Printer Toner or Drum?
Printer Toner or Drum? A reader asks…
I have an HP laser printer that’s only a couple of years old, and the print is already fading. I know I’m supposed to change the “toner” but there are two replacement numbers, a 30a and a 32a. Do I need to replace both?
Actually, the toner cartridge 30a is what gets replaced when the toner is running out. The 32a is an imaging drum unit which can last many years before needing to be replaced. The standard rule of thumb is to replace the toner cartridge when print jobs aren’t coming out looking good, as the toner is the consumable that runs out. If, after you’ve replaced the toner cartridge, the printer is still putting out blurry or streaked images, then it might be time to replace the imaging drum.
HP says that the imaging drum should be replaced after 3-4 toner cartridge changeouts, but my experience is that you can go a lot longer than that before the print jobs are degraded enough to warrant changing the imaging drum.
You can visit the HP support website at https://support.hp.com/us-en/printer and look up your specific laserjet printer for instructions on how to replace the toner cartridge and/or the imaging drum.
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Author: Chris Gardner
Your Tech Coach at PosiTek.net
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