Problems with Source heater assembly in MSD 5973N

[ALC]

Two questions for discussion

Has anyone ever had failures with the ion source heater sensor?

Do you consider it a changeable piece in your equipment? If so, does anyone have a schedule for it?

[AICMM]

ALC,

In all of my years working on people's 5973's, I have never changed a source heater or RTD. Therefore, I would not put it on a schedule. I would not even keep a spare around based on my experiences. Hope that helps...

Best regards.

[BCBC]

I keep several RTDs and heater cartridges on stand by. I change 20 ion sources a month and eventually the wiring will break.
Try Scientific Instrument Services which sells both. Talk to Tony if need be... A screw driver or small allen wrench is all you need.

[EnvironLab]

I do keep a spare on hand. But it happens so rarely it doesn't seem to need scheduled replacement. With 14 GCMS's, I've only had to replace maybe a total of 5 in the past 8 years. They're not the cheapest items either. Just keep a spare around and be careful not to bend the wires much during normal maintenance.