Printers and EMF interference

Hi Guys
I have just taken over an office with a system running NT4 and printer Brother HL1020 Laser printer. problem is sometimes incomplete print jobs occur and unusual printer error messages. Both printer and system are in close proximity to a old style pannel electrical consumer unit above the desk. could this be the cause of these problems
Sometime a reboot solves the problem, sometime print is a bit sluggish
oother times long print jobs are incomplete and some days everything works as it should.
Can anyone help?
thanks

2. RE: Printers and EMF interference
lbyard Mar-05-02 04:22 PM
In response to message 0

What's an "old style pannel electrical consumer unit?" It's not American. Is it a fuse box or electrical distribution panel/power panel? How big? Amps/Volts? Anything unusual connected to it? Larry

3. RE: Printers and EMF interference
raz Mar-06-02 11:05 AM
In response to message 2

Hi Larry,
To be honest i don't really know, our in house sparkys (thats British slang for Electricians) reckon that its is a electricial distribution unit serving (they think) several heavy duty lighting circuits (which they and ring mains when initally installed in the early to mid eighties. I believe power from the main power grid is being distributed to the circuits (240v). No one is prepared to work on it as i understand last time the panel was worked on the whole place was plunged into darkness for a couple of days and set the company back a few grand!!!
I do know that AM radio is impossible to get in the office.
do you know whether parallel printer cables are suseptable to EMF interference or perhaps the printer and therefore causing my problems

4. RE: Printers and EMF interference
lbyard Mar-06-02 12:28 PM
In response to message 3

>do you know whether parallel printer cables are suseptable to EMF interference or perhaps the printer and therefore causing my problems
That could be the problem. Printer cables are usually shielded. The printer is probably vulnerable. Line surges could also be causing the problem. Poor grounding may be the cause. Try moving both away from the box and test. Or, move them to another building. Then you will know. Larry