Printer Power Up

[TonyMan]

This may be really stupid, but I just bought a new printer. Every printer I have bought from Epson always has the same warning: Do not plug the printer into a power director. Place it on it's own outlet and always power on via the on/off switch. I always run it through the power director. What adverse effect could this have on the printer?

[BipolarBill]

I don't have a clue. Seems like BS to me.

[TonyMan]

You know Bill. that's kinda where I was coming from.

[j.m@talk]

NONE it's just a "Nice & friendly" saftey note

[Psycho Logical]

So, do you think Epson is stupid, or just makes that stuff up, or what?

Those instructions are neither "BS" nor just a "Nice & friendly" note.

Disregard them and you will ruin the printer eventually.

From the printer's standpoint, switching the outlet off while the printer is still on is indistinguishable from a power failure.

Try this:

• Plug your printer into an unswitched outlet and power it up.

• Power it off using its own power button/switch.

• Listen to and watch what happens, especially at the print head.


Now try this:

• Connect the printer to a switched outlet that is switched off.

• Switch the outlet on and then turn the printer on.

• Leave the printer on and turn the outlet off with its switch.

• Listen and watch as before.

See or hear any differences? The printer has a specific routine to complete before it shuts down. It can't do so if the power is interrupted at the outlet.

[BipolarBill]

You assume that the power strip will be used to turn off the entire sustem, PL. That's a huge assumption. I would put the percentage of people who use that technique to less than 50% of the total who own a surge strip. Most times, it's just too remote.

If that's what Epson means, that's what they should say.

[leprechaun_40]

PL is correct, if you don't shut the printer down with it's power switch, it can't go through it's shutdown routine. What this does is leave the heads open and dirty. What the printer does when you shut down, is clean the heads and parks them in a safe position over a seal that helps keep the ink from drying on the head. If you just kill the power they are left wherever they were, not a good idea.

The manufacturer should tell you this but they don't, they just say don't do it.

Alot of people don't use the power strip for shutting down the machines, but again, many do. I have mine on my ups, but it's on the surge only side, not switched. I use the printers switch. BTW, I think it's not just epson that says this, most do. Mines a Canon and it says it also.

[Psycho Logical]

Originally posted by BipolarBill
You assume that the power strip will be used to turn off the entire sustem, PL. That's a huge assumption.

Unlike you, I did not assume that TonyMan is using a power strip, since he specifically said power director.

Most of those have a master switch, and also allow you to control some outlets individually. Some units also have one or more outlets that are always on.

If that's what Epson means, that's what they should say.

Does a manufacturer have to justify or expand on every instruction?

Even if you feel that Epson's instructions are somehow incomplete or unsupported by a detailed explanation, the steps I outlined in my first post are a way to demonstrate that the printer does not react in the same way to the two different shutdown procedures.

Although I don't assume that I have the same printer model as TonyMan does, my Epson manual states:

"Caution: Do not plug the printer into an outlet controlled by a wall switch or timer, or on the same circuit as a large appliance. This may disrupt the power, which can erase memory and damage the power supply."

If you don't know or understand the reason for a manufacturer's instruction or recommendation, it's just not very good advice to shoot from the hip and dismiss it as "BS", or advise someone else to do so.

[BipolarBill]

I never said it was BS. You're making the assumptions now. I said it seems like BS, didn't I? I also stated unequivocally that I didn't have a clue.

Keep it up, attack dog. We're headed for a real horn-tangling.

[NDD]

I think BipolarBill really needs to change his avatar

[BipolarBill]

Oh sure! Like that would improve my miserable life! Waaaaaahh!

[Psycho Logical]

Originally posted by BipolarBill
I said it seems like BS, didn't I?

Yes, that is what you said. But TonyMan seemed to be taking it as a confirmation or justification to go ahead and disregard the Epson instruction.

Originally posted by TonyMan
You know Bill. that's kinda where I was coming from.

It's not really too much of a stretch to read that as him seeing your response as an opinion that agreed with and reinforced what he was already thinking.

As a moderator, you should have some clue by now that even an offhand remark from you is taken more seriously or given more weight by some people.

I'm really not attacking you, or trying to tangle. I was just trying to prevent someone from ruining a printer, based on someone else's throw-away comment.

If you feel that you are infallible, perhaps the forum could create a new position for you. Pope?