6
Routine Maintenance
Cleaning the External Surfaces of the Detector
Thermo Scientific
Accela PDA Detector Hardware Manual
85
Cleaning the External Surfaces of the Detector
Keep the external surfaces of the detector clean and dry. To clean the outside of the detector,
wipe with a dust-free cloth or a damp cloth (moistened with water only) to remove dirt or
stains.
Cleaning the LightPipe Flowcell
This section is limited to the general cleaning of the detector’s LightPipe flowcell. For other
LightPipe flowcell problems, such as leaks that occur in locations other than at the inlet/outlet
fittings, contact your Thermo Fisher Scientific Service Representative.
The exterior and interior surfaces of the LightPipe flowcell can become contaminated.
Flowcell contamination is usually caused by precipitation or by solubility problems, such as
when the quality of your mobile phase varies or the cleanliness of your samples varies. Signs of
a contaminated LightPipe flowcell are increased baseline noise, signal spiking, erratic or
drifting baselines, low light intensity, or increased backpressure.
This section contains the following procedures:
•
Removing the LightPipe Flowcell
•
Cleaning the LightPipe Flowcell with Organic Solvents
•
Cleaning the LightPipe Flowcell with Nitric Acid
Removing the LightPipe Flowcell
To clean the LightPipe flowcell, remove it from the Accela PDA Detector.
Y
To remove the LightPipe flowcell
1. Turn the detector power off and disconnect the power cord from the back panel of the
detector.
2. Open the front doors of the detector.
3. Loosen the captive screw that secures the flowcell cover.
4. Remove the flowcell cover (see
).
The LightPipe flowcell is located behind the flowcell cover (see
CAUTION
Do
not
disassemble the LightPipe flowcell housing, tighten the screws on the
housing, or touch the optical fibers at the ends of the LightPipe flowcell. Doing so
damages the LightPipe flowcell. Thermo Fisher Scientific is not responsible for any
damage done to the LightPipe flowcell by attempts to disassemble the housing or tighten
the screws. Contact your Thermo Fisher Scientific service representative with any
questions regarding LightPipe flowcell maintenance or service.
