Problems Solved
PROBLEM OF THE FORTNIGHT
How do I clear my phantom paper jam?
Q A few years ago I bought an Epson WorkForce WF-3620 printer. It’s worked flawlessly until recently. Now, all I receive is a paper-jam warning. It doesn’t matter what I do: as soon as it starts to feed paper through, the error appears. I’m sure there isn’t a shred of paper in any crevice or roller, and have followed Epson’s own detailed instructions to take apart the paper tray and rear duplex cover. I’m loath to consign such a quality product to landfill, as I feel it’s just a minor thing stopping the paper feed from progressing. I have opened every and any orifice, poked and prodded everything that looks movable. I have refitted ink cartridges but all to no avail. Before ditching what has been a good product I wondered if you had knowledge of this problem?
Ray Nipper
A Epson’s own guide to clearing paper jams, at www.snipca.com/36115, is certainly thorough. However, it doesn’t tell you all the possible ways to clear a paper jam – not least because some of the methods are either not particularly advisable in normal circumstances, or would otherwise invalidate your warranty.
So, first, fully remove the paper tray at the bottom of the printer (pictured below) and then peer inside to see what you can see. You might already have done this, of course, but take a very close look using a torch to illuminate. It’s not necessarily paper you’re looking for but a small plastic arm that serves as a paperentry sensor. Over time, these can become stiff or even stuck, which in turn can lead to phantom paper-jam warnings.
If you spot one then, ensuring you’ve disconnected the printer from mains power, use a long, blunt tool – even the tail end of a wooden spoon would do – to see if you can gently agitate this arm, or to either move it back down (or up) from a position where it might have become stuck.
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