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Have you had three or four paper jams today? Is the temperature below zero and your building is closed up tight to keep all the heat in? Your problem may be static electricity. Today, we’ve assembled a few helpful tips to help you prevent paper jams this winter.
How static electricity causes paper jams
With the looming threat of another winter like last year, you don’t need to add any extra stress to your daily office tasks. Static electricity causes paper to stick together and jam within your office copier and during a Niagara winter, the occurrence of static electricity increases. When static builds up, sheets stick together meaning that the copier will either not register the paper or incorrect feeding. Paper is highly sensitive to outside factors and is susceptible to static charge when it is too dry and in an environment of low humidity.
Tips to reduce paper jams this winter
- Store paper in an area with a constant temperature and humidity.
- Remove paper from the copier when you are not using it.
- When adding a new ream of paper, don’t fan the ends! A popular misconception is that you should be fanning the sheets in order to prevent paper jams. You might be actually be causing a build up of static electricity, causing even more paper jams. Instead, fold the ends of both sides down, meeting in the middle, and bring them back up creating a wave on the top piece of paper. We’ve included two helpful videos showing you the wrong way, and the right way to prevent static electricity.
By recognizing the role static electricity plays in causing paper jams, you can take the proper preventative methods this winter. Serving Niagara and Hamilton, Brock Office Automation, can help you with your office automations quesitons. Check out our series on common office printer problems including Poor Print Quality, My MFP won’t scan and Lines on the page.
