How often do you think about your office equipment? If the answer is “rarely” or “never,” it’s time to change that. It’s important to take care of your equipment because they can be very expensive to replace if something goes wrong.
Here are seven simple ways to maintain your office equipment:
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1. Take Care of the Machine as a Whole
If you have any equipment that needs to be repaired, it’s important to take care of your devices as a whole. One piece of equipment may not work properly if another part is broken or malfunctioning — for example, a fax machine won’t send a document correctly if there’s a paper jam preventing it from moving through the rollers. So make sure you do regular checks on all components and parts so you can find problems before they get worse and start affecting other things.
2. Make Sure Your Equipment is Properly Ventilated
Another common problem with office equipment is overheating. This usually happens because of a ventilation problem, so it’s important to keep this in mind when you have different pieces of equipment sitting next to each other on a surface, like a desk or a bookshelf. For example, if your printer and fax machine are sharing a shelf with a cup filled with pens and pencils, the heat from both machines will stay trapped between them because there isn’t enough space for the air to circulate.
3. Keep Your Equipment Clean
It’s easy to forget about something you see every day, but it’s important to clean your office equipment on a regular basis. If you don’t keep it clean, there will be dust buildup and other substances that could get onto the machines and affect their performance. You should wipe down the surface of your desk regularly with a damp cloth to get rid of any excess dirt or small pieces of paper. Don’t let debris pile up because these pieces can also cause some problems and damage some parts of your equipment (like fans).
4. Unplug Your Equipment When It Isn’t in Use
This may sound like common sense, but many people tend to leave their office equipment plugged in all day long, even when it isn’t in use. This causes the electricity to constantly run through your devices and components, which can be dangerous. In addition, it wastes a lot of energy because you’re paying for electricity without getting anything back from your equipment until you actually need to use them.
5. Use the Right Supplies
Using the right supplies is another way to avoid damaging your office equipment. For example, if you have a paper cutter that uses blades, don’t try using glue or tape instead of actual cutting tools. It might seem like a cheaper substitute at first, but if you damage one of the blades by using it improperly, you’ll have to purchase a new one — just like how an ink cartridge isn’t going to work in a printer it wasn’t made for unless someone is trying to pull off a practical joke
6. Use Original Equipment Manufacturer Parts
When you have equipment that needs to be repaired, it’s important to use parts from the original manufacturer because they’ll fit perfectly and will work well with your device. Generic products may seem like a better deal at first, even though they’re not as high-quality since they cost half as much as the original product, which is why many people opt for them — but in reality, generic products can cause damage and leave you with tons of unnecessary expenses later on if something goes wrong. So contact a reliable business computer repair company if you have any problems with your office equipment, so they can do the necessary maintenance to keep it running well.
7. Keep Your Equipment in a Sensible Location
If you have all of your office equipment on one desk, it’s easy to put down your cup of coffee or set something else on top. That might seem harmless at the time, but the heat from these kinds of liquids can damage your devices if they’re left overnight. If possible, try moving your gear to another part of the room that’s not right next to where people are eating or drinking while they work.
Office equipment can be expensive to replace, so it is important to take care of them. These seven simple tips can help you maintain your office equipment and keep it in good condition for years to come. If all of this seems overwhelming, or if you need some help with the maintenance of a specific piece of machinery like printers or fax machines, contact a team of professionals to get your work done!
