03-914978-00:1
115
GC Maintenance
GC Maintenance
Overview
NOTE: The Saturn 2000 Maintenance Tutorial on CD-ROM provides viewing
maintenance procedures on computer screen. Refer to GC Maintenance
Section.
It is important for the GC user to learn general maintenance techniques and carry
these procedures out on a regular basis. Some common GC maintenance
procedures are changing septa and injector inserts, checking for leaks,
conditioning columns and changing filters. In this section maintenance
information is presented under four headings: general GC maintenance, injector
maintenance, and column maintenance.
Note that many maintenance procedures, such as repair or replacement of
electronic components, should be performed by a qualified Varian service
representative. For maintenance problems where mechanical or electrical
assemblies need to be repaired or replaced please call your local Varian service
center.
There are certain maintenance tasks that should be carried out on a routine
basis. These regular procedures are done to ensure that the 3800/3900 Gas
Chromatograph will continue to operate at optimum performance. The following
is a brief summary of some common maintenance tasks and their typical
frequency. Additional information on the 3800/3900 GC can be found in the
Getting Started and Operator’s manuals:
Maintenance Task
Frequency
Change septa
Typically 50 - 100 injections
Check column nuts are tight
Daily
Condition column
Daily or as required
Change injector inserts, if
necessary
Weekly
Check gas supplies
Weekly
Leak check
Monthly
Change gas cylinders
Quarterly or as required
Condition system
Semiannually
Replace gas purifiers
Annually or as required
