Whatever business you’re in, there are always going to be documents that you need to dispose of securely. For most offices, the easiest, cheapest and most secure way of doing this is to use a shredder, but unfortunately, these are prone to suffering from a paper jam from time to time. The main paper shredder jam causes tend to be:
- Putting in too many sheets of paper
- Shredding the wrong materials
- Not oiling (lubricating) your shredder
Shredder jams can be inconvenient when you have a large volume of sensitive material to destroy. Fixing a shredder’s paper jam can also be extremely tedious and time-consuming. Here’s our guide on how to unjam a paper shredder, whilst learning how to minimise the risk of it happening altogether.
How to unjam a shredder
It’s a familiar situation. You’re halfway through a huge pile of paper which needs to be destroyed and suddenly, without any prior warning, the shredder is jammed. But there’s no need to panic, all you need to do is follow these few simple steps to clear it.
1. Unplug the shredder
This is the first and most important part of any attempt at fixing a paper jam. That’s because once you start to investigate the cause it may begin to work again unexpectedly; this could be a potential hazard risk for you, which may result in a dangerous outcome.
2. Empty the wastebasket
Quite often the simple cause of a jammed shredder is that the wastebasket is full. Empty the wastebasket, reconnect the shredder to the mains and see if this has resolved the problem.
3. Switch to reverse
If the shredder jam has still not been solved then the best thing to do would be to run it in reverse – most machines have a control that lets you do this which may shift the blockage. There is, however, a risk that it may make the paper shredder jam a little worse.
4. If the shredder jams in reverse switch back to auto/forward
If the shredder is jammed in both directions you should alternate between working it backwards and forwards as this can often shift the jam after a few attempts.
5. Reduce the thickness of your load before re-shredding
Do not feed in more paper than the machine can handle – giving it too much at once can cause paper to get jammed in the blades.
What if my shredder paper jam cannot fix itself?
If your shredder cannot unjam itself, you will have to do the following steps manually:
1. Unplug your shredder
2. Remove the top shredding section
3. Use a pair of tweezers to remove all jammed strands of paper from the blades
4. Cut all curled pieces of paper
5. If plastic is causing the jam, use a screwdriver to clear the block
6. Use shredder oil to lubricate the blades
7. Set the shredder in reverse
8. Feed through a single sheet of paper to see if the jam is cleared
Want to know more about how to unjam a shredder? Our FAQs below have answers to some of the most common queries.
How to lubricate a shredder
Lubricating your shredder will help prevent jams and allow the paper to run through it smoothly.
1. Turn the shredder on
2. Feed a shredder oil sheet through the shredder
3. Wait for the entire oiled sheet to shred
4. Feed through a few sheets of plain paper to absorb the excess oil
5. Turn off the shredder
6. By hand, apply lubricating oil to the top of the blades
7. Switch the shredder on in reverse to evenly distribute the oil
8. Feed through a few sheets to absorb any excess oil
What should/shouldn’t I feed into the shredder?
One of the main reasons the shredder is jammed, could be because of what you’ve fed into it.
| Safe to shred | Be careful when shredding |
| Paper | Credit cards |
| Greetings cards | CDs/DVDs |
| Receipts | Laminated card |
| Thin cardboard | Folded sheets of paper |
| Envelopes | Cardboard |
What other steps can I take to prevent a shredder jam?
For smooth shredding, avoid feeding paper too quickly. Let the machine finish processing one batch before adding the next. Remember, crumpled paper jams easily, so use flat sheets for optimal performance. Another handy tip is to avoid crumpling up paper before you shred it as the machines operate far more efficiently with smooth sheets.
Hopefully, the tips we’ve given you here will help to make next time your shredder is jammed a little easier to fix.
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