Chapter 6
Maintenance and service
OsmoTECH XT Single-Sample Micro-Osmometer Service Guide
43
6.4 Maintenance
Keep your OsmoTECH XT clean on the exterior and free
of spills, debris, and dust.
•
Periodically wipe the instrument with a barely-damp
cloth. Use either warm soapy water or isopropyl
alcohol to dampen the cloth.
•
Make sure the fan on the back has not accumulated
dust and debris that could impede air flow. Dirty air
vents can cause instrument overheating and reboots.
Complete other service to your OsmoTECH XT following
instructions in this section.
Chamber cleaning
If you experience multiple Sample Pre-freeze errors, or if
you suspect contamination of the sample probe, clean
the cooling chamber with a chamber cleaner that has
been dampened with water.
Solenoid maintenance
A dirty solenoid can cause
Sample Did Not Freeze
errors
and can affect instrument accuracy and repeatability.
If you suspect the solenoid function has degraded, follow
the instructions below to inspect, clean, or replace it.
You should also clean the solenoid periodically as part of
routine maintenance:
•
If the instrument is used daily:
Clean the solenoid
monthly.
•
If the instrument is used only occasionally:
Clean the
solenoid every three months.
This area of this instrument comes into contact
with biohazardous materials. Take appropriate
precautions.
1.
Open the section of instrument housing above the
cooling chamber to access the solenoid in the
OsmoTECH XT.
2.
Insert a disposable chamber cleaner into the sample
probe opening until you feel a positive stop.
3.
Unscrew the two solenoid retainer bracket screws
and gently remove the bracket.
4.
Being careful not to lose any small parts, grasp the
enclosed solenoid plunger assembly, lift it up, and
then withdraw it from the body cylinder.
NOTE:
Leave the body cylinder in place inside the
instrument.
5.
Dampen the wooden end of a cotton-tipped
applicator with a 70% isopropanol solution; then
insert it down through the solenoid body into the
smaller diameter plunger hole until it reaches the
chamber cleaner you inserted in step 2.
Move the applicator in and out to scrub the sides of
the hole.
6.
Clean the smaller diameter plunger of the solenoid
assembly with a 70% isopropanol solution on a soft
cloth.
Do not use any abrasive for this cleaning procedure.
