Bugs, lizards, and misc animals

[Project Warder]

Hey guys,

I recently got sent back a fax that was "printing black copies" etc. I checked the drum etc and it was dumping toner. After asking around it turns out its from an overcharge in the drum unit. Now, normally that wouldnt be much of a hassle, but the worst part was the machine was breeding cockroaches! This is the second machine i have had in the last 2 months that has been roach infested (the other one didnt work at all and i refused to work on it once i opened it to find roaches in there ). Another client had asked me to have a look at their ECR, which had apparently had a frog (little tiny ones ^.^ lol) or two inside the machine. I dont know how, or want to know how, they got in there, but i will take their word for it. They had done something in there which buggered the memory.

Other than cleaning machines reguarly of industrial grade dust (we have ore, gas, and other mineral mines up this way) those are some of the most disgusting things ive had to work with in my 2 months fixing copiers (learnt so much!).

Has anybody else had any experience in having to deal with critters in machines ? And how much damage do the little bastards cause to larger machines ?

On a slightly side note, is it common in the states for a tech to work on more than, say, 2 brands of copier/printer/MF/etc in one shop ? Ive been told that most in Australia (im happy to be told otherwise) tend to work on one brand, and in some cases one or two models, so as to specialise and give better support etc. I do (im the only tech stationed here) KM, HP, Sharp, Canon, some Brother, and may be going into Toshiba soon.

Cheers

[Cheeto]

I have seen a dead mouse, It didn't cause any damage but it did scare the crap out of me until I realized what it was. I don't know how it got into the machine but it was in there.

[knightfall]

I've found a waterbug zap itself on the trans/sep corona and a dead mouse in the back of a copier must of touch something it shouldn't have. Apparently a dead mouse in a copier means no work for that copier, I guess health laws.

[kyoceradude]

I worked on a KM-6230 that I found wrappers from Hershey Kisses in the back of the scanner unit. Some of the wrappers fell onto contacts on the main pcb causing major dammage. Needless to say I could not for the life of me figure out how the mouse dragged those foil wrapped kisses into the top of the scanning unit..... The machine was located in a construction trailer....