• Created : 
  • Modified : 
  • Category :  Agilent Knowledge Portal
  • Entry Type :  Article
  • Product Type :  Analytical LC Systems
  • Component :  LC Pumps
  • Product Name :  1100 Series LC System 1200 Series LC System 1260 Infinity II LC System 1260 Infinity III LC System 1260 Infinity LC System
  • Task :  Troubleshooting
Related Articles

  • Unstable Pressure on 1100, 1200, and 1260 Quaternary Pumps

    This Information Applies to: Agilent 1100, 1200, and 1260 LC quaternary pumps. Issue Pressure has been fluctuating or causing ripple. It may cause a noisy baseline and retention shifts, therefore, the quality of chromatograms has worsened. Pressure fluctuations can occur when the pump is not delivering a flow correctly and it affects the separation during analysis. Resolution Air trapped in the pump head Purge the pump, and flush the system with mobile phase or IPA, first without...

  • Systematic Approach to Troubleshooting High Backpressure in Agilent LC Systems

    This Information Applies To: Agilent analytical, micro, or preparative LC systems Issue The system is set up to run an analysis. The user installs the column and is flowing with the required mobile phase and method parameters. The expected backpressure should be 200 bar (for example) but it was higher than expected (e.g. 350 bar). Steps to follow The following flowchart (see Figure 1 ) guides the user through the steps (labeled 1 to 10) to systematically determine the source of the additional...

  • Troubleshooting Low Pressure Issues on LC Systems When No Leak is Detected

    This Information Applies to: Analytical-scale LC systems with a single pump with manual purge valve. It does not apply to systems with Agilent G7167A/B Multisampler or extra switching valves. Issue A low pressure through the column is observed, however, no leak is detected or visible in the system. Steps to Follow General system considerations Check the solvent bottles. They must contain enough solvent. Check the solvent intake line. There should be no gas bubbles. Check for clogs...

  • Troubleshooting High Pressure Issues in Agilent LC Systems

    This Information Applies To: All standard analytical scale Agilent 1100/1200/1260/1290 Infinity / Infinity II LC system configurations: Single Pump (Isocratic, Quaternary, or Binary) with Manual Purge Valve. Does not apply to systems with Agilent G7167A/B Multisampler or extra Switching Valves. Issue: When facing high pressure-related problems, like aborted runs, or high pressure error messages, it is important to identify the location of the blockage that is causing high pressure. This information...

  • Troubleshooting Inlet High Pressure in GC Systems

    This Information Applies To: Agilent GC Systems Issue The GC carrier gas actual pressure exceeds its pressure setpoint. Resolution Split/splitless inlet, MMI inlet, PTV inlet, or volatiles interface Check the split vent trap line for contamination or an abnormal restriction. Run the split vent restriction test from the GC front panel. Verify that the correct consumables are selected. Check if the liner is suitable for the selected injection mode (split or splitless injection...

Troubleshooting Agilent Pump Errors Due to Blockage of a Pump Head

Answer

This Information Applies To: Agilent G1312X and G7112X binary pumps.

Issue:

A blockage before the pressure sensor, e.g. in a pump head, will not give a high pressure or overpressure system error. Instead, the pump may show one of various error messages due to the pump drive experiencing too much resistance during the piston movement:

  • "motor drive power" (error ID 2041, 2042)
  • "servo restart failed" (error ID 2201, 2211)
  • "stroke length" (error ID 2206, 2216)
  • "initialization failed" (error ID 2207, 2217)
  • "home position out of limit" (error ID 2203)
  • "home position not found" (error ID 2204). 

If your LC system shows any of these errors, then please follow these steps to try to locate and rectify the issue.

Steps to follow:

After each step, turn on the pump, start a normal pump flow, and then check if one of the errors listed earlier re-occurs or not.

  1. Remove the capillary between outlet valve and piston 2 (shown in purple in Figure 1).
  2. Remove the y-capillary going from the pump head outlet to the mixing chamber (shown in blue in Figure 1). 
  3. Remove the Outlet Ball Valve (OBV, shown in green in Figure 1).
  4. Loosen the Active Inlet Valve (AIV, shown in yellow in Figure 1).


Figure 1. Different parts to be checked for a blockage:
Capillary between OBV and Piston 2 (purple), Y-Capillary from outlet to mixing chamber (blue), OBV (green), AIV, and its cartridge (yellow)

If the OBV or the AIV are causing the error, you may try to clean them. Sonicate the OBV or the AIV cartridge (see Figure 1) first in isopropanol, then water and then in isopropanol, each for 10 minutes (do not sonicate the whole AIV, only the cartridge).

 Caution 
Caution: Remove the AIV cartridge from the AIV and only sonicate the AIV cartridge. Do not sonicate the AIV body.

If this procedure does not solve the issue, you may proceed with checking the pump head interior:

  1. To check if a piston is broken or if a piston seal is somehow twisted, remove the pump head and open the pump head.
  2. Check the pistons for deposited material that may be hindering its movement.
  3. Check if the spring in the pump head piston housing is broken (Figure 2).


    Figure 2. Piston Housing of the Pump Head Assembly: The red arrows show the springs pushing back the pistons. In the right part of the image, the glass piston is visible.

  4. Reinstall the pump head.

If the procedures described do not solve your issue or enable you to localize a blockage in your flow path, contact your local Agilent support representative for assistance.

 Tip 
Learn how to effectively maintain your Agilent HPLC:
Agilent 1260 Infinity LC Systems with OpenLab CDS Learning Path available from Agilent Education

 

 
Was this helpful?
Privacy Statement
Terms of Use
Contact Us
Site Help