Printers, leave on / turn off? Which is right ?

daveinuk · Post by **daveinuk** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 5:41 pm

Quick question that seems to have no absolute answer that I can find searching, just a lot of conflicting opinions so does anyone here actually know whether you really should turn off your printer when not in use? One side seems to say turn them off so the unit can go through the 'charge' or priming process when turned back on, cos' if you don't turn them off they don't prime? others say never turn them off, but again, this seems to depend on whether the printer uses individual cartridges or tricolor cartridges. . . . .. . .

Reason I ask is I've just bought a new canon wireless printer, I only use it occasionally, weeks can go by before I need to print at times! And.. . . . having just freecycled my last Epson that seemed to have 'dried up' through under-use, I'd like to avoid the same happening to this nice shiny canon

(this only uses 2 cartridges FWIW)

clfarron4 · Post by **clfarron4** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 5:46 pm

I tend to turn mine off because I am very up tight when it comes to my electricity bills.

I will say that I've not noticed the difference in printer life and behaviour when I've left it on for days vs. switching on/off when I need it. My printer is an Epson Stylus SX115.

kyphi · Post by **kyphi** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 5:56 pm

There is no right or wrong answer but let common sense prevail: Turn it on when you want to use it - otherwise, turn it off. There is no technical reason to leave appliances turned on permanently.
My printer is an Epson Artisan 725

with 6 ink cartridges that have never dried up through lack of use.

fbr · Post by **fbr** » Sun Aug 17, 2014 8:03 am

If the printer is inkjet it will clean the nozzles each time it is turned on using a small amount of ink. After some number of cleaning cycles the sponge that takes up this waste ink gets full and the printer stops for servicing. The counter in the printer may be reset without emptying the sponge by clever software, but it means some day ink will be running out of the printer and down onto your floor carpet.

jimallyn · Post by **jimallyn** » Sun Aug 17, 2014 4:17 pm

I have never turned off my printers. But then, I never turn off my computers, either.

Joshual1177 · Post by **Joshual1177** » Thu Sep 11, 2014 6:14 am

I always leave my desktop on as well as my printer. Seeing as how it is my main network computer and my laptop communicates with it for file sharing, it is always easier to leave it on.

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chiefjim · Post by **chiefjim** » Thu Sep 11, 2014 7:16 am

My Brother laser connected to the router has been on mostly 24/7 since purchased back in early 2008.

nomko · Post by **nomko** » Thu Sep 11, 2014 7:31 am

It's not only the printer consumes electricity, any adaptor will consume electricity constantly. Doesn't matter if the printer of any other device is turned off, the adaptor, when plugged in a socket, consumes electricity constantly and continuously. Many people make this mistake by thinking turning off the tv or printer saves electricty, but they forget that the adaptor itself also consumes electricity.

I turn off my printer since i'm not using it frequently, but my 2 desktop systems are powered on day and night 24/7.
1 desktop system is my "workhorse" while the other is connected to my flatscreen tv and serves as a multimedia platform.

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