laser printer causes lights to flicker

[icp]

I just bought a laser printer and when it's motor is running it causes the lights in my room to flicker about every 10 seconds even if it's not printing anything. As soon as the printer goes into sleep mode or if I turn it off the lights don't flicker anymore. Is this normal?

 

[programmer]

Lasers use a lot of power. My 10-year-old HP 4P does the same thing, but the lights flicker slightly about every 1/2 second while it is printing -- kind of makes them shimmer. It has done that since new and I think it is perfectly normal.

 

[The Sauce]

I needed a new circuit installed in my office for my laser. I don't know about the "every ten seconds" thing though. And it certainly makes sense that your lights would stop flickering when you turn them off.

 

[icp]

Originally posted by: Snatchface
I needed a new circuit installed in my office for my laser. I don't know about the "every ten seconds" thing though. And it certainly makes sense that your lights would stop flickering when you turn them off.

Why did you need another circuit installed? Did having the laser printer installed on the common circuit cause problems?

And I meant that my lights stop flickering if I turn the printer off. 🙂

 

[sharkeeper]

Yes it's normal. It's by design, the heaters are switched on and off to maintain temperature of the fuser. Some power / lighting is more sensitive than others. If this is annoying you will have to put the printer on another circuit.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Laser printers draw a lot of current, which is also why they are generally recommended NOT to connect to a UPS, as they will overload it. They can also cause "noisy power" on the AC circuit that they are plugged into. It appears that you suffer from insufficient electrical power on that circuit, I would attempt to move the laser onto a different circuit, or get an electricial to find out what is going on, if you need a wiring upgrade, if your existing wiring has degraded/oxidized, etc. I lived in a place once, where if the microwave in the kitchen was used, the computers would reboot in the other room, if they weren't on a UPS. (Yes, the lights dimmed slightly too.)

 

[bookman]

It sounds like you have insufficient power (amperage) available for that circuit. Have an electrician check it out. An overloaded circuit can cause an electrical fire. I once lived in a place in San Francisco where this happened, and the local utility electrician recommended that the landlord improve the wiring. When she refused, I moved out.