Even if you have the best paper shredder money can buy, chances are you’ll one day have to deal with a paper shredder jam. While proper shredder maintenance (including oiling the machine) can decrease the likelihood of a jam, you will still probably experience a jam at some point. The good news is that paper shredder jams are usually pretty easy to fix, provided you know what you’re doing and follow a couple of guidelines. This article will explain how to clear a paper shredder jam, as well as give you some tips on how to prevent jams from happening in the first place.

First, if your machine is jammed up, unplug the shredder and let it cool off for a bit, especially if you’ve been shredding a lot of documents. After the shredder has had a chance to cool off, turn it back on and hit the “reverse” button to see if the machine will eject the caught paper. You can also gently pull on the stuck paper to try to remove it. If tiny bits of paper are jamming the machine, you can try removing the pieces with a pair of tweezers - while the machine is unplugged, of course. (Just be careful because sharp objects can damage the blades.) These simple actions will clear most jams. Remember to always have the machine unplugged while trying to clear up any paper jam. Doing this will prevent injury to you and keep you from damaging your shredder.

However, sometimes the paper can get truly good and stuck. If this is the case, soak the stuck paper with shredder oil. Let the oil saturate the paper for about 15 minutes and then repeat the actions listed above. This should solve your problem. If not, you may have a more serious issue on your hands. For instance, there may be a problem with the paper shredder’s circuit breaker or power supply, so you’ll want to check out the possibility of that. (Be sure to call a professional for help if this is the case.) Whatever you do, be sure to not repeatedly push the reverse button if your machine isn’t working. While it may seem like it will eventually help, chances are it won’t, and all you’ll do is frustrate yourself and possibly cause further damage to your machine by burning out the shredder’s motor or electrical system. If you need help, refer to your owner’s manual or, as mentioned before, call for help.

Finally, to prevent future jams, be sure to regularly oil your machine using shredder oil. To oil your shredder, simply apply the oil to your shredder’s blades via the paper entry. Then, put the machine in “reverse” for about 15 seconds and then feed it some paper to absorb the excess oil. This will help keep your shredder in good working order.

Clearing most paper shredder jams is pretty easy. The key thing to remember is to unplug the machine before attempting to clear the jam. And be sure to keep some extra shredder oil on hand. By regularly oiling your machine, your shredder will be more likely to run properly, and just in case your machine does get jammed, shredder oil is an important tool that can help get your shredder - and yourself - back to work more quickly.

If all of these things don’t work and you find yourself looking for a new good quality Paper Shredder for your office, you might want to check out MyBinding.com. They carry the full line of Fellowes Paper Shredders as well as shredders from GBC Shredmaster, Martin Yale, Intimus, MBM DestroyIt, Dahle and HSM of America. Choose from a huge selection of cross-cut and strip-cut paper shredders all at great prices and with free shipping.

How to Clear a Paper Shredder Jam

The good news is that paper shredder jams are usually pretty easy to fix, provided you know what you’re doing and follow a couple of guidelines. This article will explain how to clear a paper shredder jam,

OD690XA 6-Sheet Cross-Cut Shredder

Shreds up to 6 sheets per pass. Durable cutters slice through credit cards, paper clips, staples and more. 2-minute continuous run time. Angled feed slot for added safety.

Black & Decker CC500 Compact 5-Sheet Crosscut Paper Shredder

This shredder can barely shred 2 pieces of paper at a time let alone the 5 that it claims and it fills up very quickly causing the paper to jam up. Not terribly useful except for small jobs and occasional use. On a good note, … credit card glued to a pre-approval notice that I shredded killed it. I understand the five sheet rule but say you have five sheets and a fold in one of them it will grind to a stop.

Four Guides to Choose the Best Fellow Shredder

You should consider getting a fellow shredder that has an auto reverse button, this will allow you to clear paper jams fast and easily or consider to get a shredder with jam-free rollers.

HSM Document Shredders

All of these machines have an automatic start/stop feature, a reverse function for clearing up jams, solid steel blades that munch up paper clips and staples, and thermally protected motors that resist overheating so you won’t damage your motor and … It’s clear that HSM produces a great variety of paper shredders that have very high levels of security. If you need a shredder to purge your unneeded information, give HSM paper shredders a look and prepare to be amazed. …

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This entry was posted on Sunday, November 29th, 2009 at 5:17 am and is filed under Paper Shredders Against Identity Theft. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.