon printer includes a self-cleaning utility that automatically brushes off excess ink. While the feature keeps your printer running smoothly, it also fills up the foam ink absorber inside the printer. When the absorber is full, your printer displays an error message and won't print. To fix the issue, you need to clean out the absorber and reset the printer's ink absorber code.

african man fixing photo copier

How to Clean a Canon Ink Absorber

Image Credit: pbophotographer/iStock/Getty Images

Step 1

Grab the plastic lid at the middle of the Canon printer and lift upward so the printer's internal compartment is visible. Wait five seconds for the ink carriage to slide over from the right side of the printer.

Step 2

Locate the square rubber frame at the far right end of the printer that houses the ink absorber. Grip the frame and pull it slightly toward you until it detaches from the printer. Pull the frame to the left and lift it out of the printer. Unplug the printer's power cable.

Step 3

Pull the two foam ink absorber segments out of the rubber frame. Place all three pieces in a bowl filled with warm water and soap. Gently scrub each piece to release the absorbed ink.

Step 4

Dry off the two foam ink absorber segments and the rubber frame. Set them on a paper towel and wait for each component to completely dry. Slide the foam ink absorber segments back into the rubber frame.

Step 5

Position the rubber frame back inside the right side of the printer. Press the frame onto its seat until it locks into place. Push closed the plastic lid.

Step 6

Hold down the power button on the printer's control panel as you plug in the power cable. Release the power button and wait five seconds. Tap the power button again to reset the printer's ink absorber code.

Copied and paste just in case!

And when I tried to reinstalled the cleaned foam pads back, I dropped one of them into the printer itself and it was long gone...

I was looking up how to buy a foam pad and found out that there are people who have done that as well. And I am grateful that the tutorial showed me that the foam pads are called foam pads, because I would've spent an other hour searching for the term for it.
https://www.printerknowledge.com/threads/mx850-little-foam-pad-under-the-ink-cartridges.4390/

But in the end, God blessed, the foam pads came out fine after I shake the printer for 3 hrs. I am SO GLAD!