How to Prepare your HPLC for a Long Time Shut Down

This Information Applies To: Agilent Liquid Chromatography (LC) systems

Issue:

Shutting down the HPLC for a long period requires following this general procedure to prevent damage to the system and the column.

Steps to follow:

1. Store the column in an appropriate solvent (check column information sheet)
2. When you remove the column, add a column union so the detector gets flushed as well in the following steps.
3. For a system in reversed phase -> Purge all lines with hot HPLC-grade water (60 to 70 °C) to remove salts or ACN polymeric by-products.
   You may use the following solvents for storing the instrument: 100% HPLC grade IPA (Isopropanol), IPA: Water mix > 10:1 or a (50:50) MeOH: Water mix. No salts should be left in the system.
4. For a system in Normal phase, do not purge with water -> purge with IPA directly and then move on to store in 100% HPLC grade IPA or IPA: Hexane mix > 10:1.   
5. Fill all solvent lines with IPA or the storing solvent.
6.  Plug (or seal) all open connections.
7. Emptying waste containers and mobile phase bottles is recommended to avoid any contamination later on. 
8. Power off all modules and the PC / control software. 
9. If you have an evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD), close all regulators and the gas tank. 

Learn how to maintain your Agilent LC system: Collection of LC (HPLC) Resources in the Agilent Community