Can Konica Minolta Printer Freeze?

[m_ridzon]

I'm just an end user and have a used good condition Konica Minolta C224e. The printer is in storage in a location where the temperatures will drop below freezing in the coming winter months. It will not be in use in those temperatures; it will just be powered off and dormant in storage. Will these temperatures harm the printer? Is there anything I should do to "winterize" it? I really like the printer and don't want it damaged.


Thanks in advance!

[ronny2502]

[blackcat4866]

Re: Can Konica Minolta Printer Freeze?

We stored MFP's outside in what we called the "hotbox". It was an unheated shipping container on the back lot. It got plenty cold in the winter, and blisteringly hot in the summer (especially with the doors closed). We used it for our graveyard. In the summer you could not stay in the hotbox for more than 15minutes, before you got light-headed. I don't know what the temperature was, and I don't think I want to know.

Every part recovered from the hotbox came back out in just as good condition as it went in. That is to say the broken things were still broken, and the good parts were still good. Occasionally we would find condensation on the drums. Sometimes it could be cleaned off, sometimes it couldn't. Often the developer wasn't any good after a year in the box, but it wasn't going to be good anyway after sitting idle for a year.

I suppose the best rule is the same one we used for deliveries: Let the machine acclimate in the office for as long as it was in the truck, up to 24 hours. Our delivery guys were smart enough to load the truck on the same morning as the delivery was to be made. =^..^=

[tsbservice]

Re: Can Konica Minolta Printer Freeze?

We had to install a lot of machines in cold winter in industrial warehouse. Temperature inside was at most 5-6 Celsius degrees. Interestingly all made install setup and tests running. I was impressed. It was so cold we had to take a break because fingers doesn't seem to hold a screwdriver after an hour or two.

[slimslob]

Re: Can Konica Minolta Printer Freeze?

Depending on their composition, prolonged storage at below freezing can affect toner and developer, especially if there is any moisture condensation. Models with heavy fusing rollers may need to be brought back to at least 65 F for an hour or more to prevent warm up errors.

[copyman]

Re: Can Konica Minolta Printer Freeze?

With these models being older now I would be more worried about the 3V backup battery going bad with machine off that long of time.

[m_ridzon]

Re: Can Konica Minolta Printer Freeze?

With these models being older now I would be more worried about the 3V backup battery going bad with machine off that long of time.

I'm not familiar enough to know what you are referring to. Is that just a small backup battery inside the machine? What damage would that create?

[slimslob]

Re: Can Konica Minolta Printer Freeze?

I'm not familiar enough to know what you are referring to. Is that just a small backup battery inside the machine? What damage would that create?

I would say about the same as on an older computer when the CMOS battery dies. Loss of all settings.

[tsbservice]

Re: Can Konica Minolta Printer Freeze?

With these models being older now I would be more worried about the 3V backup battery going bad with machine off that long of time.

Yeah I was thinking along same line.
To author - can't be precisely predicted but if backup battery fails you may have boat anchor worst case scenario or most likely will need experienced KM tech to change battery (tricky) or MFP board and make a lot of settings/restoration.
Those are pretty good machines with only 2 possible major problems - battery and developer depletion and maybe cold environment isn't ideal for preventing both.

[m_ridzon]

Re: Can Konica Minolta Printer Freeze?

Yeah I was thinking along same line.
To author - can't be precisely predicted but if backup battery fails you may have boat anchor worst case scenario or most likely will need experienced KM tech to change battery (tricky) or MFP board and make a lot of settings/restoration.
Those are pretty good machines with only 2 possible major problems - battery and developer depletion and maybe cold environment isn't ideal for preventing both.

Can I preemptively change the battery to avoid this problem? If I power it up, can I make a backup of the machine settings to thereby restore it later?

[tsbservice]

Re: Can Konica Minolta Printer Freeze?

Can I preemptively change the battery to avoid this problem? If I power it up, can I make a backup of the machine settings to thereby restore it later?

Yes and yes but not all settings can be backed. Users most but entire machine data is replicated between boards at regular intervals and you can't do that unless it asks for it.
Maybe it's better idea to remove MFP board (along with battery) from machine and store it in better condition(place) and even change battery as precaution but I'm not speaking from experience so take that with grain of salt.

[slimslob]

Re: Can Konica Minolta Printer Freeze?

Can I preemptively change the battery to avoid this problem? If I power it up, can I make a backup of the machine settings to thereby restore it later?

The backup and restore by a qualified KM tech is the best option. Depending on how long it is going to be stored even a new battery could freeze to death.

[ronny2502]

Re: Can Konica Minolta Printer Freeze?

Hello,

the battery is not intended to be replaced, nevertheless it is surely possible.

The problem will be, that settings will be lost in case the battery is disconnected/empty.
That will lead to en error while booting.
In some cases (e.g. C-D363) you can select "recover data" and everything (most things) get fine again.

You can backup many things (customer settings, network, ...) but not everything.

Worst case I experienced with a "bizhub 454e" is, that machine "forgot" everything including serial number and any counters.
It was not possible to re-enter S/N and MFP-Board had to be replaced. Of course after that it started with factory defaults and had to be reconfigured completely.


PS: That's a good idea:

tsbservice: "Maybe it's better idea to remove MFP board (along with battery) from machine and store it in better condition(place)"


Ro

[m_ridzon]

Re: Can Konica Minolta Printer Freeze?

Under normal conditions, how would one know that the backup battery is near end of life? And how would they preemptively deal with it to avoid a mess?

[copyman]

Re: Can Konica Minolta Printer Freeze?

Just to be clear, the MFP board has to be removed to desolder old battery and solder new. The "tricky" part tsb refers to is you have to solder new battery in first so you don't lose the settings (this is not easy). I would not recommend that end user remove the MFP board. Better off wrapping the machine with blankets and roll the dice that it will work next time powered up.

FYI, my shop drops well below freezing in winter time and never had any issues. I do always warm up shop & machines before powering them on. I would rather have machines in a cold enviroment then really hot where toner could turn into solid brick. Toner melting point keeps geting lower & lower to be "green" with saving energy.

When you are going to use machine again just make sure temp is 50+ degrees F before powering on.