Turn off laser printer with power strip?

I'm wondering if there are any negative effects on a color laser printer
from using a power strip to turn the printer on and off. I can't find
anything in the product documentation but I thought that people here might
know. I've been told that turning the power off to an inkjet without
turning the printer off via it's own switch is a no-no but I was wondering
if that holds true for a color laser. TIA

Gary

"Gary Vocks" wrote:
I'm wondering if there are any negative effects on a color laser printer
from using a power strip to turn the printer on and off. I can't find
anything in the product documentation but I thought that people here might
know. I've been told that turning the power off to an inkjet without
turning the printer off via it's own switch is a no-no but I was wondering
if that holds true for a color laser. TIA

Gary
Generally the answer is that no harm will be done to a Laser since the power
switch on a Laser invariably simply removes all power from the printer unlike
most inkjets where the power switch initiates an orderly close down and does
not actually remove power completely.
There may be exceptions however, although I am not aware of even one, what is
the printer?
Tony

When you turn off the power switch on some laser printers, the internal fan
may continue to run for a short time to cool down the interior (if you've
been printing recently). I know that's true with HP Color LaserJets. If
you turn off the printer at a power strip, the fan loses its power too so
the fan can't do its job.

Likewise, when you turn off the power switch of an ink jet printer, before
completely shutting down the print head parks itself to the side and rests
on a material that keeps the ink nozzles from being exposed to air and
drying out. If you turn off the printer at a power strip, the print head
just stays wherever it was in the middle of the carriage.

You wrote "power strip," which is not the same thing as a surge protector.
Strictly speaking, a power strip is just an extension cord with multiple
outlets and doesn't contain any electronics. It's generally not a good idea
to power laser printers (or any other devices that draw large amounts of
current, such as space heaters, coffee pots, toasters, electric drills,
etc.) through a surge protector because they interfere with the surge
protection capability.


"Gary Vocks" wrote in message
...
I'm wondering if there are any negative effects on a color laser printer
from using a power strip to turn the printer on and off. I can't find
anything in the product documentation but I thought that people here might
know. I've been told that turning the power off to an inkjet without
turning the printer off via it's own switch is a no-no but I was wondering
if that holds true for a color laser. TIA

Gary

In article , "Gary Vocks"
wrote:

I'm wondering if there are any negative effects on a color laser printer
from using a power strip to turn the printer on and off. I can't find
anything in the product documentation but I thought that people here might
know. I've been told that turning the power off to an inkjet without
turning the printer off via it's own switch is a no-no but I was wondering
if that holds true for a color laser. TIA

Gary-

I agree with Tony, at least for the printer's I'm familiar with.

Suppose the printer were in the middle of some operation, whether printing
or calibration. Killing it should be no different than opening the
printer while power is off and changing some internal part.

Some gears may be partially rotated as a result, but the power-up sequence
should recalibrate everything back to a nominal configuration. There is
always the possibility of a power failure, and the printer should be able
to cope with that.

If you're not convinced, at least be sure the printer is in a quiescent
mode when you kill the power.

Fred

Power strip is a surge protector without those internal $0.10 parts.
Both power strip and power strip surge protector connect that laser
printer directly to AC mains. Remove those $0.10 parts from a power
strip protector and install those parts inside a plug. When that plug
is plugged into a power strip, then the power strip is electrically
same as a power strip surge protector. Those parts - inside the power
strip or inside an attached plug - make no difference to how a laser
printer connects to AC mains.

It's generally not a good idea to power laser printers through a surge
protector because they interfere with the surge protection capability.
I will love to see this poster prove that one. Yes, that is an open
challenge. What is a power strip surge protector? Assuming it has an
essential 15 amp circuit breaker, then that surge protector is
electrically equivalent to a power strip ... as long as voltage never
exceeds its let-through voltage rating ... 330 volts. That's right.
That $25 surge protector does nothing as long as AC voltage does not
exceed the let-through voltage. That $23 protector is electrically
same as the $3 power strip when 120 volt AC does not exceed those 300
volts. This idea that high current devices 'interfere' is classic junk
science reasoning - complete with no reasons 'why' and no numbers.

