ICS-1000 Inability to Inject

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I have an Dionex ICS-1000 instrument. I'm having trouble manually injecting samples with a syringe. Running washes this morning to prep system for analysis, the first two water samples were fine to inject, but the third I physically couldn't push the syringe in. The pressure on the system is normal and in a range I normally observe (around 2100psi) for the column and suppressor.

Troubleshooting I've done thus far: Primed the pump, checked the end-line filters on my guard column and replaced those, and also taken the injection valve apart, and sonicated the tubing and 6-connector port. I've also tried to get thermo on the phone today, but since it's saturday they're not open.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
What size/color tubing are you using to connect the syringe to the injection valve? Do you have excessive tubing coming out of the injection valve? It does sound like a clog somewhere in your system - but not from the pump to the column.

If you have spare tubing and adequate sample, perhaps you could replumb sample and waste lines with lower pressure tubing - orange, green or blue. The waste line can be connected to wider bore tubing to greatly reduce the back pressure and risk of a clog.

You said you already cleaned your injection valve. Did you check to ensure the 6 pass throughs were clear before reinstalling?

It's unlikely, but I suppose the internals could have worn down. In my experience that takes tens of thousands of injections.
If you have bbe able to inject two sample propperly, but not the third, there must be a blockage on the way from syringe to the outlet (waste). As the system is running without increased pressure, the problem is located on the low pressure sample line.
Disconnect all parts an check them individually to locat the point of blockage.

Not related to that problem but to manual injections: I usually pull the sampl with the syringe through the loop. You then do not need to clean the syringe every time. Only the capillary coming in contact with the sample has to be cleaned.

Bets regards
Markus
Dr. Markus Laeubli
Manager Marketing Support IC
(retired)
Metrohm AG
9101 Herisau
Switzerland
Excellent idea from Markus regarding pulling the sample rather than pushing!
My standard procedure since 30 years.
Dr. Markus Laeubli
Manager Marketing Support IC
(retired)
Metrohm AG
9101 Herisau
Switzerland
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