my new printer sucks too much power

[Ocuflox]

so i got a new printer, brother hl-5050, and when i turn it on or print something - the thing sucks so much power that it causes my ups battery to momentairly turn on.... has anybody ever had this problem - and this happens no matter where i plug it in - in the same room

 

[beer]

Are you plugging the printer INTO the UPS battery-protected outlets? If so, you shouldn't be.
Is it causing the UPS to to turn on when it's plugged in somewhere else? that's fvcked up :Q

 

[Amorphus]

whoa, power dip when you turn it on? wow.

what about the lights in your house? do they dim, too? or just that room?



*edit*
check the back of the printer. take a look at the printer's wattage/amperage rating.

also, what are we supposed to do about it?

 

[redbeard1]

Lasers use quite a bit of power. My HP 6P causes the lights to dim while it's printing. So I easily believe you could kick the ups in. You might try to find a different breaker circuit to plug the printer into. Which would probably mean one from outside of the room.

 

[wetcat007]

My HP laserprinter also causes the lights to flicker when it's printing.

 

[Nocturnal]

Originally posted by: wetcat007
My HP laserprinter also causes the lights to flicker when it's printing.

Damn, my printer has never done this but that sure sounds pretty crazy.

 

[0roo0roo]

wow, both my lasers do no such things u got bad house wiring or something sad if your lights dim.

 

[Wolfchild]

As said, laser printers suck some juice when they print. Both of mine cause a slight dimming of the lights. I have a few other things on the circuit so that's why I'm probably seeing this.

 

[freebee]

I get a similar problem, slight light dimming, but mostly its just the UPS goes click to switch to battery power. Happens with ACs, vacuum cleaners, power tools, etc.

If it were just low voltage,probably doesnt matter...but apparently the power draws cause my UPS to do funny things like send bursts of power that confuses the alarm clock. It doesn't seem to affect the PC though.

 

[Zorba]

I had an old Epson that used to make the lights dim when it was warming up or when it just started printing. My new HL-1440 doesn't do that, however.

 

[Mday]

Originally posted by: Ocuflox
so i got a new printer, brother hl-5050, and when i turn it on or print something - the thing sucks so much power that it causes my ups battery to momentairly turn on.... has anybody ever had this problem - and this happens no matter where i plug it in - in the same room

then your room has only one circuit. i have 2 circuits in my room. my air conditioner is on a separate circuit as my tv and computer.

 

[Blueopticalmouse]

Once in a while my HP laser will kick the ups on for less than a second. Same when the air conditioner kicks on. And the house wiring is brand new.

 

[grant2]

i'm glad i'm not the only one.

 

[mikecel79]

Never ever plug a printer into a UPS, especially laser printers. They draw huges amounts of power and there's a good chance you can damage your UPS after some extended use. Most UPS manuals and printer manuals say this in them.

 

[lmccrary]

UPSs and printers don't mix. there was one at work that would cause the PC connected to the UPS to reboot. talk about an unhappy user. luckily i realized what was happening and fixed the problem.

 

[billyjak]

If you have flickering when you print, you better run a dedicated line to the computer.
Anytime to much draw on a circuit causes it to overheat and broadens the chance for a fire.
I've seen it happen at my old apartment, it started in the wall beacuse the wire melted the casing.

Get an electrition to wire another circuit to your box.
There are also voltage spikes many times a minute, To much draw creates heat, which is not good.
I took electronic servicing for 4 years and what your describing is overloading a circuit.

 

[vegetation]

Newer personal laser printers don't take up nearly as much power as before (those late 80/early 90s beasts took 1000 watts or so). For example, the brother 1440 is about 350 watts maximum. I guess that could still cause issues though.

 

[Texun]

The HP4 cranks 660W while printing. Not only can it make a loaded circuit dimm but it also sucks juice like a hair dryer. The Brother is better but still out there.

Power Consumption

Printing
Less than 460

Standby
75

Sleep
5

Brother