3 • Operation and Maintenance
Doc. 031644-02 9/03
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Cleanliness is very important. After operating in detection modes that
do not require optically clean reagents (such as conductivity), the
solvent delivery system may need to be thoroughly cleaned. A basic
cleaning procedure is described below; for additional information,
refer to the pump user’s manual.
To clean the pump and system between applications:
1. Remove the column and suppressor (if installed).
2. Connect the line exiting the injection valve directly to the flow cell.
3. Flush the system with deionized water at 1.0 mL/min for 20 minutes.
4. Flush the system with methanol at 1.0 mL/min for 20 minutes. For
very sensitive applications, continue flushing for several hours.
5. Flush the system with deionized water at 1.0 mL/min for 15 to
20 minutes.
6. Reinstall the column (and the suppressor, if removed) and equilibrate
the system before resuming operation.
To avoid contamination, always wear gloves when handling pump
components in the flow path. Contamination may cause baseline
disruptions, spurious peaks, and inconsistent results, especially in
sensitive applications.
If there is a heavy salt build-up on the pistons, remove the pistons and
clean them with deionized water. Refer to the pump user’s manual for
instructions. (Cleaning the pistons removes salt crystals that can
abrade the piston, thereby causing the main seal to wear out
prematurely and allow leaks.)
Replace the piston seals if there is a heavy salt build-up on the
pistons, if the seals leak, or if the pistons are replaced. Refer to the
pump user’s manual for instructions.
