Agilent Technologies G3388A User manual

Agilent Technologies
Agilent G3388A
Leak Detector
Operation Manual

Operation Manual
Notices
© Agilent Technologies, Inc. 2007
No part of this manual may be reproduced in
any form or by any means (including elec-
tronic storage and retrieval or translation
into a foreign language) without prior agree-
ment and written consent from Agilent
Technologies, Inc. as governed by United
States and international copyright laws.
Manual Part Number
5973-1709
Edition
First Edition, December 2007
Printed in USA
Agilent Technologies, Inc.
5301 Stevens Creek Boulevard
Santa Clara, CA 95052
Warranty
The material contained in this docu-
ment is provided “as is,” and is sub-
ject to being changed, without notice,
in future editions. Further, to the max-
imum extent permitted by applicable
law, Agilent disclaims all warranties,
either express or implied, with regard
to this manual and any information
contained herein, including but not
limited to the implied warranties of
merchantability and fitness for a par-
ticular purpose. Agilent shall not be
liable for errors or for incidental or
consequential damages in connec-
tion with the furnishing, use, or per-
formance of this document or of any
information contained herein. Should
Agilent and the user have a separate
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document that conflict with these
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arate agreement shall control.
Safety Notices
CAUTION
A CAUTION notice denotes a haz-
ard. It calls attention to an operat-
ing procedure, practice, or the like
that, if not correctly performed or
adhered to, could result in damage
to the product or loss of important
data. Do not proceed beyond a
CAUTION notice until the indicated
conditions are fully understood and
met.
WARNING
A WARNING notice denotes a
hazard. It calls attention to an
operating procedure, practice, or
the like that, if not correctly per-
formed or adhered to, could result
in personal injury or death. Do not
proceed beyond a WARNING
notice until the indicated condi-
tions are fully understood and
met.

Operation Manual 3
Contents
1 Introduction 5
2 Operating Procedure 9
3 Function Settings 11
4 Power Supply 13

4Operation Manual

5
Agilent Technologies
Agilent G3388A Leak Detector
Operation Manual
1
Introduction
The Agilent Technologies Leak Detector is a portable, highly
sensitive instrument designed to detect helium gas leaks in gas
chromatographs (GCs) and their accessories, such as purge and
trap systems. The detector indicates leaks through a dual
system that consists of an indicating LCD and an audible alarm.
The detector is more reliable and convenient to use than soap
solutions and is capable of detecting even the smallest, hard-to-
reach gas leaks.
Fresh air inlet
Power switch
Inlet for recharger
Left side view Front view
Inlet filter
Display
Charge lamp (in green)
Sample probe
FUNC key
ZERO/ENTER key

6Operation Manual
1Introduction
Use the Agilent Leak Detector only for detecting gases. Never
allow liquids or particles to enter the probe.
To determine whether a GC or a GC accessory is leaking gas,
place the Agilent Leak Detector’s sample probe near the
suspected leak. Make sure that the sample probe remains open
during leak detection. Be careful not to place the probe’s tip
against the connection or fitting that you are checking.
Protect the detector from vibration while it is operating.
Periodically replace the filter (part number 5067-0218) that is
attached at the inlet of the sample probe.
NOTE Be aware that the detector will give a positive response to skin vapor and
to fittings that were recently leak checked with a soap solution.
CAUTION •Do not expose the detector to shock, wet environments, solvents, or
temperatures outside its specified range.
•Do not open the detector’s body.
•Do not use the detector to detect corrosive gases.
•Do not block the fresh air inlet at the top of the detector. Be aware
that the detector’s sensitivity will be adversely affected if it is used
in an area containing the leaking gas.
WARNING • Do not use the detector in areas at risk for fire, explosion, or large
leaks of flammable gas.
• Do not use the detector in areas without sufficient ventilation to
safely detect small leaks of flammable gases.
• Do not use the detector in environments that may be potentially
contaminated with dust or combustible fumes.

Introduction 1
Operation Manual 7
Specifications
Detector: Thermistor-actuated thermal conductivity cell
Thermal conductivity of gases: Lower than 48 × 10-6 cal/cm.s. °C or higher than
68 × 10-6 cal/cm.s. °C (both at 0 °C, 1 atm)
Sensitivity:*
* The sensitivity should be dependent on the difference between the thermal conductivities of gas and
air; a large difference results in a high sensitivity. Also, the kinds of gas and humidity should influence
the sensitivity.
Helium 0.01 mL/min in atmosphere
Battery: Rechargeable nickel metal hydride batteries
Part number 5067-0219
Continuous operation: 5 hours (with new, fully charged batteries)
Display: LCD (12 × 2)
Recharger: AC100 - 240 V, 50 to 60 Hz 0.3 A
Operating temperature range: 10 to 35 °C
Overall size: 65 mm (W) × 37 mm (D) × 143 mm (H)
Net weight: 310 grams

