8 Diagnostic Testing and Troubleshooting
248 July 29, 2013, 715003794 Rev. B
Baseline drift,
slow
Solvent contaminated Use fresh solvent.
Decreased UV lamp
energy
Determine lamp energy using
detector diagnostics.
Ambient temperature
fluctuations
Stabilize operating
environment temperature
enough to allow full
equilibration.
UV detector flow cell
leaking (internal,
cross-port)
Inspect flow cell, tighten
connections.
Dirty flow cell Clean flow cell.
Baseline noise
cycling, short
term
(30 to 60 sec)
Flow fluctuating Stabilize flow by checking for
leaks and for proper degassing
(see “Erratic retention times”
symptom).
Solvent not well mixed
(short- or long-term
cycling)
Stir solvent.
Radio frequency noise
(short- or long-term
cycling)
Eliminate interference.
Baseline noise
cycling, long-term
(approximately
10 min to 1 hour)
Ambient temperature
fluctuations
Stabilize ambient
temperature.
Faulty Integrator or
recorder
Evaluate integrator or
recorder performance.
Solvent time in the
degasser is not
sufficient to remove
UV-absorbing gas (e.g.,
O
2
)
Maintain <
1 mL/min.
maximum flow rate.
Chromatography troubleshooting: (Continued)
Symptom Possible cause Corrective action
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