Copy machines are the workhorses of the workplace. While high volume, stand-alone, “traditional” copy machines last longer then your desktop variety, their lifespans depend heavily on their make, model and workload. Regardless, when you buy a copier – you want to make sure you’re getting your money’s worth! Today, we’ll provide you with six simple things you can do to help increase the lifespan of your copy machine no matter what. Let’s dive right in!
Choose a smart location for the printer.
Try and keep your copier away from places where there are drastic temperature changes such as heaters, air conditioners, doors and windows where the machine may be exposed to sunlight. Also try and be mindful to keep them away from high traffic areas of the office. Frequent foot traffic tends to keep up dust and other particles that can get into the machine and adversely affect its performance.
Replace toner & ink immediately.
Even if the copies look good you should still change your toner and ink as soon as the light comes on. If you don’t, the developer can start wearing out quickly and can wreck the drum. As soon as you see the lights, make the change!
Mind your paper.
Especially if you’re in a humid/dusty office space, it can prevent your copier from working at optimum levels. As such, be sure to keep your paper stored until you need to use it. That way, you’re preventing moisture from getting into the inside of the machine.
Fix jams immediately.
Paper jams are a pain, but be sure to fix them as quickly as possible. Leaving it there overnight or for other extended periods of time can cause moisture and dust to accumulate in your machine and effect it’s performance. Once you DO remove the paper, be sure you have a can of compressed air handy. That way, you can blow out tiny bits and particles from the copier and prevent them from getting stuck inside.
Monday morning stretches.
After a weekend of not being used at all, it’s always a good idea to go through a quick, easy Monday maintenance program. First, remove the old paper from the trey and replace it with dry, fresh paper instead. Don’t worry about wasting the old paper. You can use that in a laser printer where the moisture won’t adversely affect the unit. Once you’ve done that, give a quick look through to make sure there aren’t any paper jams and let the printer go through its Monday morning warm up. This exercise can take literally 2-3 minutes to do start to finish and can result in huge cost savings over the long haul.
Leave the lid down – always!
Opening the lid of the copier is bad news because it significantly reduces the lifespan of the drum – which can be expensive to replace. That’s not even getting into the poor copy quality; damage the light can do to the eyes, etc. Keeping the lid down also reduces the possibility of foreign objects scratching the glass or getting into the machine.
Some other common sense rules should apply, too. Don’t eat or drink next to the copier, be sure to keep up with your preventative maintenance schedule and of course – use the right supplies. If you stick with these tips, you’ll greatly extend the life of your copier and most importantly – will save a lot of money by avoiding bigger problems.
