FID

[iwone]

Hi, I am new to GC-FID. Can enyone tell me is it safe to leave it working overnight?!

Carrier gas is Helium

Air is suplied to FID from the cylinder, and for hydrogen we have hydrogen generator.

thanks for the help.

iwone

[Don_Hilton]

I leave my GC-FID system on over night quite often. I have always been of the practice of leaving carrier flowing through a column - to keep the air out. I will shut the FID off, just to save on hydrogen. (I still run off of a cylinder.)

As long at there is nothing outside the instrument that would pose a risk - like a hyrogen line run where it shouldn't be - you should be fine running over night.

[zokitano]

Welcome to the forum Iwone,

As Don_Hilton stated before it is more convenient to leave the carrier gas flowing through the column (and detector) at low flow rate, just to be your column conditioned for the next day and if you bake the detector over night (to remove the possible contaminants in your detector) do it elevating the FID's temperature, but (due to economical and safety reasons) turn off the hydrogen and air flow in the detector.

Regards

[AICMM]

iwone,

Most of my customers leave their FID's on all the time, 24/7/365. Many of these instruments run late into the night or all night so there is no point in turning them off. Never been an issue.

Best regards.

[iwone]

Thanks for your answers. acctually, we are going to have GC-FID running all the night and day, 6 days a week. otherways no way we could do the job.

I also heard that this might be an issue when hydrogen is carrier gas, and we have helium...but better be on the safe side and hear form someone who knows. My supervisor would not be very happy if I blow up the lab....

thanks one more time

[Bricevan]

You should get in the habit of performing leak checks on all of your fittings (even those not running hydrogen). Whenever you switch gas cylinders is a good time to do it. This will help improve the safety of the lab, but also save money!

Hydrogen is very safe providing a little common sense is used (no HUGE leaks, no open flames). Hydrogen diffuses very quickly so it is hard for a lot of it to collect in a room under normal circumstances.

[CE Instruments]

I also heard that this might be an issue when hydrogen is carrier gas, and we have helium...but better be on the safe side

No problem at all if you get a Hydrogen detector system fitted.
H2 Sensor
Fits all makes of GC and available from other suppliers for all countries.

[haiedc]

Hi, I am new to GC-FID. Can enyone tell me is it safe to leave it working overnight?!

Carrier gas is Helium

Air is suplied to FID from the cylinder, and for hydrogen we have hydrogen generator.

thanks for the help.

iwone

Mordern GCs always have the feature that shuts down all the gas if the FID is quenched. It's safe. Anyway you should check for leak periodically as bricevan suggests

[M Azmi]

Hydrogen is very flammable gas. It's safe if you off the FID and leave it column flow to avoid condensation. Always performed the leak test.