9 Best Ways to Increase the Lifespan of your HP Printer
A printer is an integral part of a computer. This device is used in homes and offices alike for a host of printing purposes. It requires care and maintenance to function for a longer period efficiently. The lifetime of a HP printer undeniably depends on the specific model, manufacturer, etc. but below listed tips and guidelines can significantly increase its lifetime to a considerable extent and add economic value to it.
- Regular Cleaning — HP Printer
Cleaning is indeed the most effective way to keep your printer going for years. Generally, the printer is cleaned from outside by wiping or brushing the dirt but cleaning the interior of the printer is equally or more important too. During operation, toner, ink, dirt, and dust could accrue inside the printer, harming the printing mechanism and causing system failures. So, after opening up your HP printer carefully, the paper dust or debris must be wiped down using a soft fabric as it could easily be done in a matter of minutes. This process of cleaning should be repeated twice or thrice a month to keep the machine running smoothly.
2. Good Cartridge & Paper Quality
Usage of low-quality cheap ink cartridges and paper may seem cost-effective, but it is quite expensive actually to use them. The lifespan of a printer directly depends on the paper quality. If low-quality paper is used, it will cause jams harming the printer interior and could damage its sensitive components. Most of the printers have a specified paperweight that they could support. Generally, 20–24lb paper is ideal. The condition of the paper must also be ensured before printing. If torn out, worn out or the crumbled paper is put to print, it occur HP Printer Paper Jam.
The cheap paper puts excessive pressure on the printing mechanism while low-quality cartridges may leak anytime causing system malfunctions. So, one may end up spending a lot on repairs. Apart from this, there are recommended toners and cartridges for every model or brand of printers. So, the knowledge of the model and type must be in mind at the time of ink purchase and cartridge installment. If the wrong cartridge is used, it could potentially damage the printer. Concerning the cost, the preferred ink is available at very reasonable rates.
3. Careful & Frequent Cartridge Replacement
The aspect of changing cartridges frequently should be heeded to impart longevity to the printing devices. Cartridges should be changed every few weeks without waiting for the printer ink to dry up. Depletion or wear and tear of the printer head will be caused by the drying up of the ink, so the frequent change of cartridges is preferred to increase the device’s lifespan.
The frequent changing of ink cartridges coupled with careful installment will prove to be more advantageous for the machine’s operating life. One must be cautious enough while replacing ink cartridges. Firstly, manufacturer instructions should be attentively read and then those must be carefully exercised while cartridge installment. One important point is that the cartridge’s bottom must not be touched while replacing it. If this is done, it could lead to bad print quality, while subsequently leading to a negative impact on the printer’s life too.
4. Standby Mode
Constant switching on and off a printer from an electric source may prove detrimental to the printer’s health. The reason is the heat, that printers generate when they are connected to the power resource. This heat can make the print header dry up the cartridge leading to the clogging of the printer header. Secondly, constant electricity supply will cause deterioration in the parts of the printer, so it is highly endorsed that printers must be kept in standby mode to counter the stated negative effects.
5. Operating System Update
There are different printer operating system updates now and then. It must be noted here that a printer has an operating system or software akin to the computer operating system, which ensures the functioning of the printer mechanism. There are timely printer system updates by the manufacturing companies which must be installed promptly and regularly for system optimization or efficiency, bug fixation, and for solving other major or minor problems. If the system is not updated, issues could come up which would decrease the printer life. Thus, following this easy maintenance guideline could increase the printer lifespan.
6. Regular Maintenance
Timely maintenance of the device will increase its life to a considerable extent. This becomes more necessary for busy printers. Considering the complex printers that have many moving parts, their maintenance should be handled by trained technicians as faultless identification of any problem could be done.
7. Roller Maintenance & Replacement
If there are constant printer paper jam and one identifies that the printer feeder is not picking up the paper properly that there is a great possibility that the printer rollers have worn out. This may not be the only reason for the miss- happening, and cleaning and greasing of the rollers should be done at first. If this does not yield the required results, then consult the user manuals. There is the proper direction for replacing the roller by oneself.
8. Ink Spillage Check
There are small ink spillages generally, but they are not of concern. One should be concerned when ink spillage becomes profound. This should be cleaned using cotton swabs or soft fabric. But, if the cartridge is damaged, there is a quick need for cartridge replacement because if the ink will continue leaking, it would dry up subsequently converting into debris damaging the printer interior.
9. Regular Printing & No Overwork
Not using the ink would cause it to dry up leading to unlikable consequences. So, one or two sheets of paper must be printed regularly, or the ink cartridge must be stored in a sealed, dry, and room-temperature environment. Secondly, every printer has a specific workload capacity which is expressed in the form of ‘duty-cycle’. This is a number that denoted the printable pages every month. So, depending on the duty cycles, printers should be purchased because if the printer is overworked, it impacts its lifespan.
So, if the above-elucidated ways are put to use properly then they could have a substantial effect to increase the life of the printer to a large extent.