Product: ES

Subject: Troubleshooting Fluid Flow Issues

Report Number: 6.1.001

Date: 5.01.07

Flow problems in these analyzers can be due to either a blockage in the flow
path or a leak in the flow path allowing air into the system. Please try each step
and if success is not achieved in eliminating flow issues, proceed to the next
step.

1. Please make sure the yellow tab on the sensor module is released in
order to compress and seal the electrodes or test block! If not released,
release it and retest.

2. Determine if the flow path through the sensor module and electrodes is
not plugged.
a. Take a syringe filled with water and attach with tubing to the
sampler inlet in the syringe mode.
b. Remove the pump tube from the valve module and unloosen it from
the pump head. It should now still be attached to the sensor
module and hanging free.
c. Gently press on the plunger of the syringe. A flow of water should
come out of the pump tube.
d. If not, remove the electrodes and replace with the test block. Try
flushing water through the circuit again. If you can now push fluid
through the flow path, one of the electrodes must have been
plugged. If you cannot push fluid through the flow path a bubble
detector must be plugged.
e. Remove the test block and again try flushing water through the flow
path. If you cannot, the sampler or the upper bubble detector is
plugged. Remove the sampler and test separately. If plugged,
 replace. If it is the upper bubble detector that is plugged, placing a
warm damp paper towel at its outlet for a period of time usually
loosens up the material blocking the flow path and it can then be
flushed out. Likewise, if the lower bubble detector is not allowing
flow, placing a warm paper towel on its inlet will often allow the
material to loosen and be flushed out.
3. Determine if the flow path has a leak, allowing air to be sucked into the
flow path and preventing the fluids from being aspirated through the flow
path.
a. First confirm the flow path is not blocked by following procedure 2.
b. Take the loose pump tube and insert one end onto a syringe while
the other end is still connected to the sensor module.
c. Open the sampler into the syringe mode and insert the sampler
needle into some red test dye.
d. Pull on the needle gently. You should observe the red test dye
being aspirated though the flow circuit of the sensor module and
through the electrodes and eventually into the pump tube and
syringe.
e. If you do not observe flow at that point, the most likely cause of an
air leak is a missing O-ring on one of the electrodes or the
compression plate requires replacement.
f. Check for missing O-rings, misaligned electrodes or problems with
the compression plate and retest until fluids can be aspirated
through the flow path.
4. Determine if the flow issue is related to backpressure from the reagent
module. The waste pouch in the reagent modules is twice the length of
the reagent module. It runs down the length of one side of the reagent
module and then back down the other side of the reagent module. This
makes a fold half way down the waste pouch. Sometimes the waste fluids
in the pouch do not get past the fold. In this case, the waste fluids can
only accumulate in one half of the pouch and will build up pressure in the
reagent module. This build up of pressure can cause the calibration
solutions to be under pressure and squirt out of the top of the valve
module when the sampler is raised. It can also cause back pressure in
the flowpath and result in pumpcal errors. If this problem is suspected,
simply remove the reagent module and tip it back and forth a few times.
This movement should allow the waste fluids to get past the fold and
relieve the back pressure in the waste pouch and reagent module.
5. If the analyzer cannot pass a fluidics check at this point the most likely
cause is a blockage in the valve module. The flow paths in the valve
module are plugged with salt from dried calibration solutions that were not
purged out and left to dry inside the tubes. This is why it is important that
when an analyzer is not going to be used for a while or will be unplugged,
the fluids be purged out of the flow path by using the change valve module
menu option stopping after the valve module is purged with air. To clear
blockages in the valve module, perform the following
 a. In the troubleshooting section of the Operators Manual is a section
describing connecting with tubing a syringe filled with warm water
to the top port of the valve module and then rotating the black valve
knob. Water should come out of all three of the lower ports plus the
air port as one slowly rotates the valve knob. The air port is on the
top right corner of the front face of the valve module. It is important
water come out all three lower ports plus the air port for the
analyzer to operate.
b. If water does not come out of all three lower ports and/or the air
port, place the valve module in a plastic bag with a little water in it.
Seal the bag. Take care to orient the valve module so that the
electrical connectors are not near the water. Leave the valve
module in this moist environment for an hour or two.
c. Remove the valve module from the bag and retry purging warm
water through the top port. This usually causes the dried salts to
moisten and eventually allow them to be washed out by the warm
water. Dry the valve off and retest once the flow paths in the valve
are cleared. If the flow paths cannot be cleared, replace the valve
module.

At this point, the flow path should be cleared and flow successfully re-
established in the analyzer.