HP Z3200: Louder than older Z3100/Z2100

[sm906]

After I set up my new Z3200 yesterday I am a bit shocked about the loudness of this machine compared to my old Z2100. There doesn't seem to be a difference whether the Z3200 is in standy mode or not. My old Z2100 however, dated 2007, is almost whispering compared to the Z3200 when in standby mode.

Having read some of the previous threads here in the forum I got the impression that with the newer models (Z3200 vs Z3100/older(?) Z2100) HP has changed the fans (for any reasons?) to much louder versions.

Anybody with experience on that? Ernst you have both the Z3100 and Z3200 is there a notable difference between them?
Or anyone with experience Z2100 vs. Z3200?
Or is it simply a variety of production cycles with different fans., which makes some machines to be loud and others not?

My Z2100 was always on although not far away from my office desk, even though it was not as quite as my desktop PC (which in fact cannot be heard). Should there be no solution with the fans (i.e. replacement by HP?) I have to switch it off when not in use, hoping to have no clog issue when it will be switched off for weeks!?

Thomas

[namartinnz]

Thomas

I experienced exactly the same issue as you when I upgraded from a Z3100. The Z3200 was way louder - the only time it goes quieter is if you shut the machine down. Not ideal for me either as I work from home and the fan can be heard from the closed room. I used to shut it off at night, but now don't heat the fan.

Neal

[sm906]

I accidently pushed the power off button on the front panel this morning. The printer shutdown but did not switch off. Now, it is in the same quiete status as my HP Z2100 was when being in standy. It sounds like only the fan of the formatter (the rear part with the HD!?) is running.

I wonder what this "shutdown but not entirely off mode" is good for. What makes the difference compared to being totally switched off with the power off button in the rear?

Thomas

[Ernst Dinkla]

My Z3200 made/makes more noise than the Z3100, the last is almost silent but I recall that some Z3100 owners complained about noise when they got their machines 5-6 years ago. My Z3200 keeps the same level of noise when I switch the power off on the printer panel.


--
Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
December 2012, 500+ inkjet media white spectral plots.

[sm906]

My Z3200 keeps the same level of noise when I switch the power off on the printer panel.

Ernst, you mean that when switching it off on the printer panel it keeps on being as loud as if it would still be switched on?

Since I was "accidently" able to make the Z3200 silent (by shutting it down on the front panel) I wonder why the formatter fan is however running (probably for the harddrive, but why is this piece still running...). I am stilll hoping that it is for the 6 hours wake-up call to perform the periodical nozzle check...!? If not, it would be better to switch it off entirely by using the rear off button!?

Thomas

[Ernst Dinkla]

I accidently pushed the power off button on the front panel this morning. The printer shutdown but did not switch off. Now, it is in the same quiete status as my HP Z2100 was when being in standy. It sounds like only the fan of the formatter (the rear part with the HD!?) is running.

I wonder what this "shutdown but not entirely off mode" is good for. What makes the difference compared to being totally switched off with the power off button in the rear?

Thomas

It is good for going into service mode and to awake the printer with a shorter initialising start up. I doubt it does its usually cleaning checks in that mode. As written the formatter fan keeps running and that makes the noise I can not suppress. The printer is in another space so I can cope with it. There is another thing; if my printer gets off the hook for Printer Utility then I can not power down on the panel either, does not do a thing, have to switch it off at the back to connect to Printer Utility again.

--
Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
December 2012, 500+ inkjet media white spectral plots.

[Geraldo Garcia]

Hello,

My Z3200 is on my print studio, separated from the the editing area by a glass panels and door, so the noise is not usually a problem to me. Anyway, when working perfectly the fan noise is never louder than the level of a noisy PC, but twice in 3.5 years I had issues with malfunctions related to the fans that made it get REALLY noisy. As my printer is under extended warranty they simply changed the whole power supply and never bothered to discover the real problem. My guess is that it was related to bearing problem on the fan or a loose screw somewhere near the fan or, even simpler as I had on my PC, a wire touching the fan. During the problems it was hard to bear the sound for more than a few minutes, even with the glass door closed and turning the printer off on the front panel did not solve it, I had to switch of the power supply.

Best regards.

[sm906]

when working perfectly the fan noise is never louder than the level of a noisy PC

That's exactly what I was used to with my former Z2100. One could here the fan making a constant sound, louder than my (silent PC), but not loud in general terms, and I got used to it in a short period of time.

With the Z3200 however, not only the formatter fan is running, but also the additional fan on the left side of the printer (seen from the printers front) which is meant to produce the vacuum to keep away ink aerosols from the rest of the interior when printing. This vacuum fan is the one making the noise, in operating mode and in standby mode. This fan and its counterpart on the right were only running on the Z2100 when it was in operating mode. As soon as it went back to standy both of these fans were quiet.

My understanding is that either something is wrong with this vacuum fan or it is not slowed down/powered off when the printer is in standy, because of something wrong with the electronic assembly.

Might be a case for the HP warranty.

Thomas