3 Easy Steps to Get Years Of Hassle-Free Service Out Of Your Laser Printer or Copier

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nilMany thanks to Bob Michie for his insightful words below.  Bob, co-founder of MetroMSP, is an expert in IT related issues and helps businesses by providing state-of-the-art IT support, service, and products.  MetroMSP is a recommended partner of Dean Office Solutions.

Printer, copiers, and scanners are the hub of every office.  When they aren’t working correctly, a good day turns bad. From paper jams and error messages, or quality problems like smearing, mis-feeds, and ghosting, printer issues can cause havoc in an office.

Plus, it’s easy to sink thousands of dollars into maintenance and copier repairs, especially if you don’t have a Dean Office maintenance contract.   If you want to avoid common printer problems AND save yourself a small fortune on replacements and repairs, follow these 3 easy steps:

Keep It Clean

There is no faster way to gunk up a laser printer and cause printing problems than by letting it get dirty.  On a monthly basis, use compressed air to blow out the inside of the printer. Remove the toner cartridge for better access, and don’t forget to do the back if it is accessible. It also helps to take a vacuum to the outside. If you print labels or use any other type of specialty media like transparencies, use rubbing alcohol to clean the rollers inside the copier or printer.  This simple step will cut down on your need for copier repairs.

Do Your Maintenance

Copier repair and maintenance is an important part of your business.  You can almost infinitely extend your printers lifespan by doing the regular maintenance suggested by the manufacturer.  This includes replacing rollers, filters, and occasionally replacing the fuser (the machine’s internal furnace.)  If resources are tight here’s a little money-saving secret: you only need to do this type of maintenance at 1.5 to 2 times the manufacturer’s usage recommendation. In other words, if your manufacturer says to replace rollers every 100,000 pages, you really only need to do so every 150,000 to 200,000 pages.

Use a Surge Protector

Nothing will send your printer to the bone yard faster than an electrical surge caused by lightning or other issues on the power grid. When internal components are fried, it is often cheaper to buy a new printer than it is to fix the existing one.  It is easy to protect yourself with a $25 surge protector.  DO NOT plug a laser printer into a UPS or other battery backup system. The printer’s power draw is too much for a battery to handle.

Printer and copier repairs don’t have to mean a standstill for your office.  If you are unsure about how to best service your printer or copier, Dean Office can help with a service plan that fits your need and walk you through the above steps.  An ounce of prevention is always worth a pound of cure.

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