by
wss » Tue Aug 17, 2021 10:16 pm
peadar9 wrote:
Hi
Does anybody have experience with trying to revive a Single Quad MS system (Agilent 1100 MSD) which has been in storage for about 5 years. It was stored relatively nicely in a clean dry office and all the parts are present. Has anybody tried something like that? Did it work? What are the pitfalls?
Thank you
Yes, I tried doing exactly this a year or two ago, except it was an ion trap 1100, and in storage in a disused lab for about 4-5 years. I found that it came up well, except for one component - the ion vacuum gauge. The filament in these can oxidise readily after exposure to air for a significant period, and will often fry themselves immediately if a current is passed through them in the presence of air. Incidentally, if anyone has a Granville Philips ion gauge, you know where to find me... Be prepared to change this component if you power the thing up and have issues getting acceptable readbacks from the vacuum system. I was quoted a fair bit for a new equivalent model, though second hand/refurbished units would be much cheaper, if you can find a matching one.
I've also heard that turbopumps don't like being powered down for any considerable length of time, but I've used them after 2-3 years in storage with no issues, so your mileage may vary.