Troubleshooting and Troubleshooting
See also: |
The analyzer has been designed to provide efficient and continuous service; however, certain maintenance procedures should be followed to obtain the best results over the longest period of time. When unexpected results occur, some common operational problems not indicated on the window and their respective causes and solutions are provided:
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Cause A: | Power or DIN cables not fully inserted. |
Action A: | Verify cable connections and connect any loose cable ends into proper outlets. |
Cause B: | No power at outlet. |
Action B: | Test the outlet. If there is no power, contact electrician. |
Cause C: | Plug prongs bent so that contact not made at outlet. |
Action C: | Unplug the power cable and re-plug into outlet. If indicator does not illuminate, have electrician adjust prongs or replace outlet or plug. |
Cause D: | Power cord damaged. |
Action D: | Have electrician check cord using test meter. Replace if defective. |
Cause E: | Loose internal connection, broken wire, or failure of internal power supply. |
Action E: | Contact a Micromeritics Service Representative for repair or replacement information. |

Cause A: | Chamber cap not properly closed. |
Action A: | Close chamber cap by turning fully clockwise. |
Cause B: | Chamber cap contains dust or debris or the O-ring is not properly greased. |
Action B: | Using a lint free tissue, clean the chamber cap and the rim of the cell chamber. Lightly grease the chamber cap O-ring. See Chamber Cap O-Ring. |
Cause C: | The chamber cap O-ring is not properly seated. |
Action C: | Check the chamber cap. Ensure that the O-ring is properly seated and that it contains no scratches or cuts. |
Cause D: | The chamber cap O-ring is cut or scratched. |
Action D: | Replace the O-ring in the chamber cap. See Chamber Cap O-Ring. |
Cause E: | Gas leaks in the cell chamber or expansion chamber. |
Action E: | Check the pycnometer for leaks. See Check the Cell and Expansion Chambers for Leaks. |
Cause F: | The helium tank is low on gas or empty. Tank pressure should be at least 200 psi above regulator pressure. |
Action F: | Check tank. Minimum recommended pressure is 200 psig above regulator pressure. See Regulator Pressure. |
Cause G: | The shutoff valve on the gas cylinder is closed. |
Action G: | Ensure that the valve is open. |
Cause H: | The Zero offset (of pressure transducer) is too low. |
Action H: | Check offset by opening chamber cap. If pressure is negative (displayed on instrument schematic), run a new zero offset. See Zero the Pressure Transducer & Chamber Volume. |
Cause I: | Dust filter on 2000 cm3 unit is clogged or leaking to atmosphere. |
Action I: | Clean the dust filter. See Clean the Dust Filter. |

Cause A: | Leaks in the gas line connection. |
Action A: | Pressurize the system. Close, then open the gas cylinder shutoff valve. If the needle on the pressure gauge falls abruptly, a leak in the gas line connections may be indicated. Check all gas line connections. |
Cause B: | Pycnometer was left in Manual mode with all the valves open or the fill valve open and chamber cap off. |
Action B: | Close all valves, then attach a new tank of helium. |

Cause A: | Sample outgassing. |
Action A: | Prior to analysis, remove moisture and contaminants from the sample. See Prepare and Load a Sample. |
Cause B: | Dust filter on 2000 cm3 unit is clogged or leaking to atmosphere. |
Action B: | Clean the dust filter. See Clean the Dust Filter. |
Cause C: | Defective cap O-ring. |
Action C: | Check cap O-ring for defects. Regrease or replace the O-ring, if necessary. |
Cause D: | Debris on valves. |
Action D: | With manual mode enabled and with the cap installed, open all valves. With helium flowing through the pycnometer, open and close the expansion valve repeatedly for approximately one minute. This will remove sample contamination, which may cause a leak, from the valve seat. Repeat the process for the vent valve with the inlet and expansion valves open. |
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