Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

Shredders are useful office equipment, important security tools and will extremely annoying when stuck. Fortunately, most stuck can be handled with common sense and a little ingenuity; Particularly serious jams require more drastic measures.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Handling common jams

1. 

   Unplug the shredder.
   • As soon as you find that the paper is starting to jam, stop the machine so the condition does not get worse. You should now be able to slowly assess the situation in preparation for the jam.
   • Notable signs of jam include: paper entering the shredder slowly, stops completely, and emits a clear noise indicating an "overload".

2. 

   
   
   If necessary, you should empty the trash.
   • Another reason why the shredder sometimes gets stuck is that there is no room left to store paper after cutting because the trash is full. If the trash is full, after you empty the trash and try again, the jams should be resolved.
   • If the jam is not cleared yet, proceed to the next steps.

3. 

   
   
   Switch the shredder to "reverse" and plug it in again.
   • Because paper jams are a common problem, most shredders today come equipped with reverse operation. Switch the device back to "reverse" mode (usually there will be a clearly marked function button on top of the shredder) and then plug it in again.
   • Make sure your fingers or any other tools are not near the machine mouth when plugged in.

4. 

   
   
   If the shredder still gets stuck during reverse operation, turn the switch to auto / forward (auto / forward) mode.
   • Reverse operation of the shredder usually solves only a small jam in a few seconds. In particularly severe cases, the shredder can get stuck one more time when operating in reverse. If that happens then you need to unplug the power, switch the machine back to "auto" or "forward" mode (the exact option may vary depending on the machine) and plug it in again.
   • Alternate between automatic and reverse as needed. With heavy jams, the shredder can be damaged by reverse operation and even more jam Again if operated in transition mode. However, by switching between forward and reverse modes, the paper can almost be released gradually from the machine.

5. 

   Reduce the thickness of the stack before entering the shredder.
   • One of the most common jam reasons is that too many documents are fed into the shredder at the same time. After clearing the jam, you should try reducing the stack thickness when you insert it in the machine. If this is the cause of the problem, less paper will pass through the shredder more easily than originally.
   • If it seems to be stuck still After you alternate between reverse and auto / forward mode, the machine may have a serious jam and need to be handled manually. Don't worry, refer to the section below for more information.
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Part 2 of 3: Manually clear serious paper jams

1. 

   Unplug the shredder for safety.
   • In this method, we will try to remove the jammed paper by hand and many other tools, so prepare quickly to ensure it is safe for you to clear the jam. It's one thing for the shredder to turn on accidentally while you are inserting your hand or tool in are not desire.

2. 

   If possible, remove the top "paper mill" unit.
   • Most shredders today have two parts: the trash can and the upper machine unit that grinds the paper. If the mill part can be removed, it will be easier to examine both sides of the paper slot to clear the jam. Usually, the shredder part can be lifted from the carton; More advanced shredder models will have a simple locking mechanism.
   • If possible, place the shredder on top of a large newspaper (or in a position where clutter should not be a problem) before you begin.

3. 

   Use tweezers to pull the pieces of paper out of the blade.
   • Tweezers will help you to grip and pull out jammed paper in the fairly narrow paper slot. But you can also use your hands as long as you do sure that the shredder has been unplugged.
   • Pull the paper out from the top and bottom of the mill. At first glance, it is difficult to accurately identify the jammed mill howIt is best to handle both sides.

4. 

   Use a knife to cut the curled pieces of paper and pull them out.
   • When paper is jammed, the paper ropes can wrap around the cylindrical roller inside the machine and make handling difficult. Thread the knife (or scissors) through the pinch of paper and cut the curled paper ropes to make the machine shredder easier.

5. 

   Use a screwdriver or pliers to remove pieces of paper or plastic.
   • If you can see thick stack of paper or small pieces of plastic stuck in the blade (this is most likely to be seen from below), use metal tools to pull the blade up. and remove obstacles. You need to yank or pry hard to get stubborn objects out of the machine (but don't be too violent).
   • Note: when using these tools for obstruction, the most important thing is are not damage the shredder's blade as this will cost you to repair it in the future.
   • These tools are especially useful for getting rid of hard plastic pieces stuck in the shredder if you put things like CDs, ATM cards of all kinds, and so on.

6. 

