A Paper shredder is probably the best machine available in the market. We can’t deny that all of us are highly dependent on paper documents. Individuals, as well as business organizations, need paper documents on a frequent basis. This is where a paper shredder comes in handy. When we are done with our paper documents, the best thing to do is to shred the documents through a paper shredder. This will eventually help us prevent any sort of data or identity theft. But what if you come across the situation of a jammed shredder? It is quite frustrating, isn’t it? Today we shall discuss with you, how to unjam paper shredder.
How to unjam a shredder is probably one thing which all of us should know. No one likes a jammed shredder. If we follow a few basic tips, we can simply learn how to fix a jammed shredder easily. Below are a few tips on how to unjam a shredder.
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Tips On How to Unjam a Shredder 2024
A jammed shredder isn’t very hard to fix. But you should know how to unjam paper shredder. Few papers shredder comes with an auto jam prevention feature. The ones which don’t come with any such feature are often the ones which result in a jammed shredder. Note that a jammed shredder could be just due to some basic disturbance and can be fixed easily. However, a few jams could be really stubborn and may require manual intervention to fix the jam. We have shared tips regarding both types of jams to ensure that you learn about how to unjam a shredder.
Fixing a Basic Jammed Shredder
You can simply follow a few simple steps to fix a basic jam: –
Unplug The Shredder
You can simply observe the jamming signals which results in slow shredding speed or odd sounds coming from the machine. If you catch these signals early, you must consider unplugging the shredder ASAP. This will help the situation from getting worse. You may then assess the problem and can take the required action to fix the jammed shredder. This way you can analyse the problem early and can resolve it quickly too.
Empty The Waste Bin
Quite often, people forget to empty their shredder’s bin which often leads to a jammed shredder. You can simply consider emptying the shredder’s bin, attaching the same in place again and turning the shredder back on. This solves the problem of a jammed shredder almost instantly in most cases. If your shredder is still stuck and you want to know how to fix a jammed paper shredder follow the upcoming steps
Trying The Reverse Option
A jammed shredder is a known and very common problem amongst paper shredders. This is why most shredders come with a built-in reverse option. You can simply try running the shredder in reverse mode. This might do the trick and will make your shredder work properly again.
PS: – Always make sure to put the shredder in reverse mode before plugging the same.
Switch Back To Auto/Forward
Yes, you read it right. Sometimes jammed shredders are so stubborn that they won’t get fixed even after reversing the function. Rather, operating the same in reverse mode might lead to another jam. This is when you need to unplug the shredder again and put it in auto/forward mode. You have to continue with the forwarding and reverse options multiple times until the jam is fixed. This will probably resolve the issue after a few tries.
This is how to fix a jammed shredder. However, if your shredder is still not working then you have to work manually on it. Below are a few additional tips which you can follow to fix your jammed shredder manually.
Fixing a Stubborn Jam Manually
Let’s assume that you tried almost all the above-mentioned steps and your paper shredder is still jammed. You have to work on it manually to fix the issue. You need to know how to unjam the paper shredder manually to fix this stubborn jam. You can follow the below tips to know how to unjam paper shredder 2024: –
Unplug the Shredder for Safety
While fixing the jam manually, you have to understand that manual fixing will require the use of hands and some basic tools. In order to prevent any accidents, you must consider turning off the paper shredder by unplugging the same. This will ensure that the paper shredder doesn’t start by mistake when you are fixing the same.
Remove The Top Cover
The first thing you need to do while checking a jammed shredder is to open the top cover of the shredder. This will help you to access the insider parts of the shredder easily. You may then simply clean the shredder.
Use Tweezers or a Cutter To Remove Pieces Of Paper
The next step which you have to do is clean the blades of the jammed shredder. You can simply use tweezers or a paper cutter to cut and pull out the stuck paper pieces from the shredder easily. This will ensure that stuck paper comes out of the shredder blades.
Remove Other Paper or Plastic Pieces: –
If your shredder comes with CDs, DVDs and credit card shredding options. You can also consider using a screwdriver or some hard and pointy tool to remove the stuck paper and plastic pieces. It is quite possible that the paper shredder got jammed due to small but strong plastic pieces stuck in the blades. Simply removing the same might do the trick.
Use Shredding Machine Oil
Sometimes jammed shredder is so stubborn that despite following the above-mentioned steps, the machine will still remain stuck. In such a case, you may consider using shredding machine oil. Just put a few drops of shredding machine oil on the blades and let it sit for a few mins. After the oil gets spread across the blades, you can run the shredder forward and reverse. Wet paper and well-lubricated blades might help the shredder complete the cycle and the jam might get unclogged. This step will surely fix the paper shredder easily.
Testing Whether The Jam is Cleared
Once you have used the above-mentioned steps and the paper shredder is fixed. You can feed a single sheet of paper in a shredder to check if the jam is fixed. You may consider increasing the frequency of papers gradually if everything goes well.
Hope the above-mentioned steps were able to help you with how to unjam paper shredder. If you have already followed the above-mentioned steps and the issue is still not fixed, you must consider seeking help from professionals. Further, we’ll share with you, a few additional tips to avoid any future jams.
Also Read – Paper Shredder Under $100
Steps To Prevent Shredder Jam
Prevention is better than cure. The statement is absolutely true. It is good that we learnt how to unjam paper shredder. But along with the same, we must know how to prevent a shredder from jamming. Below are a few tips to keep your shredder jam-free.
- Always make sure to shred only the recommended number of papers in one go
- Don’t overstuff your shredder with different types of material for shredding in one go
- Gradually increase the number of papers you feed to the shredder
- Let the cycle complete properly before putting in the next batch for shredding
- Always lubricate your paper shredder frequently
- Ensure that your paper shredder is serviced frequently to avoid suddenly jammed shredder
- Always choose the best paper shredder which comes with anti-jam and self-lubrication features to avoid jammed shredder
- Always seek expert help if required to avoid a worse situation
By following the above-mentioned options, you can simply prevent your shredder from getting jammed in the first place. In case the shredder still gets jammed, you can always follow the steps shared in the above article. These steps will help you understand how to unjam paper shredder and get rid of a jammed shredder easily.
Conclusion- How to Unjam Paper Shredder
So, guys in the above article we learnt about how to unjam a paper shredder. A jammed shredder can be very annoying. But if you already know how to unjam a shredder, you can simply get away from this problem easily. We shared with you all the easy steps to fix your jammed shredder. Still, if you have any doubt, feel free to write back to us and we’ll revert you at the earliest.
