Just purchased a used AI 10L double head short path system. Currently running only one side and having trouble getting below 4 Tor. Vacuum Pump and controller are good, so its just small leaks I assume. What are the best candidates for leaks? KF25s or Ground Glass? I’ve got some helium, but haven’t found a major leak yet.
Also looking for some tips on how best to operate the two sides. Do I run both sides at once or switch back and forth? I’m assuming you switch back and forth so you can change receiving vessels without breaking vacuum.
Are you greasing your ground glass joints at the top of the male end? Are your KF25s nice and tight? Pull vacuum and spray each joint with ethanol from a sprayer and see where it leaks into your system. After my joints are greased and tightened I wrap them tightly in PTFE tape. Our short path easily pulls sub-torr using this method.
Do you have a vacuum gauge at the pump and at the system? Do the gauges match?
It’s more about how well the thermoprobe fits into it I guess. these ones have rarely failed me. (I.e. I never needed PTFE tape or any ghetto rigging to get it to seal right)
A bit late to the party; but the spot I’m in now had one of these mantles. AI sent them a new wiring harness after it burned out. I only learned of this when I went to use the mantle and the internal thermocouple wouldn’t register at all.
I couldn’t get a straight answer out of AI as to what the thermocouple installed inside the mantle is.
There is limited information about the mantle online from what I can find. Nothing available for the controller itself either based on a quick Google search for the ABT-XMT-B13 found on the board.
Does anyone know what type of thermocouple these mantles use?
I’m pretty certain it isn’t a K-type as I have those handy for testing and they do not register.
I’m going to try re-welding the remaining wire on the TC to try to repair it.