I have an HP Pro 8710 printer that's making grinding noises once every hour, as if it's preparing to print something. I've already tried reaching out to HP tech support, but they couldn't help. I've also performed software updates, factory resets, and power cycles on both the printer and network. The issue has gotten so bad that we have to turn off the printer at night because the noise keeps us awake. I'm looking for any other ideas or solutions that might help fix this problem. For context, I'm using an iMac and two Windows 11 PCs, and all the printing is done wirelessly on a 2.4 GHz network.
2 Answers
Is the noise coming from the print head moving, or does it sound like it's trying to feed paper or something else? It could be that your network is sending signals that the printer thinks it needs to print. Try turning off your PCs one by one to see if any of them are causing the issue. Don’t forget that phones can also probe the printer for printing, so maybe disconnect those from the Wi-Fi temporarily. If that doesn’t work, check if the access door for cartridge replacement is closing correctly, because that might also trigger the noise.
It sounds like your printer might be receiving a keep-alive signal from the HP software on your devices. This could be for things like checking ink levels or device status. Have you tried turning off the printer? That could stop the noise for now.
If this keeps being an issue, you might want to consider getting a smart plug for the printer. That way, you can easily control it from your phone and shut it down when you need to.