What are the symptoms that a trap is dying?

[mickygd]

Purge-trap system w/ Aglent GC-MSD

all of the sudden my early 'gas' peaks are broadening out. I checked to see that all fittings are tightened but I still have this problem.

I've had the trap for a year and I've run lots and lots of samples.

I'm using a vocarb k trap on a tekmar concentrator...

oh, and one other question...

do you use new ferrules when changing the trap? I've bought the new trap and didn't know that I needed furrules. If I'm careful can I just swap the old trap for the new? or should i order new ferrules and be down for a couple of days?

Thanks.

[jtsmith]

We use an OI 4560 concentrator with a number 10 trap. Typically when the trap is starting to fail the ketones, carbon disulfide and especially bromoform will respond poorly.

Regardless we change our traps every month.

[jtsmith]

broadening peaks... do you think you might have a slight leak? check the concentrator (we once had a similiar problem and found a slight leak coming from the interface)