Chromatography Forum

Hello

We have a Shimadzu HPLC with LC-10ATvp pumps. Yesterday I noticed there were synchronous peaks in the baseline. Initially thought air might be trapped in the pump head.

So I changed the buffer to water and purged the system only to notice that Purge function comes on and goes off automatically in about 10 seconds. No errors or nothing. It starts and automatically shuts itself down.

Fearing plunger might be physically broken inside the pump head, I opened both the heads only to find everything was fine, and even with pump heads off when I hit purge, plungers move back and forth for about 10 seconds and then silence.

Being a small university lab we do not have an ACM with Shimadzu. Does anybody have any idea what this might be? May be a small problem.

Thanks

Regards

mashtikar

I don't know what else is connected to your pumps. We have a MS connected. When the nebulizer gas is turned off, pumps are automatically shut off. Without nebulizer gas, we get the situation you decribed - after pressing purge the pump runs a few seconds and then stops.

Dear H Thomas

We do not have a MS attached to the HPLC.

I checked the flow rate yesterday and it was spot on, so there is definitely nothing wrong with the pump physically, but it seems rather an electronic anomaly or some wrong sensor setting.

I did set zero pressure again yesterday but it did not seem to work.

Thanks

Regards,

mashtikar