ESTIMATED READING TIME: 3 MINUTES
Purchasing a printer is a large expense for any office, regardless of size. We can understand why you would want to prolong the life of your printer to get the most out of your investment.
Luckily, there are a number of simple ways to do so, and it starts with regular maintenance and a conscious effort to avoid putting harm causing items through your printer. Here are some simple tips to extend the life of your printer.
Keep your printer clean
Keeping your printer clean is the best possible way to extend it’s life. When your printer is unclean you will likely experience poor quality print jobs and lined pages, this is because your printer is unable to function properly. Maintaining the cleanliness of the inside of your printer will prevent the above consequences and extend its life, click here for some helpful advice on how to keep your printer clean.
Reduce the possibility of paper jams
Every time that your printer jams you run the risk that another element of the printer could break or damage. There are many reasons why your paper may jam but there are a few rules that you can follow to reduce regular occurrence:
- don’t fan the paper before loading it into the printer
- use high quality paper or the type of paper recommended by your printers manufacturer
- don’t use used or bent paper
Monitor paper rollers and cartridges
The paper rollers need to be cleaned every once in a while to prevent paper jams and if they are on their last leg it is best to replace them. If you are noticing a larger than normal number of paper jams occuring it is probably because your rollers have warn out and need to be replaced. To keep your roller clean, is to prolong their life as well, we suggest that you use a can of compressed air to blow the dust off of the rollers.
It is important to Invest is high quality ink cartridges because they are less likely to clog the printer head; using your printer at least twice a day will also keep the printer head clean of dried ink.
Avoid temperature extremes
This applies to both your paper and your actual printer. Storying paper in a humid environment causes the paper to sweat and then stick together. When you use paper, that has been stored in a humid environment, in your printer, you will find that you experience more paper jams and feed errors. Make sure your boxes of paper as well as your printer are stored and located in a temperature controlled environment.
It is best to use your office equipment service provider to service and repair your printer, that way you can ensure that costly mistakes aren’t made during the repair. If you have any additional questions about the best way to take care of your office machines, contact us at Brock Office Automation.