Turn off laser printer power either using its power switch, using a
power strip, or using a wall switch. It's all the same and not
destructive to the laser printer.

John Smith wrote:
...
You wrote "power strip," which is not the same thing as a surge protector.
Strictly speaking, a power strip is just an extension cord with multiple
outlets and doesn't contain any electronics. It's generally not a good idea
to power laser printers (or any other devices that draw large amounts of
current, such as space heaters, coffee pots, toasters, electric drills,
etc.) through a surge protector because they interfere with the surge
protection capability.

John Smith wrote:
When you turn off the power switch on some laser printers, the internal fan
may continue to run for a short time to cool down the interior (if you've
been printing recently). I know that's true with HP Color LaserJets. If
you turn off the printer at a power strip, the fan loses its power too so
the fan can't do its job.

Likewise, when you turn off the power switch of an ink jet printer, before
completely shutting down the print head parks itself to the side and rests
on a material that keeps the ink nozzles from being exposed to air and
drying out. If you turn off the printer at a power strip, the print head
just stays wherever it was in the middle of the carriage.

You wrote "power strip," which is not the same thing as a surge protector.
Strictly speaking, a power strip is just an extension cord with multiple
outlets and doesn't contain any electronics. It's generally not a good idea
to power laser printers (or any other devices that draw large amounts of
current, such as space heaters, coffee pots, toasters, electric drills,
etc.) through a surge protector because they interfere with the surge
protection capability.

Huh? I don't think you have any support for that
statement. Large power consumers may overload the
capacity of the surge protector and trip the
breaker, turning off ever other appliance hooked
to the surge protector. That would be the main
reason for not using high current devices. The
surge protection isn't going to be affected.





"Gary Vocks" wrote in message
...

I'm wondering if there are any negative effects on a color laser printer
from using a power strip to turn the printer on and off. I can't find
anything in the product documentation but I thought that people here might
know. I've been told that turning the power off to an inkjet without
turning the printer off via it's own switch is a no-no but I was wondering
if that holds true for a color laser. TIA

Gary

Surge protectors are considered to be a cause of fuser error messages for some
laser printers. See http://www.advancedlaser.net/errorcode/error_50.htm for one
side of this debate. I am not going to get involved with the debate here
because neither side can win, but be aware that there IS a debate and I have
seen situations where bypassing a surge protector eliminates 50.X fuser errors.
The original post was about a power strip however which is a very different
beast and there is no evidence that these cause problems.
Tony

"w_tom" wrote:
Power strip is a surge protector without those internal $0.10 parts.
Both power strip and power strip surge protector connect that laser
printer directly to AC mains. Remove those $0.10 parts from a power
strip protector and install those parts inside a plug. When that plug
is plugged into a power strip, then the power strip is electrically
same as a power strip surge protector. Those parts - inside the power
strip or inside an attached plug - make no difference to how a laser
printer connects to AC mains.

It's generally not a good idea to power laser printers through a surge
protector because they interfere with the surge protection capability.
I will love to see this poster prove that one. Yes, that is an open
challenge. What is a power strip surge protector? Assuming it has an
essential 15 amp circuit breaker, then that surge protector is
electrically equivalent to a power strip ... as long as voltage never
exceeds its let-through voltage rating ... 330 volts. That's right.
That $25 surge protector does nothing as long as AC voltage does not
exceed the let-through voltage. That $23 protector is electrically
same as the $3 power strip when 120 volt AC does not exceed those 300
volts. This idea that high current devices 'interfere' is classic junk
science reasoning - complete with no reasons 'why' and no numbers.

Turn off laser printer power either using its power switch, using a
power strip, or using a wall switch. It's all the same and not
destructive to the laser printer.

John Smith wrote:
...
You wrote "power strip," which is not the same thing as a surge protector.
Strictly speaking, a power strip is just an extension cord with multiple
outlets and doesn't contain any electronics. It's generally not a good idea
to power laser printers (or any other devices that draw large amounts of
current, such as space heaters, coffee pots, toasters, electric drills,
etc.) through a surge protector because they interfere with the surge
protection capability.

