low EI source temperature

[gandreou]

hello!

I am new in gc/ms and it looks sometimes rather greek to me...

the problem I am facing is low source temperature. Although it is set to 300C it doesn't go higher than 110C. Moreover all this time I was trying to do manual tuning with FC43 , which I think is wrong and has maybe made my source and trap dirty.

Any ideas and help is appreciated

Georgia

[JA]

If the temps were not coming up at all, it could be a safety trip. In your case I'd suggest calling the manufacturer's support line.

[gandreou]

the temperatures are going uo to a point but 150 lower than the desired point. I can not call the manufacture line. I am using a VG trio 1000, for which I have no manual.

[Kostas Petritis]

Georgia,

Was the instrument in operational condition before, or is it an instrument which hasn't been used for a while and you are trying to bring it back to speed (and at this case a lot might be wrong)?

I am new in gc/ms and it looks sometimes rather greek to me...

On another note, with a name like Georgia Andreou (which sound pretty much Greek to me) you shouldn't be having any problems understanding your instrument

[gandreou]

The instrument was in operation when the temperature problem occured. Unfortunately I wasn't there when it happened and I don't know much about it. The thing is that now (although I have checked electric supplies -as much as I can put my hands on that) the temperature is not the one it should be and I don't know to what other problems could this be linked to.

As far as your comment about greek...well I am greek( and I understand greek), but if I said chinese I don't know if anyone would get what I mean

[Ary]

Georgia

From the details you've given I'd say there are two likely possibilities. Either you have a problem with your heater or you have a problem with the heater supply board. The quickest thing to check is have you got continuity on your heater? I cant recall which terminals this is but its easy to take the source out and check it with a meter. The heater is the big horseshoe on the bottom of the source. You should get a few volts resistance. If it reads open circuit then its your heater thats gone. If the heater is ok then its almost certainly the control board.

One other thing to check is that all of the push button trips on the back of the instrument are in.

Good luck

Steve

[Kostas Petritis]

Steve's suggestions are good. I had a similar problem with an Agilent ion-trap (although mine wouldn't go up at all, while you succeed at least to take the temperature up to 110C). The heater had died on that one...

[gandreou]

Steve and kostas thank you for your replies.

I have checked the heater of my Trio 1000 EI source and it gives some resistance. The push button trips on the back the instrument are in. The control board was recently changed with a "new" one. I believe it is something with the supply, because 2 of the lenses (1st and 3rd) are also not working.

[Kostas Petritis]

Georgia,

Another possibility is that your temperature sensor has been dislocated and it doesn't take the measuremnents from where it should be. This might be dangerous for your instrument as due to the wrong feedback, your heater will work in full power trying to achieve the desired temperature which might end up melting any non metalic parts.

Actually, we had such a problem once with a Waters Q-ToF when trying to install an ion funnel. During the process, the sensor was moved, the heater being powerful enough, heated at the maximum, it started melting the peak/plastic parts of the ion inlet. The plastic piece lost it's mechanical strength and sucked in from the vaccum (hitted the ion funnel and stopped).

We took some photos of it, it looked quite impressive!