11 Maintaining the ECD
To Install a Capillary Column in the ECD
180 Maintaining Your GC
To Install a Capillary Column in the ECD
1 Gather the following:
• Ferrule, see “Consumables and Parts for the ECD” on page 174.
• Column nut
• Septum
• Column
• 1/4-inch, 5/16-inch, and 9/16-inch wrenches
• Column cutter
• Lint-free gloves
2 Launch the GC maintenance wizard: Maintenance > Column > Perform Maintenance >
Install Column > Start Maintenance. Wait for the GC to become ready.
The wizard will guide you through the maintenance steps described below.
Be careful! The oven and/or detector may be hot enough to cause burns. If the detector is
hot, wear gloves to protect your hands.
Wear safety glasses to protect your eyes from flying particles while handling, cutting, or
installing glass or fused silica capillary columns. Use care in handling these columns to
prevent puncture wounds.
3 Load the inlet maintenance method and wait for the GC to become ready.
Wear clean, lint-free gloves to prevent contamination of parts with dirt and skin oils.
4 Place a septum (if the column id is ≤0.2 mm), capillary column nut, and ferrule on the
column.
5 Score the column using a glass scribing tool. The score must be square to ensure a clean
break.