How to Take Care of Your Copier!!

Your office copier is one of the most important tools in your company’s arsenal. When it is down, your work comes to a grinding halt.

Knowing how to properly care for your copier is one of the most important parts of running an efficient business.

Here are some tips from our experts at Ronnie Moore Ltd.

1. Shut it off

Shutting off your copier is the easiest copier maintenance tip to perform. Sometimes we overlook the simplest maintenance tasks.

You can prolong the life of your copy machine by shutting it off at night and on weekends. By flipping the off button, you will also save money on electric bills.

2. Warm it up

Your copier needs warm-up time before it is ready for its daily workout. If you turn off your copy machine for the weekend, when you turn it back on give it time to warm up. If it has been shut down, it probably will undergo a calibration exercise.

Remember, repeatedly hitting the “copy” button will not speed the process. Allow the calibration mode to finish its important work.

3. Clean the glass

Making your copier a clean machine is another simple copier maintenance chore. Do you have those annoying streaks on your copies? How about those vexing pinhead sized dots or gray blobs?

These unsightly marks can be avoided just by cleaning the glass on your copier. And don’t forget about the document feeder, which needs cleaning also. Today’s copiers often have one or two thin strips of glass on the feeder. You’ll need to wipe them clean occasionally to prevent marks on your copies.

You can clean your copier glass with a standard glass cleaner. However, NEVER spray the glass with the cleaning fluid because it could make its way into the machines operational electronics. Instead, spray a cloth with cleanser.

4. Use better paper

When you think of paper problems, you probably think of paper jams. First, let’s focus on a seldom thought-about paper problem: paper dust.

If you’re not a copier technician, you’re probably not aware that paper dust can build up inside your machine and cause image quality problems.

Recycled paper and lower quality paper gives off more dust. Although a lower paper price might be attractive, buying better quality paper could save you money in the long run.

5. Load paper correctly

There is not a copy machine on this planet which has not experienced a paper jam. Or a copier user who has not faced the frustrating task of trying to clear the jam. With a little patience, many paper jams are a preventable copier maintenance problem.

If you want to avoid jams, it is critical to load paper properly. Most people are in a rush and just shove paper into the tray without a lot of forethought.

Copier maintenance experts suggest that you initially take a half of a ream (package) of paper and place it into the tray.

Although the top sheets may seem properly arranged, the bottom sheets may have shifted to the side, which will cause a jam when the machine lifts the paper. So make sure the paper is in a tight stack and evenly aligned.

Another helpful copier maintenance hint is to fan the paper to make sure no sheets are stuck together. Sometimes glue from the packaging process causes the top sheets to stick together, which will cause a jam.

Two other issues discussed above – cleanliness and paper quality – also are relevant when it comes to paper jamming. Paper dust and dirty paper trays can cause jams. Do not overload the paper trays or a jam could occur.

Many copier paper trays are built to accommodate a package of paper (500 sheets).  This may not seem important, but it actually helps you avoid paper jams caused by overloaded trays.

6. Empty waste toner

Have you ever gotten that error code warning you that your waste toner reservoir is full (or near full)? Ignore that warning and your copier will eventually stop running. Did you know that toner replacement is a copier maintenance task you can do yourself?

You can order a waste toner bottle just as easy as ordering toner. All you need to do is switch out the bottles.

7. Know when to check with IT

If your printer slows down or stops completely and you receive an error code, you might need to call in a technician for copier maintenance or repair. However, you may be able to fix the problem faster by checking with your IT staff. The problem could be a network connection problem and not a mechanical malfunction.

Copier maintenance hint: if you can still make a copy, but you can’t complete a print job from your computer, it’s likely a network problem.

If you are looking for a professional team to service and maintain your copiers, contact Ronnie Moore Ltd on 021 4277841. We will provide you with prompt, reliable service to help keep your office running at its best.