Whether your office is going digital or has a record retention schedule to comply with, a paper shredder can be your good friend. There are many different types of paper shredders, and all of them require regular cleaning and maintenance in order to remain in top working condition.
Before we deep dive into cleaning and maintaining a paper shredder, it is important to understand that shredders come with different capacities and the intended use of your shredder. How fast the bin fills is determined by how documents are cut by your shredder. Naturally, a shredder designed to handle multiple documents at a time will fill much faster compared to single page units.
Basic Maintenance of Paper Shredders
Follow these tips to ensure smooth running of your paper shredder.
- Based on the volume being shredded, even if it’s not full, dump your shredder bin at least once a month.
- Run the shredder in reverse occasionally because it will prevent paper from getting wadded up in the area between the blades.
- Clear out the blades on a monthly basis or after a major shredding project. After the removal of the remnant bits of paper, clear the smallest pieces and dust using compressed air.
- Lubricating the shredder using shredder oil is an inexpensive way to expand the lifespan of your shredder.
How to Deal with Paper Shredder Jams?
All paper shredders tend to get jammed from time to time. Follow these step by step guidelines to deal with a jammed paper shredder.
- First, check the safety lights of your shredder. Sometimes, if there is a jam, they will send a signal.
- Whenever you open the shredder, shut off and unplug it.
- Empty the shredder bin.
- Now, turn the shredder on and run it in reverse. In some instances, this may eliminate the jam.
- If the jam is still there, try adding a small amount of shredder oil directly to the cutting head and run in reverse again.
- If after oiling and trying to run the machine in reverse the shredder remains jammed do not attempt to remove the lid as this will void the warranty and could cause additional unwanted damage to the shredder.
- If unsuccessful in removing the jam the easiest way to resolve the jam is to place a service call with our technical team.
Troubleshooting and Best Practices for Paper Shredders
In most instances, shredder failures can be addressed without much of a problem. Moreover, it is also possible to extend the service life of shredders by following a few extra steps.
- If your shredder isn’t running at all, please check if your bin has been securely installed.
- Even if your shredder is multi-page rated, avoid folding papers before they are placed in the shredder.
- Papers containing glue residue and stickers with adhesives should only be placed in machines with automatic oiling systems as the oil reduces the likelihood of jams and lubricates the cutting heads.
- If your shredder has slowed down or makes a whirring sound without movement, fast feeding or over feeding could be the reason and it could be time to place a service call..
- On the smaller model’s continuous use of a shredder may lead to overheating of the unit. This can be avoided by taking short breaks after each 10-15 minutes of shredding.
- If continuous use is required you should consider purchasing a machine designed for continuous operation.
At Mastershred, we have a comprehensive range of document shredders to suit all your needs. Please contact us for all your paper shredder maintenance or troubleshooting needs.