Photocopier maintenance tips

As with everything in life, including ourselves, keeping everything in tip top condition is vital for an optimum performance. This also applies to your printers and photocopiers. By following a few simple tips, you'll ensure that your machines continue to deliver the performance that you expect. These good housekeeping rules will keep your photocopier and printers running better, for longer, enabling you to get the most out of them.

Paper Jamming

This problem is simple to avoid, by cleaning the rollers regularly with a lint-free cloth. Paper towels will work if nothing else is available, but a lens cloth is better, along with some bottled water.  These items will ensure the rollers stay free of any microscopic particles as they are 'contaminate free'.   If you aren't sure about what to clean, then try those that are visible and that can be safely reached.  Remember to disconnect the printer before doing any cleaning, or before reaching into the machine.  Generally, rollers need to be cleaned once every 6 months or more often if dust is a problem. Ensure you read your instruction manual though, as there are some parts of the cartridge you shouldn't swab.

Resolve any Mechanical Errors

As with most products, printers and photocopiers will have a longer lifespan if they are looked after.  If paper jams are incorrectly resolved then you'll have further issues down the line. So instead of taking out your frustration when the paper jams in your machine and yanking the paper out, try referring to your printer manual to find the best way to fix a jam on your specific model.  The best practice is to use both hands to slowly pull the jammed paper out of the printer. By doing this, you'll avoid leaving ripped paper behind or damaging the printer's internal parts. Other ways to prevent jams occurring is to ensure that the paper you load isn't torn, dog-eared or stuck together and that the tray is not overfilled.

Print Head Problems

The only option, if your print head goes, is to replace it, although if this isn't replaceable on the model you have, then it's time for a new machine!  Either way, it can be extremely costly.  Ensure your printer has a longer working life by maintaining your print head to avoid this problem. 

Whenever you replace an ink cartridge, clean the print head and then align it at the same time.  The steps to do this may vary depending on your model and manufacturer, so look at their instructions.  

Power Problems

Many modern printers have built in surge protectors. These are important because if you plug a surge protector into another surge protector, (or power strip), the equipment that you're trying to power will be unable to get the full amount of electricity that it needs.

Printers have 'sleep modes', which reduces the amount of power that they use.  When the printer starts to wake up it uses more power than normal, which a power strip, or surge protector, will read as a surge of power.  It then blocks the extra power needed, and cause errors on the printer.  To avoid this happening, simply plug your printer directly into a wall socket.

Invest in a Maintenance Kit

To extend the life of your printer, try ordering a maintenance kit from your printer's manufacturer when parts begin to show signs of wear.  These kits include a range of maintenance products, from cleaning supplies to changeable printer parts such as rollers, which, when dirty or worn out, are a common culprit in printer jams.

Conclusion

It goes without saying that everyone wants to get the most out of their printer and photocopier, as they are expensive items to replace.  So you have to put a little time and effort into keep things running smoothly.  Consider a printer/photocopier as being similar to your family vehicle….if you want it to last for a long time you have to look after it through regular maintenance.

Similarly, if you want your printer to last the distance, you'll need to do regular maintenance to it as well.  With a little bit of TLC and routine printer/photocopier maintenance, you'll significantly reduce the occurrence of problems and enjoy happy, heathy printing.

  • Paragon Comment

There is some excellent advice here to keep your printer / photocopiers running efficiently. 
We have found that even with the most advanced electronic devices which are constantly being updated and upgraded, printers are still notorious for giving users more trouble than almost any other piece of office equipment.  Yet this doesn't necessarily need to be the case.  With a bit of basic knowledge on how to clean a printer, you'll be able to avoid the daily printing errors and paper jams that sometimes make printers so time consuming and frustrating to use. These tips will help you to maintain and keep your appliances running smoothly from day to day, and will ensure that your printed documents look the way they should, professional and clean. 

However, should you need to change your printer / photocopier to one of the newer more impressive range on today's market, then Paragon Document Solutions is able to help!  The latest models of printers and photocopiers are even more impressive in their capabilities than past models.  Paragon has a range of flexible photocopier leasing or rental packages, relieving you of both the large, financial burden of outright purchase, along with the problem of what happens when your printer needs that very expensive repair. It can also help to solve the headache of having to do all the maintenance yourself! 

We can also provide a full range of printer and photocopier maintenance and repair services, all at an unbeatable price.  So if there's a problem that you can't handle, why not check us out? 

For more details on of all our services and our Price Match Promise, contact us today. Or email us directly on info@paragon-ds.co.uk.

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