Vacuum cleaner

[Piper]

Is it okay to use a vacuum cleaner for suction of Toner drops in the Xerox Colour Machines ( C75, J75, C70, C800 etc )?

Some time back Xerox discouraged the use of vacuum cleaners on some Machines. It was said that the Vacuum cleaner

could explode because of the type of toner. Since then I avoided using vacuum cleaners when cleaning machines.

[davel]

Re: Vacuum cleaner

How else could you clean copier, use good one with correct filter carrridge.

[FrohnB]

Re: Vacuum cleaner

Make sure you're using a vacuum that has a ground plate where the hose goes into filter. We use "Ultivac" vacuums that have this as part of the design. I think they discouraged using a vacuum due to static shocks taking things out.

[chubblies]

Re: Vacuum cleaner

It was said that the Vacuum cleaner

could explode because of the type of toner.

Good ole' Xerox!! Full of shite as always!

[Phil B.]

Re: Vacuum cleaner

Good ole' Xerox!! Full of shite as always!

incorrect as the previous poster mentioned...

ground plate on the hose to earth ground.

Toner CAN be very explosive if exposed to Fire or Spark when in the air... Much like wood flakes... hence the need for grounds... spark arrestor ..ect

But I must admit.. their brand is my least favorite.

[XeroxTechBrazil]

Re: Vacuum cleaner

Good ole' Xerox!! Full of shite as always!

Won't argue the full of shite statement,,,,

But way back when,, in the days of the 2400/3600/7000,,, toner explosions were common.

Xerox insisted that we refer to them as "rapid combustion incidents"

What happened is, toner would fall from the lip of the brush housing onto the preclean coroton a couple of inches below it, and boom!

Of course, it didn't help that we would run the machine with the drum out, brushing the toner back into the brush housing, as part of a machine trim. I got a black face on more than one occasion. These were real coal miners, dirty beyond belief. I used to wonder if the true purpose of the machine was not to sell clicks, but to push outrageously priced toner from the hopper to a filter bag that could give you a hernia when you lifted it.

[Phil B.]

Re: Vacuum cleaner

How else could you clean copier, use good one with correct filter carrridge.

i use only the 3M brand.. they have a ground strap that touches the Filter and hose to ground... make sure your machine is powered off when you use the Vac.

been working on Xerocks since '89 never had an issue... just DO NOT vac the boards .

[Scarecrow]

Re: Vacuum cleaner

Hey Brazil -- Most techs left the preclean in once, the rest learned from others mistakes...

[XeroxTechBrazil]

Re: Vacuum cleaner

Hey Brazil -- Most techs left the preclean in once, the rest learned from others mistakes...

I was a . . .. slow learner.
It's coming back to me now,, we'd take the brush out vacuum it down,, then work the toner out of the brush housing, using the machine's vacuum to suck the toner towards the filter bag.

I was a walker in San Francisco,, and got my parts delivered as long as I ordered a week in advance.

So, I kept the filter bag inventory well stocked. Usually one behind the machine if it wasn't pushed up against the wall (and on an inch thick carpet)

About that time we got the super suckers . . .
That was one of Xerox' first affirmative action efforts,,

Fight -ON was the name of the vendor.
They took a lot of retrofitting to actually make them suck.

It helped hugely when we got steel shot developer,, we could finally get a decent print density without over toning the machine.
The flint (glass) developer just couldn't carry enough toner.

That was a long time ago,, probably before most of the members of this site were born.

[Scarecrow]

Re: Vacuum cleaner

That was a long time ago,, probably before most of the members of this site were born.

You're most likely right. Although I came in after the sand developer: Jan 74. We had the sirens then from Fight On (I think) here in Rochester. The vacuum bag broke while cleaning out a 3600 on the 18th floor of the Square. Fortunately, the 3600 was in a room by itself and the door was closed because of the vac noise so clean up was easier.

After leaving Xerox in 85, but still servicing the beasts, my truck engine caught fire. Becoming hysterical because of the possible loss of my truck and the $$$ of Xerox parts, I opened the hood and dumped in the only "liquid" I had -- a bottle of 9500 toner. Holy crap did it explode! But I think it sucked all the oxygen out of the fire and put it out.....like putting out the oil fires in Kuwait.

[copyman]

Re: Vacuum cleaner

I can confirm a regular house vacuum can explode from toner static. It happen to me with a small handheld Hoover vac. But this was back in the analog days so not sure about this waxey toner now a days. I'm sure today's toner still has to have some type of static charge to work but not sure if enough to blow up.

Also most vacuums don't have a 1 or 2 micron filter so the toner will blow right out the exhaust and all over the room.

Buy a 3M vac or other brand copier vac. I saw some used ones on ebay awhile back at good prices.

[allan]

Re: Vacuum cleaner

Yea 3M and other good vacs will prevent you from toasting electronics.
Was vacuuming up a toner spill with an unearthed machine standing on a rug.
The moment i stepped of the rug an arch zapped me thru my leather shoe!
Sat on my ass for a while figuring out what just happened.

I regularly test the vacuum hose to the machine body with a tester just to make sure its earthed before vacuuming near or on electronic prints.
Any thing under 2 Mega Ohms should be good.

Once vacuumed up a burning cigarette bud by accident, vacuum caught fire in a spectacular way.

[copyman]

Re: Vacuum cleaner

Speaking of vacuum's static taking out boards, etc. Any old timers remember the analog Sharp 800 series, SF811, 820,etc. Anytime you would vac out copier you would blow out these tiny little sensor bulbs. A real PIA to replace! Don't miss those 4-6 hour PM's. If I recall you use to dump toner hopper on PM and put fresh toner in, polish Cadium Sulfide drums with "Pikel" polish, then use another a harsh chemical (forget name) to scrape baked on toner off fuser rollers with a popsicle stick! Lucky to be alive after using all those cancer causing chemicals!!! Plus the CDS drums were deadly by themselves but they didn't tell us that. Cadium is bad and why they changed, first went to selinum (with aresnic) then organic now! Ahhh the good ole days.....