[AtlantaKaren]

Good morning:

I had an HP Laser Printer that I loved and was a real workhorse. It died and I replaced it with a Brother Laser Printer that can copy, scan, and fax as well as print. However, when I attempt to print something (a Word document), it kicks off the power in this room.

I realize this is a VERY basic question; however: is it possible for one laser printer to pull that much more power than the previous laser printer? Thanks for your help.

[LincolnSpector]

Hi, Karen, and welcome to the forums.

I would like to think that a modern laser printer would pull less power than an older one. We're supposed to be getting smarter about that sort of thing.

Either way, a laser printer should not be tripping a circuit (which I assume is what you're describing). I'm wondering if there's something wrong with your printer, or your wiring.

Could you please tell us:

1) The model number of your printer.

2) Exactly what happens when you attempt to print.

Lincoln

[smax013]

LincolnSpector, on 25 October 2012 - 08:13 AM, said:

Hi, Karen, and welcome to the forums.

I would like to think that a modern laser printer would pull less power than an older one. We're supposed to be getting smarter about that sort of thing.

Either way, a laser printer should not be tripping a circuit (which I assume is what you're describing). I'm wondering if there's something wrong with your printer, or your wiring.

Could you please tell us:

1) The model number of your printer.

2) Exactly what happens when you attempt to print.

Lincoln

You might want to try a Kill A Watt device to see how many amps the new laser printer is pulling when it goes into its "warm up" phase during printing.

http://www.amazon.co...r/dp/B00009MDBU

You can then compare this with the amp rating of the circuit's circuit breaker/fuse.

Have you changed what other devices might be on that circuit? In other words, have you added any other devices the might be helping overload the circuit?

[LiveBrianD]

Fyi, a typical circuit breaker is 15A, so 120V*15A=1800W.

[smax013]

LiveBrianD, on 25 October 2012 - 03:50 PM, said:

Fyi, a typical circuit breaker is 15A, so 120V*15A=1800W.

Or it could be a 20A circuit. Granted, by code, in today's world, a circuit serving a bedroom/office or living room/family room (i.e. most places a computer & printer would likely be located) would be a 15A circuit. 20A circuits are typically only in the kitchen and/or bathrooms.

Regardless, a Kill A Watt device can measure amps as well as watts. Thus, no multiplication needed.

[LiveBrianD]

True. I happen to have a kill a watt, and I've played with the settings on it a bit.

[AtlantaKaren]

LincolnSpector, on 25 October 2012 - 08:13 AM, said:

Hi, Karen, and welcome to the forums.

I would like to think that a modern laser printer would pull less power than an older one. We're supposed to be getting smarter about that sort of thing.

Either way, a laser printer should not be tripping a circuit (which I assume is what you're describing). I'm wondering if there's something wrong with your printer, or your wiring.

Could you please tell us:

1) The model number of your printer.

2) Exactly what happens when you attempt to print.

Lincoln

[AtlantaKaren]

Thanks so much for your response! We have decided (after talking to a few others about this) to box up the printer and return it. We're going back to HP! What happened was it did trip the circuit, but only long enough to restart the computer (even though it's plugged into a UPS, make the lights go off and on (not flicker, but all the way off).

This happened two times and both times she was attempting to print a Word document. I wondered, too, about the wiring, but the house is only 7 years old. Of course it could be the wiring, but we have had no previous problems.

Thanks again!

Karen

[Szczecinianin]

Hi Karen,

You may've been right to send the printer back as faulty wiring would have resulted in such problems with other devices/appliances. Somtimes it's the hardware's fault and in a situation like that they should replace it. Or you may buy a different model or manufacturer   

[LiveBrianD]

If the OP ends up getting a different brand of printer, I suggest a Brother - those seem to work well for me. (That said, I do NOT advise getting a Canon, as it seems they've never heard of the concept of decent driver support.)

[MLStrand56]

AtlantaKaren, on 26 October 2012 - 09:08 AM, said:

What happened was it did trip the circuit, but only long enough to restart the computer (even though it's plugged into a UPS, make the lights go off and on (not flicker, but all the way off).

Are you saying that the Laser Printer was plugged into the UPS, OR was the Laser Printer plugged straight into the houses AC outlet & the computer was on the UPS? REASON: Every Laser Printer that I've owned, or read about, said to NEVER plug a Laser Printer into a UPS. Same for every UPS I've owned. Perhaps you've found out WHY!

MLStrand56

[LiveBrianD]

Laser printers use a LOT of power while running the fuser (several hundred watts). That's the problem with running them off UPSes.

[LincolnSpector]

LiveBrianD, on 25 December 2012 - 08:04 AM, said:

Laser printers use a LOT of power while running the fuser (several hundred watts). That's the problem with running them off UPSes.

Is there such a thing as a laser printer that gets its power from the UPS? It's data, yes, but its power? That strikes me as absurd.

Lincoln

[MLStrand56]

LincolnSpector, on 26 December 2012 - 08:31 AM, said:

LiveBrianD, on 25 December 2012 - 08:04 AM, said:

Laser printers use a LOT of power while running the fuser (several hundred watts). That's the problem with running them off UPSes.

Is there such a thing as a laser printer that gets its power from the UPS? It's data, yes, but its power? That strikes me as absurd.

Lincoln

Lincoln, You crack me up. We're talking about an UPS (Uninteruptable Power Supply, not a USB (Universal Serial Bus).

MLStrand56

[LincolnSpector]

MLStrand56, on 27 December 2012 - 06:11 AM, said:

Lincoln, You crack me up. We're talking about an UPS (Uninteruptable Power Supply, not a USB (Universal Serial Bus).

MLStrand56

I've got to stop visiting the forums pre-caffeine!

Lincoln