I'm not an engineer; I should have prefaced my post with "From what I
understand..." Nevertheless, here are some links that support my
understanding that it's unwise to use a surge protector with a laser
printer.

Laser printer powerup can cause a brownout at the computer:
http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/Dumm...e/id-2270.html
Laser printer powerup can fry a surge protector:
http://www.digital-photography.org/d...rotectors.html
"Never plug a laser printer into a surge protector":
http://www.compamerica.com/userguide/
Laser printer can overload the surge protector:
http://www.dansdata.com/gz039.htm
Surge protector can reduce voltage to laser printers, causing errors:
http://www.pcnetmiami.com/
It is not recommended to power any laser printer through a surge protector:
http://www.serviceworks.com/sw-rlpq3.html

Admittedly, I also found web sites that recommend connecting a surge
protector to a laser printer, so maybe it comes down to personal preference.
My original intent was to say that a laser printer may adversely affect the
overall operation of the surge protector, including its surge protection
capability, but what I wrote instead implies that only the voltage spike
suppression is affected. Apologies are extended for not writing clearly.

Personally, I prefer to use my surge protectors on "clean" electronics. I
plug appliances, motors, and heating devices including laser printers
directly into the wall outlet, ideally on a separate circuit from my
computer. I don't want to purposely inject electrical noise into the device
whose purpose is to keep noise from the systems I'm trying to protect.



"George E. Cawthon" wrote in message
...
John Smith wrote:

You wrote "power strip," which is not the same thing as a surge
protector. Strictly speaking, a power strip is just an extension cord
with multiple outlets and doesn't contain any electronics. It's
generally not a good idea to power laser printers (or any other devices
that draw large amounts of current, such as space heaters, coffee pots,
toasters, electric drills, etc.) through a surge protector because they
interfere with the surge protection capability.

Huh? I don't think you have any support for that statement. Large power
consumers may overload the capacity of the surge protector and trip the
breaker, turning off ever other appliance hooked to the surge protector.
That would be the main reason for not using high current devices. The
surge protection isn't going to be affected.





"Gary Vocks" wrote in message
...

I'm wondering if there are any negative effects on a color laser printer
from using a power strip to turn the printer on and off. I can't find
anything in the product documentation but I thought that people here
might know. I've been told that turning the power off to an inkjet
without turning the printer off via it's own switch is a no-no but I was
wondering if that holds true for a color laser. TIA

Gary

I was going to reply without reading your
reference then decided, "What the hell."
Summaries follow:
1. printers need separate circuits to protect the
computer from brownouts.
2. Article about UPS not surge protectors
3. Instructions for a novice, and says never plug
a printer into a surge protector but doesn't say why.
4. Just a rant about surge protectors in general.
5. About trouble shooting problems, so plug
printer into the wall (to bypass a possible
problem with the surge protector)
6. Says don't put printer on a surge protector or
powerbar because of high current draw when printer
is turned on. (Means that the breaker in the
surge protector will flip off.)

Note that none of these have anything to do with a
printer damaging a surge protector.


John Smith wrote:
I'm not an engineer; I should have prefaced my post with "From what I
understand..." Nevertheless, here are some links that support my
understanding that it's unwise to use a surge protector with a laser
printer.

Laser printer powerup can cause a brownout at the computer:
http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/Dumm...e/id-2270.html
Laser printer powerup can fry a surge protector:
http://www.digital-photography.org/d...rotectors.html
"Never plug a laser printer into a surge protector":
http://www.compamerica.com/userguide/
Laser printer can overload the surge protector:
http://www.dansdata.com/gz039.htm
Surge protector can reduce voltage to laser printers, causing errors:
http://www.pcnetmiami.com/
It is not recommended to power any laser printer through a surge protector:
http://www.serviceworks.com/sw-rlpq3.html

Admittedly, I also found web sites that recommend connecting a surge
protector to a laser printer, so maybe it comes down to personal preference.
My original intent was to say that a laser printer may adversely affect the
overall operation of the surge protector, including its surge protection
capability, but what I wrote instead implies that only the voltage spike
suppression is affected. Apologies are extended for not writing clearly.

