Hewlett-Packard or simply HP has established a good reputation in providing top-notch business solutions. Aside from their reasonably priced products, they also offer efficient and highly effective printers, such as the HP Laserjet 1320s. Despite the brand’s good reputation, time will test the device’s performance, leading to varying issues.
But what if one day, your HP Laserjet 1320 creates an annoying noise while printing? To help you out, here is a step by step guide on how you can fix the noise problem in your HP Laserjet 1320. Let’s get into it.
Why Does My HP Laserjet 1320 Create Noise?
When using a printer, expect to hear a noise. But if the device creates a distracting and louder than usual sound, it might have a problem.
Laser printers like HP laserjet 1320 are quieter than inkjet printers. The reason behind this is the efficient process of the device. During its fusing process, the toner is heated across the entire paper than the printer arm moving continuously back and forth. For this reason, the sound that laser printers produce is mainly from the paper being fed in the printing device.
For the HP LaserJet 1320 printer, the source of the noise can be due to two reasons:
- It might be because the toner cartridge of the printer is partially seized, creating the sound as it struggles to turn.
- Breaking up of the bushing of the fuser (heated roller). It can begin by grinding and cracking before finally breaking.
Observe the grinding noise if it is relatively high and is coming in front of the printer. If it does, the reason behind the sound could be the toner. On the other hand, if the noise comes from the rear part of the printer, particularly on the right side, it could be due to the fuser.
And if your printer is sitting idle, it is normal if it creates noise for a couple of seconds. It is a common mechanism for laserjet printers to roll forward slightly so heat accumulation won’t cause buckles in belts as well as burn spots on finisher units or drums. Knowing the source of your HP LaserJet 1320’s noise could reduce the time spent on fixing your device.
Fixing HP LaserJet 1320’s Noise Problem
One HP Laserjet 1320 user from Madera, California, asked for help with their printer. The problem is that the printer produces quality prints, but it does make noise during printing. But the problem was solved when a technician helped out. Here is the fix:
- The technician opened the back cover of the printer to access the fuser. He checked the gear and found that it is working normally.
- Afterward, he checked all the parts of the printer as well as its gears in the back. But, the noise was not audible when printing.
After doing the steps, the technician suspects that the noise comes from the back right part of the printer. It is because every area in the back has been checked. After trying the printer to run while the right side cover is open, the noise was no longer heard.
It proves that the issue is with the printer’s cover. When the cover is removed, the printer doesn’t produce a distracting sound. But when it is installed, the noise is again audible.
HP Laserjet 1320 printers have a fan installed in the said area, and the design of the cover might be the reason why the noise occurs from time to time. Good thing that the right cover is easy to remove. You can take it off the moment that the noise exists again.
While the right cover of the printer can be replaced, you may also choose to remove the cover.
Other problems that might cause noise in HP LaserJet 1320 printer
Another possible cause of the distracting noise in your printer might be caused by a printer driver not visible in the printer folder. If so, here is what you should do:
- Download the printer software and reinstall it on your computer. Click ‘Start’ in the Windows taskbar then choose Programs.
- Afterward, click HP LaserJet 1320 then select Uninstall.
- Turn off the printer then install the printer software from the CD-ROM.
- Turn the printer on again.
Here is a reminder. Choose all applications that are running in the background. To do so, close an app that appears in the system tray by right-clicking on the icon then select ‘Disable’ or ‘Close.’
- Plug the USB cable in another USB port on the PC. If you want to print using a shared printer, click ‘Start; in the Windows taskbar.
- Select ‘Printers’ in the Settings then double click ‘Add Printer.’
- Afterward, follow the instructions displayed in the Add Printer Wizard.
- When an error message is displayed while installing the software, reinstall the printer software again. (Click the Windows taskbar and select ‘Start.’ Choose Programs, then click on HP LaserJet 1320 and hit ‘Uninstall’.)
- Turn off the printer then install the software again from the CD-ROM.
