LDARtools Technical Tips: Preventing Pump and Restrictor Contamination

Howdy,

Each month we will be releasing great technical tips to help keep your equipment in the best working order, and save you money. We encourage you to display these tips at your facility, we will even provide the display.  If you have suggestions on helpful topics or would like a display please email sales@ldartools.com

We routinely swab all pumps that are returned for warranty.

1. The process involves taking a clean swab and swiping across the interior surface of the pump.
2. Approximately 70% of the time these swabs come out pristine and clean. That is the good news.
3. 30% of the time the swabs reveal contamination.

Contamination in the pump can only have one cause:

The unit was run, for some period of time, without the recommended 1 micron probe tip filter.

How small is one micron? Imagine that the blue dot is the cross section of a head of hair. The white dot that is at about 10:00 (on the clock) would be about 1 micron. That is very, very small. Nothing this big or bigger is going to pass through that probe tip filter.

The presence of contamination in the pump can only be explained by one thing: The unit was operated – for at least some time – without the probe tip filter.

Contamination can happen in the blink of an eye: while the unit is warming up, the dust in the room or from a nearby window can contaminate the unit.

Always Remember:

If the pump is running, the probe tip filter should be attached ALL of the time.

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