AutoRegen® Cartridge Refill Document No. 032852-10 Page 6 of 7
SECTION 3 - TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
The purpose of the Troubleshooting Guide is to help you isolate and solve routine operating problems. To use the Guide, locate
the description of the problem you are having and then follow the suggested course of action.
3.1 High Conductivity
The conductivity of the chromatographic system, including the AutoRegen, should be within 5 μS of the of the conductivity of
the system with no AutoRegen Regenerant Cartridge in-line. Use the equation in Section 2 to verify that the cartridge has not
expended.
The AutoRegen Regenerant Cartridge, regenerant or suppressor is contaminated or expended.
A. Turn OFF the AutoRegen pump.
B. Remove the AutoRegen Regenerant Cartridge from the system. Using a coupler, connect the cartridge inlet and outlet
lines. Turn ON the pump and monitor the background conductivity. If it is still too high, the regenerant is probably
contaminated and needs to be replaced. It is probable that the cartridge has been contaminated and should be rinsed
of contaminated regenerant.
1. Disconnect all liquid lines from the regenerant reservoir, dispose of the regenerant in the reservoir, and fill the
reservoir with deionized water having a specific resistance of 18.2 megohm-cm.
2. Disconnect the tubing installed in the top of the AutoRegen Regenerant Cartridge. Hold the cartridge upright to
prevent any liquid leaks and remove it from the slot. Hold the cartridge over a beaker, disconnect the tubing
installed in the bottom and drain all the regenerant from the cartridge into the beaker.
3. Reinstall the AutoRegen Regenerant Cartridge in the enclosure. Place the end of the outlet line in a waste container
and pump 1000 mL of high purity (specific resistance of 18.2 megohm-cm) deionized water through the cartridge
to waste. Afterwards, drain the remaining water from the cartridge into a beaker.
4. Connect the outlet line to the CHM, prepare fresh regenerant and resume normal operation.
C. If operating with fresh regenerant does not reduce the background conductivity, the suppressor may be the source of
the high conductivity. Remove the AutoRegen Regenerant Cartridge from the system. Using a coupler, connect the
cartridge inlet and outlet lines. Turn ON the pump and monitor the background conductivity. If it still too high, refer
to your suppressor manual for additional troubleshooting information. If the suppressor is not a problem, the cartridge
is defective. Contact the nearest Dionex Service Office about a replacement cartridge (see “Dionex Worldwide
Offices”).
The diaphragm in the pressure relief assembly has ruptured.
1. Check the piece of tubing to the exit side of the pressure relief assembly. If regenerant is flowing out of the tubing,
excessive back pressure has ruptured the diaphragm (see Figure 1).