-
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2014 4:17 pm
Advertisement
Rehabbing an old Agilent 1100
Discussions about HPLC, CE, TLC, SFC, and other "liquid phase" separation techniques.
6 posts
Page 1 of 1
I am trying to put an Agilent 1100 system with a quaternary pump and DAD back into service after about 6 years of neglect. I have no idea how the instrument and columns were prepared before putting them into storage. I assume that I will have to replace pump seals, wash seals, plungers, tubing, and columns, but is there anything that I am overlooking that I should replace at the same time (for example, DAD flow cell components)? Thanks for your guidance.
-
- Posts: 3594
- Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2004 11:43 pm
What you suggest sounds like a decent plan to me. I wouldn't do anything to the flow cells unless there was an issue.
I'd replace the lamps, especially the UV one.
I'd replace the lamps, especially the UV one.
-
- Posts: 36
- Joined: Wed Jul 31, 2013 9:29 am
Clean/replace the needle and the needle seat also.
Clean the PC too(if using the old one).
Clean the PC too(if using the old one).
-
- Posts: 3477
- Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 8:54 pm
You can purchase a kit from Agilent that includes the needle, needle seat, plunger seals and I believe the rotor seal for doing routine maintenance on the autosamplers.Clean/replace the needle and the needle seat also.
Clean the PC too(if using the old one).
You will also want to replace the teflon frit in the bypass valve. You can take the plungers out and inspect them under a magnifying glass and look for any scoring, if they are still smooth then you should not need to replace those, just the seals.
Other parts that could have been damaged if sitting dry or with water instead of solvent would be the outlet check valve and the active inlet valve. Do the seals and frit first, then if you have excessive pressure fluctuations start with the outlet check valve. It if builds pressure but doesn't hold it the outlet is most likely the problem, if it just doesn't build pressure then it is the inlet valve.
Also after sitting for so long, make sure to check that the four solenoids on the solvent channels are working correctly. One easy check it to place solvent in bottles on all four channels and run a 25/25/25/25% mixture, few ml/minute for an hour and check that the same amount of solvent was pulled from all the bottles. Actually is it probably easier to place the solvent inlets into four 100ml graduated cylinders, prime all four channels then fill them to the 100ml mark before starting the test, that way you can easily see how much was pulled from each channel. If they are not within a couple ml of each other then you could have something either blocking the line or holding the needle valve open allowing improper proportioning.
The past is there to guide us into the future, not to dwell in.
-
- Posts: 1888
- Joined: Fri Aug 08, 2008 11:54 am
I know this sounds silly, but clean the sample tray!
Because the 1100's pick up the vial and put it on the injection port while they stick the needle in, they are very vulnerable to dirt being picked up from a dirty tray, and carried on the bottom of a vial over to the injection port, where the dirt drops off and is neatly pushed into the injection port the next time the needle comes down. In fact I remember a few years ago a period where nearly all of our high-pressure errors were traceable to a single user with a filthy vial-box!
Because the 1100's pick up the vial and put it on the injection port while they stick the needle in, they are very vulnerable to dirt being picked up from a dirty tray, and carried on the bottom of a vial over to the injection port, where the dirt drops off and is neatly pushed into the injection port the next time the needle comes down. In fact I remember a few years ago a period where nearly all of our high-pressure errors were traceable to a single user with a filthy vial-box!
-
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2014 4:17 pm
Thanks for all the advice. I probably wouldn't have thought of the solenoids going slightly bad and altering the flow rates. I'll also make sure the sample trays are spotless.
6 posts
Page 1 of 1
Who is online
In total there are 354 users online :: 2 registered, 0 hidden and 352 guests (based on users active over the past 5 minutes)
Most users ever online was 4374 on Fri Oct 03, 2025 12:41 am
Users browsing this forum: Ahrefs [Bot], Google [Bot] and 352 guests
Most users ever online was 4374 on Fri Oct 03, 2025 12:41 am
Users browsing this forum: Ahrefs [Bot], Google [Bot] and 352 guests
Latest Blog Posts from Separation Science
Separation Science offers free learning from the experts covering methods, applications, webinars, eSeminars, videos, tutorials for users of liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, sample preparation and related analytical techniques.
Subscribe to our eNewsletter with daily, weekly or monthly updates: Food & Beverage, Environmental, (Bio)Pharmaceutical, Bioclinical, Liquid Chromatography, Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry.
- Follow us on Twitter: @Sep_Science
- Follow us on Linkedin: Separation Science