Personally, I prefer to use my surge protectors on "clean" electronics. I
plug appliances, motors, and heating devices including laser printers
directly into the wall outlet, ideally on a separate circuit from my
computer. I don't want to purposely inject electrical noise into the device
whose purpose is to keep noise from the systems I'm trying to protect.



"George E. Cawthon" wrote in message
...

John Smith wrote:

You wrote "power strip," which is not the same thing as a surge
protector. Strictly speaking, a power strip is just an extension cord
with multiple outlets and doesn't contain any electronics. It's
generally not a good idea to power laser printers (or any other devices
that draw large amounts of current, such as space heaters, coffee pots,
toasters, electric drills, etc.) through a surge protector because they
interfere with the surge protection capability.

Huh? I don't think you have any support for that statement. Large power
consumers may overload the capacity of the surge protector and trip the
breaker, turning off ever other appliance hooked to the surge protector.
That would be the main reason for not using high current devices. The
surge protection isn't going to be affected.





"Gary Vocks" wrote in message
...


I'm wondering if there are any negative effects on a color laser printer

from using a power strip to turn the printer on and off. I can't find

anything in the product documentation but I thought that people here
might know. I've been told that turning the power off to an inkjet
without turning the printer off via it's own switch is a no-no but I was
wondering if that holds true for a color laser. TIA

Gary

A surge protector also offers EMI/RFI filtering. Why purposely inject
trouble directly into your safety device?

I disagree with you that turning off a laser printer at its power switch, a
power strip, or a wall switch are all the same. Many laser printers (for
example, the HP Color LaserJet 4500) contain an internal fan that continues
to run for five minutes or so after the power is switched off if the printer
has recently been printing. If you turn the printer off at a wall switch or
power strip or disconnect the power cord, the fan stops running instantly
and the heat remains inside the printer. Sure, the heat will seep out
eventually and your printer won't die right away, but if you always let the
printer bake in its own heat your printer may only last five years instead
of ten (my estimates). Many products have cooling fans that continue to run
for awhile after the device is turned off. Car radiator electric fans and
overhead projector fans immediately come to mind.



"w_tom" wrote in message
oups.com...
Power strip is a surge protector without those internal $0.10 parts.
Both power strip and power strip surge protector connect that laser
printer directly to AC mains. Remove those $0.10 parts from a power
strip protector and install those parts inside a plug. When that plug
is plugged into a power strip, then the power strip is electrically
same as a power strip surge protector. Those parts - inside the power
strip or inside an attached plug - make no difference to how a laser
printer connects to AC mains.

It's generally not a good idea to power laser printers through a surge
protector because they interfere with the surge protection capability.
I will love to see this poster prove that one. Yes, that is an open
challenge. What is a power strip surge protector? Assuming it has an
essential 15 amp circuit breaker, then that surge protector is
electrically equivalent to a power strip ... as long as voltage never
exceeds its let-through voltage rating ... 330 volts. That's right.
That $25 surge protector does nothing as long as AC voltage does not
exceed the let-through voltage. That $23 protector is electrically
same as the $3 power strip when 120 volt AC does not exceed those 300
volts. This idea that high current devices 'interfere' is classic junk
science reasoning - complete with no reasons 'why' and no numbers.

Turn off laser printer power either using its power switch, using a
power strip, or using a wall switch. It's all the same and not
destructive to the laser printer.

John Smith wrote:
...
You wrote "power strip," which is not the same thing as a surge
protector.
Strictly speaking, a power strip is just an extension cord with multiple
outlets and doesn't contain any electronics. It's generally not a good
idea
to power laser printers (or any other devices that draw large amounts of
current, such as space heaters, coffee pots, toasters, electric drills,
etc.) through a surge protector because they interfere with the surge
protection capability.