- Turn the printer on once again.
As mentioned earlier, you must close any applications that are running in the background. You should also check the free space on the drive where the printer software is installed. If required, free some space as much as you can to reinstall the printer software. Also, run Disk Defragmenter if needed before reinstalling the printer software.
Ways to Quiet Down The Printer
If you are working in a customer-based environment such as a call-center, you need a printer that does not produce a distracting sound. Besides knowing the fix to the noise problem of HP LaserJet 1320, you might want to look into the techniques to quiet down your printer. Check them out.
Try wireless or networked printing.
One of the best ways to quiet down your printer is to move it away from the room where you are working. It might sound strange to you, but some people actually find this tip helpful. Connecting to a printer wirelessly or through a network will allow you to print to a printer far from where you are. HP LaserJet 1320 is capable of wireless and network printing, so you can try this trick whenever you want.
Try Quiet Mode
Faster printers produce louder noise. So it’s a good thing that HP LaserJet 1320 printer comes with a Quiet Mode.
However, this printing mode slows down the printing process to reduce the noise it makes while printing. But this doesn’t affect the quality of the print. To activate the Quiet Mode in your HP printer, open the printer control panel in your PC then follow the instructions below:
- In the printer control panel, swipe the display to the left then click ‘Setup.’
- Click on ‘Preferences’ then select the box beside ‘Quiet Mode’ to activate the setting.
- Click ‘OK’ to proceed.
If you wish to turn off the Quiet Mode, follow the same steps, switch to ‘OFF.’
Why Choose Laser Printers for Quieter Printing?
Laser printers like HP LaserJet 1320 printer produce less sound than inkjet printers. The reason behind this is that the fuse toner moves to the paper across the printer drum using electricity. And due to the fusing process that heats the toner within the entire width of the paper compared to continually moving a print arm back and forth just like what inkjet printers does, pages come out with sharper text and with less noise.
Laser printers are said to be advantageous in terms of economy, speed, and precision. They might be more costly than most inkjet printers, but their performance is worthwhile. Toner powder is also cheap, and you can use it for a longer period of time compared to ink cartridges.
Check out the following advantages of HP LaserJet 1320 to find out more about laser printers:
- Compact and two-tone eye-catching design
- Two-sided printing capability
- Has 250-sheet paper input tray
- Manual-feed slot for envelopes and other odd-sized media
- 125 sheets capacity bin on top of the printer
- Output doors can be pulled down for a straight-through path ideal for printing thicker media like envelopes.
- Prints 8.8 pages per minute for text printing
- Can be connected through a USB 2.0 port as well as a wireless connection
Specs
- Rated 22 ppm
- 1200-by-1200-dpi maximum resolution
- Standard 16MB of RAM
Other Information
- One-year warranty
- 12-hour toll-free phone support during weekday
Aside from the HP LaserJet 1320, there are other networkable versions that you may find useful. It includes the 1320nw that comes with 802.11b/g WiFi feature. An efficient printer is always a good investment for every business. For this reason, choose the best printing device that can provide your business needs. And the one that won’t make a noise that might distract you and everyone in the room.
Conclusion
If you are in Nebraska and you are looking for a Copier in Nebraska for your business, you may contact Clear Choice Technical Services in Nebraska. You can ask about Copier Leasing Services in Nebraska, Copier rental services in Nebraska, and Copier Repair in Nebraska.
The noise that is produced by your HP LaserJet 1320 printer might be due to varying reasons. To fix your problem, you must first determine where the noise comes from knowing the right solution. Apply the solutions mentioned earlier, depending on the source of the noise, and then let us know if it fixed your problem. If the problem is still not fixed, call a technician for help. Your printer might be experiencing a more technical problem that requires the knowledge of a professional.
You might also try the tips on how to make your laser printer more quiet mentioned earlier to get a better printing experience. Let us know the method that you tried to achieve quieter printing
