How to clean the printer paper feed roller
Office equipment, like many others, can be quite finicky and fragile to handle, and its operation is inevitably associated with periodic minor malfunctions. Printers in this case are no exception. However, it is not at all necessary to take the device to service every time you discover one or another minor malfunction, since many problems can be fixed on your own. This article will tell you how and with what to clean the rollers that feed paper.
The content of the article
Where is the paper feed roller located?
Depending on the printer model, the rollers that output and feed paper may be located in different parts of the printer, however, they can mainly be found:
- Under the printer top cover
- On the front panel
- Above the bottom feed tray
- In the feed tray itself
How to clean: instructions
As an example, we will consider the Xerox Phaser 8870 printer. To clean the rollers, you should prepare a soft, lint-free cloth and packing tape. Cleaning should begin with the output shafts. They are fairly easy to reach as they are located directly under the output door on the top panel of the instrument. Contaminated parts must be thoroughly wiped with a prepared cloth.
Important! Cleaning rags should be chosen without lint so as not to contaminate the roller with it even more.
To clean the paper pick-up roller, you need to open the cover of the front panel of the device, and with the same cloth, gently wipe it from the ink that has settled on it.This device also has another roller, and it is located above the lower tray. At the top of the opening above it you can find a latch, opening which you can remove the roller assembly that grips the paper. The removed assembly can be cleaned using packing tape by running it along the adhesive side of the tape several times.
After cleaning, the part must be carefully inserted into all grooves and put into place. By hearing a characteristic click, you can make sure that the knot is secured.
Reference! There is another, simpler and more “folk” way to clean the pickup rollers on models with top paper feed.
To implement it, you should spray a previously prepared sheet of paper with window cleaner several times, then insert the sheet into the device with the side that is moistened with the product and turn on the printer. Holding the sheet with your hand and not allowing the printer to “tighten” it, you need to wait for the message that there is no paper in the device and repeat the operation a couple more times. The rollers cleaned in this way will dry quickly and will be ready for use in just a couple of minutes.
Don't you dare do as the author says! The roller will generally chew and the toner will stick to it!
The rollers are washed with the usual glass cleaner, best of all available materials. I don’t recommend alcohol, the rubber becomes hard and then doesn’t pick up paper at all.