5
– Troubleshooting Guide
Thermo Scientific
Product Manual for the ERS 500 Suppressor
Page 67 of 84
031956-11
For Research Use Only. Not for Use in Diagnostic Procedures.
E.
Clean the suppressor membranes if reversing the flow through the suppressor does not
decrease the pressure. (See
, “Dionex ERS 500, Dionex ERS 500e and
Dionex AERS 500 Carbonate Suppressor Cleanup”).
F.
Replace the suppressor if cleaning the suppressor membrane does not reduce the
pressure.
G.
Contact the nearest Thermo Fisher Scientific Regional Office (see, “Thermo Fisher
Scientific Regional Offices”) if you cannot solve the problem on your own.
5.8
Liquid Leaks
A.
If there is leakage from the side seam of the Dionex ERS 500, Dionex ERS 500e or
Dionex AERS 500 Carbonate, check for leakage from one of the four ports of the
Dionex ERS 500 into the housing and check the back pressure after the suppressor.
B.
If there is liquid coming out of any of the four ports of the Dionex ERS 500, Dionex
ERS 500e or Dionex AERS 500 Carbonate, carefully tighten the fittings in the leaking
port – the fittings do not need to be more than ¼-turn past finger tight. If tightening the
fittings does not stop the leak, replace the ferrules and bolts on the tubing.
C.
If the system back pressure is greater than 450 psi, the leaks are likely caused by
excessive back pressure downstream from the suppressor. Find and eliminate the
source of the pressure. The suppressor will usually recover from momentary
overpressure conditions if allowed to stand approximately 20 minutes with the
membranes fully hydrated. See the Caution Note in
, “Start-Up” If the
suppressor continues to leak when operated within the proper back pressure range, it
must be replaced.
5.9
Poor or unstable recovery of certain peaks.
If one or two peaks are experiencing poor or unstable recoveries while the other peaks are
stable, it could be that the current to the suppressor is set too high. Recalculate the correct
current setting (see
, or use the “signal parameters” tool in Chromeleon). Do not
exceed the recommended current setting unless necessary to stabilize a drifting baseline.
Alternatively the system may be contaminated with a transition metal that is binding to the
analyte of interest (See
, “Metal Contaminants or Precipitates”).
5.10
Peaks and spikes in the absence of an injection
A.
Excessive current applied to the suppressor: Recalculate the optimum current and
apply; never apply more than 10% above the optimum current except when executing
the Electrolytic Regeneration Steps. When operating with gradient eluents, apply the
minimum current setting for the maximum eluent concentration at the eluent flow rate.
During a low flow method (stand-by mode), ensure that the current is lowered to the
optimal value based on the reduced flow rate and/or eluent concentration.
B.
Precipitation on the suppressor membrane or screens (calcium, magnesium and other
metals): Follow the Metal Contaminants or Precipitates procedure from
. To
prevent contaminants from reaching the suppressor, a CP1 cation polisher column
(Item # 064930) can be used during anion analysis to strip cationic contaminants from
the sample. Refer to the CP1 Operator’s Manual for detailed instructions.
