Advantage Business Systems, Xerox Northeast

My copier keeps jamming and I've stopped trusting it

Why an office copier jams repeatedly, what to check before calling, and how to tell a maintenance problem from an end-of-life machine.

What's actually going on

Repeat jams usually trace to worn feed rollers, humidity in the paper, or a device running well above its rated monthly duty cycle.

A machine consistently over duty cycle will keep failing no matter how many parts get replaced.

What to do in the next 48 hours

  1. 1Note which tray and which paper path the jams happen in. That detail alone shortens the repair.
  2. 2Swap in a fresh ream from a sealed package and store paper away from exterior walls.
  3. 3Pull your monthly page count and compare it to the device's rated duty cycle.
  4. 4If you have had three or more service calls in ninety days, treat it as a replacement decision, not a repair decision.

The honest tradeoffs

  • Replacing a feed assembly buys reliability for a fraction of a new machine, and is the right call on a device under duty cycle with life left.
  • Repairing a chronically overworked machine is money spent to delay the same conversation.

Your next step

Rather just talk it through with someone local?

203-777-0011Or request service

Questions people ask next

Why does my copier jam so often?
The most common causes are worn pickup and feed rollers, paper that has absorbed humidity, incorrect tray guides, or a machine running above its rated monthly duty cycle.
When should I replace a copier instead of repairing it?
When repair cost approaches a meaningful share of replacement value, when the device is consistently over its duty cycle, or when you have had repeated failures in a short window.

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