Routine and Preventive Maintenance
_____________________________________________________________________ The Vacuum System
The Vacuum System
The vacuum system consists of two types of vacuum pumps: a
turbomolecular pump and a rotary pump. The turbomolecular pump is
housed within the MSQ and must be serviced only by a trained Dionex
Service Representative. The rotary pump is external to the MSQ and
requires routine maintenance to keep it running at its optimum performance
level.
Maintaining the Fore Pump
The fore pump (the rotary or backing pump) is external to the MSQ and
requires routine maintenance to keep it running at its optimum performance
level. The pumps used for this purpose come from two manufacturers–
Busch and Edwards. The type of pump on the system will depend on when
the instrument was purchased. The Busch pump has external and internal
filters that should be serviced at regular intervals. The Edwards pump does
not have filters that require routine maintenance.
The following maintenance procedures are covered here:
Checking the rotary pump oil level and color
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•
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Adding oil to top-up the oil level
Changing the rotary pump oil
Replacing the external oil filter (Busch pumps only)
Note:
More information on operating and maintaining the rotary pump can
be found in the Rotary Pump User Manual, supplied with the MSQ system.
Checking the Rotary Pump Oil Level and Color
Check the rotary pump oil level and color at least once a week.
If the oil level in the rotary pump gets low before the scheduled oil change,
use the procedure in the next section to add oil.
To check the oil:
1.
2.
Look through the oil sight glass at one end of the rotary pump. The oil
level should be between the upper and lower marks positioned next to
the window.
If the oil level is near or below the lower mark, add more oil. Refer to
the procedure for adding oil on page 5-24.
____________________________MSQ Hardware Manual ___________________________
5-23
