Paper Jams : when you can not wait for the technician



Posted: Tuesday, April 26, 2005

by Eric Engel
Copy For Sale

Paper Jams : when you can not wait for the technician Rule #1: Copier and Printer Paper Jams Will Come At The Worst Time. "Aauurgghh! The thing says 'paper jam', so I pull out the paper tray, I open the front door, and there's no jam! I have to get this thing printed in the next two hours, and the tech won't be here till tomorrow morning!"

Sound familiar? Most office employees, managers, and employers have had to deal with the dreaded paper jam at one time or another. On the average work day, the only thing you can do about your printer's jam is sit back wait for the tech to show. This works fine when there's no dead line. But every now and then, you NEED that printer to work. You have a stack of papers you have to send out and there's no time to wait for the 'level headed' tech, and there's no time to deal with printer jams.

What do you do? You follow a few simple steps to temporarily make the paper jams stop, and complete your task. The key word is temporarily. The paper jams will come back, and more frequently if the problems isn't fixed.

85% of paper jams are caused by worn rollers Chances are, when your tech arrives, he'll tell you that the jams were caused by worn feed rollers. The rubber treads in the rollers wears down, making them smooth, so they won't pick up the paper. Sometimes, they are aged, which also gives them a smoother rounded texture, causing jams. The quick fix is to liven up that roller with a mixture of alcohol and soap. Damp a rag with the solution and wipe the rollers clean with it. That's make them more pliable and the paper jams will cease for a while.

Where are the rollers, and what does this have to do with paper jams? You can split the different paper feed systems on copiers and printers into three different groups. Let's start with the oldest style, because it's still being used today.

Metal Tab Separation- Pull out your paper tray and examine either end where the paper sits in. If any of the corners are held down by metal tabs, this is your paper feed system. Chances are, you only have one rubber roller or one set of rollers arranged along side of each other. Reach in where the tray goes and feel up. You should feel some rollers. They might be completely round, or they might be shaped like a half moon. Clean whichever part of them you can with the solution, and this should stop your paper jams. It might be necessary to turn them, but don't force them if they don't move freely.

Pickup Roller and Separation Pad- Pull out the paper tray (or remove the paper if it feeds through the top of the printer). If your printer uses this paper feed system, you should see a small piece of flat or slightly curved rubber or cork. It would be towards the end of the paper tray, or deep inside the paper loading cavity on top loaders. This 'separation pad' rubs against the paper feed roller, so if you find the pad, you've found the roller. Clean it and your jams should stop.

Three Roller Paper Separation System- Pull your paper tray out, and look for a roller on either end of it. If you find one, clean it. Then look inside the printer where that roller would rest with the paper tray inserted. You'll find another paper roller there. Clean this one also. Finally, look further back or closer to the front of your printer (depending on which way your paper feeds) to find another roller or set of rollers. Clean all of these, and your paper jams will go away

If you're still unsure, Equipment Sales and Service gives free printer repair advice online at http://essonline.us

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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)
» left by Anonymous
 4 years 123 days ago.
awesome! This was really helpful, I will try it now. Very good info!
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