3
Daily Operation
Things to Do After Operating the MS Detector
48
Surveyor MSQ Plus Hardware Manual
Thermo Scientific
Flushing the API Probes
After running phosphate salts, ion pairing agents, acids, or other additives through the system,
flush the probe with [50:50] acetonitrile / water or methanol / water to prevent blockage.
Y
To flush the capillary of the API probe
1. Attach the analytical pump outlet directly to the Surveyor MSQ Plus MS detector.
Because they might contain contaminants, bypass the injection valve of the autosampler
and the LC column.
2. Pump a non-buffered solvent that is miscible with the buffered mobile phase through the
probe at a flow rate of 2 mL/min for a few minutes.
3. Then, pump [50:50] acetonitrile / water or [50:50] methanol / water through the probe
at a flow rate of 2 mL/min for 30 minutes.
Placing the System in the Off Mode
Place the Surveyor MSQ Plus MS detector in the Off mode if you are not going to use it for a
short period of time, such as overnight or over weekends. In the Off mode, the system is left
under vacuum, but the nitrogen flow is reduced to a bleed through the API probe, the
electron multiplier and conversion dynode are turned off, the power to the ion optics is
turned off, and the power to the probe heater is turned off.
“Placing the System in the Off Mode”
for instructions on turning the
system to the Off mode.
Draining the Oil Mist Filter and Purging the Pump Oil
During normal operation the oil in the forepump becomes contaminated with dissolved
chemicals and water vapor. In addition, the oil mist filter fills with condensed oil. Over time,
the rising water content of the oil can cause corrosion and decrease the lifetime of the
forepump. And once the oil level in the oil mist filter rises above the maximum oil level mark
(see
), the oil mist filter becomes ineffective in trapping exhaust fumes.
Therefore, it is important that you drain the oil back into the forepump and purge the oil on
a routine basis.
Note
To prevent blockage, always flush the probes after using buffered solvents.
CAUTION
Do not operate the forepump with the oil level in the oil mist filter above the
maximum level mark.