The question of how often a photocopier must be serviced hinged on a varying number of factors such as the service and maintenance contracts, and how well and often the photocopier is maintained.
As we dive deeper into this topic, we will discuss what considerations should be made when getting a service and maintenance contract, why you should service your photocopier, and much more.
What Is The Lifespan Of A Photocopier?
The model of your copier plays a huge role in determining its lifespan.
Normally, the life span of an office copier is anywhere between three to five years. The life span of your copier largely depends on how often you use it and how well you maintain your copier.
Most low-end copier models are created to make about 1,000 copies per month, while high-end copiers produce upwards of 50,000. To increase the lifespan of your copier it is recommended that you don’t reach the maximum copies per month.
How Often Must The Photocopier Be Serviced?
In general, you should service your photocopier every 3 months. However, the frequency of maintenance will be determined by how often you make use of your copier.
Make a good and objective assessment of your photocopier requirements to know the best starting point for how often you should maintain your photocopier. The less volume of work the copy machine does, the longer you can go before proper servicing and maintenance and vice versa.
It’s also recommended that you perform regular checkups even if your devices are running fine and you don’t think it’s necessary.
How Do You Service A Photocopier?
Depending on the brand and model of the photocopier, the ways or methods of servicing it can either be mildly different or extremely different.
We have outlined some basic steps that you must take when servicing your copier below.
1. Read The Copier Manual
There are different kinds of copiers so it is advised you read the manual to be able to understand how the copier works.
There are some general techniques used for photocopier maintenance. However, there are specific features that each copier model or brand has and as a result, there are unique ways of maintaining them.
When you read the manual, you learn how to properly operate it, and it helps you understand the methods recommended by the manufacturer for any required maintenance.
2. Clean The Photocopier Glass
The photocopier glass where you put documents on to copy is an essential part of the copier. High levels of dust and grime can build up on the glass and can cause streaks and smears to appear on your copies.
Hence you should invest in a high-quality photocopier glass cleaner and clean the glass regularly.
3. Clean The Dust On The Inside Of The Copier
Just like when dust builds up on the glass, it is an issue if dust gets on the internal parts of your photocopier as well.
You should gently clean the internal parts of your copier with a soft dry cloth. For the areas that are hard to reach, you can use compressed air in a can. This will rid them of any debris that could cause them to jam up or make bad copies.
4. Clean The Ink Cartridge Head
Once again dust and grime can cause a serious issue here and it can affect the quality of your copies. So, when you are looking at the internal parts of your copier, you should also look at the ink cartridge head.
To clean the ink cartridge head, you should use a damp cotton cloth to wipe this part of the copier to get rid of any debris or dust.
Read more: How Long Does a Toner Cartridge Last for A Copier Machine
5. Clean The Paper Rollers
One of the most recurrent problems that all photocopiers have is paper jams and the annoying amount of time it takes to unjam. Dust on the paper rollers is the reason for the paper jam. It stops the paper from moving as smoothly as it should.
To prevent this from happening, you should wipe the paper rollers with a lint-free cloth when servicing.
6. Use Good Quality And Proper Parts
Using the wrong/incorrect parts is a very common cause of photocopier problems. As a result of this, it can lead to diminished capacity on the part of the copier or lead to it not working at all.
When servicing a copier, it is important that you use high-quality parts and ensure that the parts that you replace on the photocopier are the right parts and specifications.
7. Unclog The Drum
A vital part of the photocopier is the drum. Its job is to transfer the toner onto the paper to make your photocopies. After some time, the drum can become clogged with toner and it will need to be unclogged.
To unclog the drum, you will need to use a Mylar bar to gently scrape off all the excess toner from the drum and get it back to proper working condition.
8. Clean Out Your Fuser
The fuser is a pretty important component of the photocopier because it sticks the printed toner onto the paper. When this part has too much toner or debris on it, it can cause the copier to break down.
To clean out the fuser, apply some silicon oil on a damp cloth and wipe the fuser unit to get rid of the excess toner and debris.
Who Must Be Contacted When The Photocopier Has To Be Repaired?
A photocopier is sensitive and expensive equipment. If your photocopier is broken and needs to be repaired, we recommend you get a licensed technician to fix it.
If you have a servicing and maintenance contract, the copier supplier will send you an engineer within the response time specified in your contract.
Learn More: Copier Maintenance Contract: What Is It & Should You Get One?
Why You Should Service Your Photocopier Regularly?
A photocopier is a very vital piece of equipment in every office, and you must service your copier regularly to help keep it in good working condition.
Here are a few reasons why you should service your copier often:
Save Money In Large-Scale Repairs
Maintaining your copier regularly saves you a lot of money in the long run. It is cheaper to get an engineer or technician to attend to the subtle warning signs that your copier gives.
If these signs are left unattended for too long, they can become a bigger problem that will be expensive to repair. Thus, it is financially wise to take care of your photocopier because regular service costs much less than large-scale repairs.
Photocopier Breakdown Can Cause Reduced Productivity
Photocopiers are important in offices because they are used by everyone. If a copier is serviced regularly, it is unlikely to break down so the workflow is uninterrupted.
But if it is not regularly serviced, it could develop into a huge issue and breakdown. A breakdown may take hours or even days to fix. This inconveniences the office staff and reduces productivity.
Photocopier Is A Significant Monetary Investment
A photocopier can cost anywhere from several thousand ringgits for a basic model to tens of thousand ringgits for heavy-duty and sophisticated ones. It isn’t office equipment you want to buy often.
As a result of this, it represents a significant financial investment and should be serviced and maintained regularly to protect that investment.
Photocopier Maintenance & Servicing Contract Considerations
When assessing a photocopier maintenance and servicing contract there are a few points you must first consider:
- What will your fee be based on? Will it be based on the amount of usage? Will it be a fixed monthly fee or both?
- How quickly will a technician be sent out to fix the photocopier if it breaks down?
- Will the cost of parts and labour be covered in the contract if the photocopier needs to be repaired?
- What will it cost to supply the photocopier consumables (toner, ink, etc)?
- How often will the photocopier be serviced and maintained?
If your current copier lease agreement is not up to your needs, learn how to get out of your Copier Lease Agreement.
Typical Photocopier Service Contract Terms
Typically, a photocopier contract charges you a fixed monthly fee plus an extra fee for any additional page printed over the predetermined limit. This is because the more frequently a copier is used, the more consumables and maintenance it will require when compared with a copier that is not used as often.
Just like a mobile phone contract, there is usually a wide range of price plans to select from, from plans with low monthly fees, low copy limits, and higher costs per extra page; to plans with very high monthly fees and unlimited copier use.
A good service contract will have a pre-agreed time of response in which the supplier has to send out a technician to fix the copier if it is broken. The time frame for response is typically the same days or just a few hours later if it is reported within a certain timeframe.
The contracts will also clearly state who is to pay for parts and labour, and in what conditions they should pay. Depending on who owns the photocopier, this will differ significantly and so it should be carefully thought about in advance before buying a copier.
Learn More: Copier Maintenance Contract: What Is It & Should You Get One?
Conclusion
The importance that a photocopier has in an office can not be overemphasized, so it is vital that you take proper care of it and the best way to do this is by servicing and maintaining your copier regularly.
This helps you protect the investment that you made by purchasing the copier and lengthen the lifespan of your photocopier.
If you are looking for a trusted copier supplier, The Copier Guy offers photostat machine & copier rental services. We provide timely copier servicing and maintenance as part of our service as well. Whatsapp us to learn more.
