What are the possible risks associated with refilling and/or using refilled laser printer toner cartridges? How can I mitigate them?
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Depending on an awful lot of factors - who does the refill, with what, on what printer (hence, what cartridges are available, from what sources, at what cost), what usage profile etc. - the answer may range from "Hell yes!" to "Good Lord, no!". As for the risks, you can reduce them with a reputable and experienced refilling service; but keep in mind that, the more reputable and experienced the service, the more expensive is probably going to be. – LSerni Feb 28 '16 at 22:23
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Sorry, I voted to close as this is really an opinion. It is worth getting a toner refilled. Risk is damage to the toner, damage to drum (unlikely), toner spillage. These risks are not as high as they seem. – davidgo Feb 28 '16 at 23:05
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Leakage and overfilling. Our boss went cheap and destroyed two printers before giving up on it. TANSTAAFL and refillers that cut corners just shift the expense. Messed up fusers, lithographing and toner powder where it doesn't belong. Afford a good document management system and quit printing so much, there's where your savings comes from. – Fiasco Labs Feb 29 '16 at 04:32
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1Possible duplicate of [Do printer ink/toner refill kits work and are they safe?](http://superuser.com/questions/339797/do-printer-ink-toner-refill-kits-work-and-are-they-safe) – fixer1234 Sep 24 '16 at 19:45
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There are several risks for refilling toner cartridges.
Common problems can include:
- Insufficient lubricant in the toner, leading to drum, developer unit or cleaning blade damage.
- Wrong melting point, leading to fouling in the fusing unit, print rubbing off, etc.
- Wrong electrostatic properties or particle size, leading to a dirty machine and poor quality print.
- Large amounts of loose toner in the machine can also cause fouling and damage to the mechanisms, and air filters can become clogged, causing overheating
As a fine powder, toner can remain suspended in the air for some period, and is considered to have health effects comparable to inert dust. It can be an irritant to people with respiratory conditions such as asthma or bronchitis.
Toner powder is not toxic but does need to be handled with care, as carbon black (one of its components) has been designated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a possible carcinogen. Health and safety regulations must be considered when handling, transporting and storing toner powders.
Safety precautions include the use of gloves, and a protective dust mask to prevent inhalation. If spilled toner is cleaned with a standard vacuum cleaner it may become electrically charged and catch fire, and it is so fine that it passes through filters and can escape into the room or the vacuum cleaner motor.
If you have an issue from using a refilled toner (or ink) cartridge which causes your printer to malfunction, you might be out of luck, as you probably voided your printer's warranty. It comes down to cost versus risk. You might save a lot of money with toner refills, but if the off-brand toner damages your printer, how much will it cost to fix or replace? There is no definite answer as to whether or not it is worth the risk, as it is purely a matter of opinion, unique to your equipment and usage.
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2One more I can think of if it's a color laser: particularly if you mix colors of different brands, the color results may be off. – fixer1234 Feb 29 '16 at 00:06