An Agilent HPLC quaternary pump leak at high pressure was reported, with visible solvent leakage during operation and instability when running standard methods. The system could not maintain proper pressure, raising concerns about pump performance and reliability.
Diagnostics identified two leak points: one at the inlet tubing connection to the inlet valve, and another between the pump head and pump body. The inlet valve was removed and cleaned to eliminate salt buildup, resolving the leak at the fitting. Further testing showed that internal contamination was contributing to ongoing leakage at higher pressure.
The pump was fully disassembled, revealing significant salt precipitation inside the pump components. All parts were thoroughly cleaned and reassembled. After servicing, the system passed pressure and leak testing at 400 bar, matching the customer’s operating conditions, and no external leaks remained during normal use.
The HPLC system was returned to stable operation within its required pressure range, with consistent performance and no further leakage observed.