   Continue to insert thick plain paper into the shredder when jammed.
   • It sounds unbelievable, but sometimes giving much input paper can actually help clear the document shredder. With this tip, find a piece of hard paper (such as paperboard or cereal box paper) that you no longer use.
   • Insert the hard paper directly into the center of the slot while the shredder is running. Press hard in to help eject the jammed paper. If that doesn't work, stop and try other ways to avoid making the congestion worse.

7. 

   Use shredder lubricant for serious jams.
   • Serious jamming sometimes occurs because the shredder's blades are not lubricated. To overcome this situation, use a shredder lubricant (available online and most stationery stores at a fairly cheap price - about 230000 VND / bottle). You can replace it with cooking oil but should not Use aerosol-containing lubricating oils (such as WD-40 anti-rust lubrication sprays) as these types of products may damage the shredder's internal engine.
   • To use shredder lubricant, place a few drops of solution in the severely jammed locations. Let the oil seep for about half an hour, then run the shredder in transition mode again. After the oil seeps in, the paper will become softer and better lubricate the blade when crushed.

8. 

   Run the shredder in reverse mode once after you have removed most of the jammed paper.
   • If you have cleared most of the jam but paper is still in the shredder, try running it in reverse. Usually when the machine "runs backwards", it will be easier to remove the paper.

9. 

   Check that the machine is free of jams by crushing a sheet of paper.
   • Paper should go through the shredder easily. Once processed, you can continue using the machine!
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Part 3 of 3: Limiting future jamming

1. 

   Avoid putting too much paper in the shredder.
   • As mentioned, the shredder will inevitably be jammed if a larger amount of paper has to be grinded than the standard is designed. Luckily, the solution is quite simple: after the jam, you should learn from experience and try to put less documents in the shredder.

2. 

   Avoid putting the paper in the shredder too quickly.
   • Another cause of frequent jams is that you put too many sheets of paper in the shredder without letting it finish the grinding process. Remember that the material that goes into the shredder takes time to be crushed.
   • To overcome this problem, after each stack has been empty, you need to wait a few seconds before adding more paper.

3. 

   Do not fold or crease the paper before placing it in the shredder.
   • Paper that is folded, wrinkled, or creased easily gets stuck in the shredder because each such document takes twice as much impact to be crushed in one go. It is recommended that you straighten the rough surfaces on the paper before you put it in the shredder.
   • The edges of the paper can easily curl when you store them or grip them too tightly, so be careful with the document you plan to destroy to avoid unnecessary trouble.

4. 

   Be careful with hard or thick materials (like cardboard, plastic, etc.).
   • Thick materials are more difficult to destroy than conventional paper. To avoid jams, you should cut the following materials yourself:
     • ATM cards of all kinds
     • CD / DVD disc
     • Laminated paper
     • Cardboard
     • The packaging material is thick
     • The material contains the adhesive.

5. 

   Empty the trash regularly.
   • As mentioned, overfilled shredder trash can cause jams as paper fills up and gets stuck in the blade during operation. To limit this situation we just need to empty the trash before the bin is too full.
   • If the shredder gets stuck for this reason frequently, it's a good idea to stick a trash collection schedule next to the machine (eg "Please empty the trash at Monday and Thursday noon.")

6. 

   Regularly lubricate the shredder's cylindrical roller.
   • Lubricants not only save paper jams, but also play an important role in keeping the shredder in top condition. Put a few drops of oil on the machine's blade every time you empty the trash or several times a month to keep the blade sharp and well-lubricated.
   • Note (as mentioned): cooking oil (eg vegetable oil) can also replace commercially available shredder oils. In fact, shredder lubricants are repackaged (and labeled) vegetable oils.
   • Do not overdo lubricants. Paper dust and excess oil can form a thick mixture that can interfere with paper grinding. When left in place for a long time, vegetable oil can also go rancid (about 1 year below room temperature).
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Advice

• When removing jammed pieces of paper, do not just pull straight, but pull while swinging back and forth to make it easier to remove the paper.
• You can shake the shredder from time to time to let the paper crumbs fall off the blade.
• To prevent the shredder blade from dulling, remove the paperclip and staples before you insert the document into the machine. Crushing CDs and DVDs can also cause the blade to wear out prematurely. You might consider using specialized products such as a Disc Eraser with sensitive data discs that need to be destroyed.

Warning

• Always turn off the shredder and unplug the power before manually repairing paper jams. Although this is rare, you can still cut your arm and need first aid.