Copier Troubleshooting for Dumbies
Toubleshooting copier problems is a common occurence in a lot of offices these days. It can be very frustrating when the copier stops working, especially if your boss says he needs that sales report on his desk, "Like yesterday." That is why I have summarized some simple procedures you can follow to help save you some time and money the next time your copier jams or makes bad copies.
I know not everyone is a copier technician so I've only included things that the average person would be able to fix. However, if you are not sure if you are permitted to fix the copier in your office I recommend scheduling a service call for your machine.
Below is a list of common copier problems and what you can do to fix them:
- Lines on the page - Check the machine's copy glass for any markings or scratches. Clean the glass regularly with Windex and a paper towel.
- Paper jam - NEVER jerk the paper out. Try to remove the paper along its natural path in or out of the machne. Make sure the feed rollers (small wheels that grab the paper and move into or out of the machine) are cleaned of any residue with a clean cloth.
- Dark/Light - Adjust the machine's exposure settings on the user interface screen. Check your users manual for user adjustable density settings. Check toner levels.
- Spots on the page - If the spot is in the same place everytime the copy glass needs to be cleaned. If there are spots randomly on the page then the developer is malfunctioning and you need to request a service call.
- Voided areas - You can either clean the machine's wires manually, or use your machine's automatic cleaning function. Check users manual to see if your copier has this function.
- Lines across the page - This is usually due to a bad drum cleaning blade or worn fuser rollers. Unfortunately, these issues will need to be fixed with a service call.
- Wrinkly pages - This problem is caused by malfuntioning rollers. You can either have your technician replace the rollers or try using different paper.
- Unfamiliar Noises - If you have a cartridge type copier try changing the cartridge out. Also check for paper jammed in abnormal places.
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