8Operation Manual
1Introduction

9
Agilent Technologies
Agilent G3388A Leak Detector
Operation Manual
2
Operating Procedure
1The detector’s batteries are not fully charged when they are
shipped from the factory. Recharge the batteries before using
the detector.
2Wait for 30 minutes after recharging for the batteries’
temperature to stabilize.
3Turn the power switch to the ON position and allow the
detector to warm up for approximately 25 seconds. If the
buzzer sounds during this time, press the ZERO/ENTER key to
stop it.
4When the LCD shows the following display (Standard
display), press the ZERO/ENTER key. Now the detector is ready
to use. “Range_L” may be displayed if this was the last
setting.
Indicating the countdown of the warm-up time by
seconds.
Press the ZERO/ENTER key to skip the warm-up step.
Warming-up display
b. Battery display
a. Range indicator
c. Leak indicator
Standard display
aRangeindicator
Range_H: High sensitivity
Range_L: Low sensitivity

10 Operation Manual
2OperatingProcedure
5Place the sample probe tip near the gas connection to be leak
checked, making sure the probe remains open and isn’t
placed against the connection being checked. Wait
approximately 3 seconds and look for one of the above
displays on the LCD.
When the buzzer function (ON or STEP) is selected, the audible
alarm sounds according to the TONE level selected. (See
Section 3.)
bBatterydisplay
Lit: The batteries are fully charged.
Blinking: The batteries need to be recharged with
the included recharger.
cLeakindicator
Gas Leak Mark: Indicates that a gas leak that has higher
thermal conductivity than air has been detected.
Gas Leak Mark: Indicates that a gas leak that has lower
thermal conductivity than air has been detected.
Zero Leak Mark: Indicates that there are no gas leaks.
This indicator will blink when the detector becomes stable.
When the leak indicator is displayed without leakage, press
ZERO/ENTER to adjust the zero balance.
Out of zero balance Adjust zero balance
This display Indicates that
There may or may not be a gas leak.
There is a gas leak.

11
Agilent Technologies
Agilent G3388A Leak Detector
Operation Manual
3
Function Settings
Set the range, buzzer, and numeric display as shown in this
illustration.
Standard Display
No settings are required.
Press the ZERO / ENTER key to adjust
the numeric value to "0".
a)Setting
the Range
Select either
Hi or Low
Select either
Step, ON or OFF
Select either
ON or OFF
b)Setting
the Buzzer
c)Setting the
numeric display
: High Sensitivity RangeHi
: A sensitivity of 1/4 of
the High Sensitivity Range
Low
Step :The buzzer will alarm when
3 or more indicator lights
are lit.
ON :The buzzer will alarm when
6 or more indicator lights
are lit.
OFF :The buzzer will not sound.
When it is set to ON,
the indicator mark
( or ) will be displayed.
Also the leak condition
will be displayed numerically.
Tone 1 10
Selecting the
Buzzer Tone
Press the FUNC key
Press the ZERO / ENTER key
At blinking (Selecting) condition
Returns to the
Standard Display
Digital leak indicator
-99 to +99

12 Operation Manual
3 Function Settings

13
Agilent Technologies
Agilent G3388A Leak Detector
Operation Manual
4
Power Supply
The Agilent Leak Detector is powered by rechargeable nickel
metal hydride batteries. These batteries are not fully charged
when the detector is shipped from the factory and must be
recharged before the detector can be used. It takes
approximately 3 hours to fully recharge the batteries; when
fully charged, they will provide approximately 5 hours of
continuous service.
Do not use the detector for 30 minutes after recharging to allow
its temperature to stabilize.
A blinking battery display or a “Low Battery Error” message
indicates that the batteries are low and must be recharged with
the attached recharger.
Follow this procedure to replace the leak detector’s batteries:
1Remove the four screws on the back of the leak detector
using an appropriate screwdriver.
2Set the screws aside.
CAUTION •Do not use any devices other than the one supplied with the
detector to recharge the detector’s batteries.
•Do not use the detector while its batteries are being recharged.
•Do not use the detector after recharging the batteries until its
temperature has stabilized (approximately 30 minutes).
•Make sure that the detector’s power is OFF when removing or
attaching the recharger to the detector.
•Do contact Agilent if the battery lifetime appears to be unusually
short; the batteries may need to be replaced.

14 Operation Manual
4 Power Supply
3Carefully separate the covers, taking care not to strain the
wires.
4Remove the connector that attaches the battery wire to the
PC board by gently rocking the connector back and forth.
5Remove the two screws on the battery’s retaining clip.
6Remove the clip and screws and set them aside.
7Remove the battery, noting its orientation, and replace it
with part number 5067-0219.
8Using the two screws from step 5, replace the battery’s
retaining clip.
9Connect the new battery wire to the PC board, aligning the
tabs with the slots.
10 Check all tubing and wiring to be sure that it will not be
crimped when the covers are reassembled.
11 Carefully place the front cover on to the back cover, paying
attention to wires and tubing.
12 Replace the four screws from step 1 on the back cover.
13 Test the unit by turning on the power switch. The unit should
successfully go through the warm-up process.
14 Verify the detector’s operation using an inert gas.
CAUTION Crimped tubing may prevent the unit from detecting gases, even
though it warms up successfully.

© Agilent Technologies, Inc. 2007
Printed in USA 12/07
First Edition, December 2007
www.agilent.com
Agilent Technologies