[NYC12]

I do some side handy work. I went to a clients house today to assemble a computer desk in their master bedroom. I assembled the desk and then the client asked that I move the printer from bedroom #3 to master bedroom. The computer was powered on in bedroom #3...and appeared normal. When I moved it to master bedroom and plugged it in, during the warm up phase, it tripped the 20amp breaker...strange. I moved the printer to various outlets in master bedroom and all are on the same circuit. Can't figure out why...so client suggests moving it back to bedroom #3. I plug it in bedroom #3 and low and behold it trips the circuit breaker upon start up. Thank Goodness I had not done any electrical work for them up to this point! So, I bring the printer into kitchen, plug in and works fine. Bring back to bedroom #3..trips the breaker. Its been in bedroom #3 for over a year working fine. I move the thing and its possessed? It s just a brother wireless printer, weights like 15lbs. Any ideas?

 

[joed]

What else is on the circuits in the bedrooms? Without a meter to measure the actual current on the circuit it's hard to say what the issue could be.

 

[gregzoll]

If it tripped the breaker for the other room, then it is something wrong with the fuser for the printer or a bad power cord. What is the manufacturer and model of the printer?

 

[Arrow3030]

Is it an AFCI breaker?

 

[Jim Port]

Is this a laser printer?

 

[NYC12]

Yes its a Brother Laser printer. I have been reading on the Brother Forums that maybe there is an issue with the printer with the fuser pulling to many amps on start up. They say there is a driver update. The thing that confuses me is that it was working 100% fine, I moved it...by carrying it 25ft and put it back and it trips the breaker it was on before. Really weird.

 

[NYC12]

It is an AFCI 20amp breaker in both rooms it had tripped. I am 90% certain it was a 20am GFI circuit I was plugged into in kitchen and finally got it to work fine...but client isn't going to leave it in there kitchen for sure.

 

[NYC12]

Arrow3030 you hit the nail on the head with the AFCI question...it is indeed why the problem is occurring. Brother supposedly did an update to their firmware which should correct the problem....really strange it was working before I unplugged it though. http://www.brother-usa.com/FAQs/Solution.aspx?FAQID=200000041965#.VtAXhse6mkU

 

[gregzoll]

NUC12 forget what you see on the brother forums. Those types of posts are the worst kind. Only the older Lasers pulled a lot of amps. The newer ones pull hardly anything.

I have a HL-2280dw, which pulls hardly anything when it wakes up.

If it is tripping the AFCI, either bad cord or bad Fuser. Try it on a GFCI protected outlet. No trip, then it could be a branch circuit issue or printer, since it started to trip another breaker when moved.

 

[NYC12]

Brother admitted to a problem with this printer on those circuit breakers and said they changed the firmware so the fisher doesn't pull the extra power at start up. Literally tons of posts with people having the same issue. Really odd.

 

[gregzoll]

The firmware has nothing to do with how much current the Capacitor pulls for the fuser. All that the firmware would fix, is any security issues if a WiFi printer, along with some font issues.

I doubt tons of posts about the issue with the printer for tripping a breaker. Sounds like someone is yanking yours or his leg.