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PHoynak · Aug 2, 2009, 08:32 PM

I just bought a Brother HL-2140 laser printer. When its on my light that plugged into the UPS that is on the same outlet as the printer flickers. The printer is not plugged into the UPS but should I worry? Once I get a long enough USB cable its going to be moved anyway but I just wanted to be sure.

Thanks

ghporter · Aug 2, 2009, 08:34 PM

When the printer is running, it can draw a lot of current, and the UPS's light flickering indicates that incoming power is not "stable." It's normal and not a problem.

turtle777 · Aug 2, 2009, 08:42 PM

Actually, I did NOT hook up my brother DCP 7020 laser printer to the UPS. It draws so much power that the UPS kicks in and thinks there was an outage. Crazy.

-t

PHoynak · Aug 2, 2009, 08:48 PM

My lamp also dims when it is on... then gets brighter again... I guess this is normal??

Big Mac · Aug 3, 2009, 07:48 AM

Your wiring sounds substandard, or maybe you've got too many electrical devices on the same circuit. That Brother is a pretty popular SOHO laser printer, so I doubt it draws that much more power than competing models. I have my Lexmark hooked up to a surge protector with a lot of other equipment, and I never see any power related disturbances. However, regarding the UPS, laser printer manufacturers do say not to hook laser printers up to them because the devices draw a lot of power during operation.

turtle777 · Aug 3, 2009, 07:56 AM

Originally Posted by Big Mac

Your wiring sounds substandard, or maybe you've got too many electrical devices on the same circuit. That Brother is a pretty popular SOHO laser printer, so I doubt it draws that much more power than competing models.

UPS manufacturer don't recommend to hook up laser printers to the UPS.
From my experience, it makes sense.

# 6: A UPS shouldn't power a laser printer

Printing may prove a critical task, such as within billing or credit departments, but don't rely upon a UPS to power a laser printer. Even if the UPS is being used only to condition the electrical supply a laser printer receives, when attached to battery backup outlets on the UPS, laser printers quickly overpower a UPS and exceed standard load levels. The quickest way to generate multiple load level warnings and alerts (and potentially damage UPS electronics) is to power a laser printer using a UPS.

Why? A laser printer's fuser (which melts printer toner applied to paper) consumes a quick burst of energy. Most UPS models simply can't supply the required power as quickly as the laser printer demands.

http://articles.techrepublic.com.com...1-6085460.html

-t

PHoynak · Aug 3, 2009, 08:13 AM

Its not plugged into the UPS but it is plugged into the same outlet the UPS is plugged into. Once my USB hub arrives I can move it to another outlet. I live in an apartment so there is not much I can do. Should I plug it into a surge protector or into the wall directly?

Big Mac · 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by turtle777

UPS manufacturer don't recommend to hook up laser printers to the UPS.
From my experience, it makes sense.

I did note that, FWIW. I thought he meant his UPS was on the same outlet; I think he said it wasn't plugged into the UPS itself. If the UPS is complaining and a lamp is dimming with the printer not even being connected to the UPS, that means there's too much load on the circuit or substandard wiring.

PHoynak, you should plug it into a different outlet. The laser printer draws too much current when printing, so it trips your UPS.

ghporter · Aug 3, 2009, 11:53 AM

He SAID his UPS was on the same outlet. Which says that he's using a circuit with a lower than needed capacity. It's probably a 15 amp circuit when using a 20 amp circuit would reduce the effect on other devices enough that it would not be perceptible in the lamp-though the UPS may detect it anyway.

Phonyak, plug either the printer or the UPS into a different outlet until the printer doesn't cause lights to flicker. You'll find that many outlets are on the same circuit, so you may need to try several different outlets to find one on a different circuit.

PHoynak · Aug 3, 2009, 11:14 PM

There is only one outlet I could try that is close enough to my computer and that has my HDTV on it. Hopefully it works. If not can I change the fuse in the fuse box or ask the apartment maintenance to do it?

ghporter · Aug 4, 2009, 08:05 AM

Do NOT do anything in your fusebox that would change how that circuit is protected. It is fused based on the size of wire in the walls-putting in a larger fuse would potentially allow you to pull more current and heat up those wires. This is one way fires start. Seriously.

Putting your UPS on the same outlet as your HDTV would be fine. Don't put the printer on that outlet, because it could cause voltage sags that could hurt the TV.

PHoynak · Aug 4, 2009, 10:48 AM

If I try the printer on the same outlet as the TV and dont notice any problems would that be ok? Or is it just not worth the risk?

Thanks

Big Mac · Aug 4, 2009, 10:54 AM

Yeah, that's what Glenn suggested. Move it around until you find a place for it that doesn't interfere with your other devices.

Bwa · Aug 5, 2009, 10:53 PM

Brother laser printers are notorious current hogs, historically. You may want to run a good 15 amp/1800 watt extension cord--not a regular lamp cord (check the specs on the cord)--to another room [i.e., get it onto another circuit] that has less "stuff" drawing electricity. In an apartment, options are limited.

ghporter · Aug 6, 2009, 06:43 AM

Extension cords are a sore spot with me. People tend to go cheap with them, resulting in a fire hazard in the middle of the room. I always suggest going above your needed current with extension cords, so if you're connecting to a 15 amp circuit, use a cord rated at 20 amps. They're bigger and more expensive, but they won't get hot when you use them.