Scanners are expensive pieces of equipment. As such, a scanner can represent a large upfront cost to your business. Naturally, you’ll want to ensure such an expensive device operates for as long as possible.

There’s also the issue of downtime to consider.

If your expensive scanner breaks down, your business may slow to a crawl. In addition to paying for repairs, you’ll have to absorb the costs of lost time when your employees couldn’t use the scanner.

Combining these issues helps us see that maintenance is crucial for scanners. By following these key maintenance tips, you’ll keep your scanners operational for as long as possible.

Tip No. 1 – Conduct Regular Cleaning of Your Scanners

Dust is the biggest enemy of a scanner. It’s one of the biggest sources of electrical contact failure that affects your scanner’s operation. If dust starts clogging up your device’s internal components, you may end up with a scanner that can’t scan.

Cleaning scanners is a multi-step process that involves the machine’s exterior and interior. Start with the simple task of dusting the exterior. Use a clean cloth or duster to wipe away any dust that’s visible on the device’s surface.

With exterior dust cleared, switch your focus to the device’s internal parts. Start with the glass inside the scanner. Dampen a cloth with denatured water and wipe the glass down. Follow this up by drying the glass with a clean cloth. Don’t use chemical window cleaners for this task, as they can create marks or damage the glass, which affects the quality of your scanned documents.

Next, open up the scanner and wipe it down with a clean, dry microfiber cloth. This gets rid of any dust build-up inside the device. Some scanners also have self-cleaning modes, which involve feeding a blank piece of paper through the rollers to collect dust. Use that mode if it’s available.

The rollers come next. A scanner’s rollers keep documents flowing through the machine. If they get clogged, you end up with time-consuming and potentially damaging paper blockages to deal with. Remove the rollers from the scanner and clean them using a damp cloth. Don’t place them back in the scanner until they’ve dried fully.

Finally, clean your printheads. The scanner’s instruction manual should tell you how to remove these heads. Wipe them using a one-to-one mixture of clean water and isopropyl alcohol. The alcohol decreases buildup, thus maintaining the quality and clarity of your scans.

Aim to follow this cleaning routine once per week to keep your scanners in tip-top condition.

Tip No. 2 – Keep an Eye on Signs That Your Scanner Needs Maintenance

Regular cleaning helps to keep your scanner in good condition. The device has many moving parts. Issues with those parts create symptoms that act as signs the scanner may need repairing. Look for any of the following.

• Consistent paper jams that occur several times per day
• Lines appearing in your scanned images
• Rollers pick up multiple pages at once instead of scanning one page at a time
• Squeaking as the scanned paper is fed through the machine

Sadly, the presence of these issues usually means you have to pay for repairs. Those repairs will cost a lot less than they could as long as you’re vigilant enough to catch the problems before they escalate. Contact a technician as soon as you identify any of the above issues.

It’s also a good idea to keep track of individual parts so you have an idea of when they’re wearing out. For example, the average pick roller lasts for about 20,000 scans before it breaks down. Knowing when a part of your scanner is nearing the end of its lifespan allows you to source replacements before the part breaks. As such, you minimize downtime because you’re not waiting until the scanner stops working before you fix it.

Tip No. 3 – Perform Software Updates

Modern scanners often connect to wireless networks. Your company may have an internal cloud network that allows you to link your scanner to multiple devices. Because of these connection capabilities, scanners tend to come with software.

That software may create security risks.

If you fail to update the scanner’s software when prompted, you may leave the device open to hackers. That’s because software updates often get rid of bugs, glitches, and backdoors that would otherwise allow malicious parties to access your private network. If your software is out of date, you may create security vulnerabilities hackers can exploit.

That’s not all.

Software updates keep your scanners functioning properly. If the device is released with operational errors, updates allow manufacturers to fix those problems to ensure you’re getting what you paid for from your device.

Tip No. 4 – Turn It Off

Your scanner is likely only in use during office hours.

If that’s the case, turn it off when the workday ends. It’s a good idea to unplug the device from the wall socket. Keeping the scanner turned on means its electrical systems are constantly running. The wear and tear that results from this can lead to internal components malfunctioning faster than they normally would. It doesn’t matter that the scanner isn’t in use. The fact that the machine is constantly on speeds up the degradation of its electrical components.

Protect Your Scanners

The four maintenance tips in this article ensure you maximize your scanner’s lifespan. Regular cleaning, performing software updates, and turning the device off when it isn’t in use protects the device’s internal components. And by keeping an eye out for signs of malfunction, you’re able to repair your scanner before minor problems become major business challenges.

But before any of these steps, you need to do one thing.

Buy a great scanner.

At Copiers Etcetera, we offer a wide range of copiers, printers, and scanners from leading brands like Lanier, Ricoh, and Savin. If you’re in Mill Creek and need a great scanner for your business, get in touch today and we’ll work together to fulfill your needs.