u/ItsPuspendu

I noticed that many Epson and Canon ink tank printers have a maintenance box or waste ink box that stores extra ink during printhead cleaning. But in HP Smart Tank printers like HP Smart Tank 520, 525, 580, 585, and similar models, there is no visible or replaceable maintenance box.

When we run “Clean Printhead” or other maintenance functions in these HP Smart Tank printers, where does the waste ink go? Does HP use an internal absorber pad or some hidden waste ink system?

Also, has anyone experienced long-term issues related to this system, such as absorber saturation, ink leakage, service station errors, or printer failure after years of use?