The list below includes solutions to some common problems associated with using a chart recorder.
If no chromatogram is recorded, first make sure that the
power to the chart recorder is on.
Check that the cap has been removed from the pen.
Make sure that the standby/record switch is in the "record" position while the experiment is being performed.
If the peaks are too large or too small, change the injection volume or adjust the full scale deflection (the input voltage). The larger the injection volume the larger the peak height. And, the higher the setting, the smaller the peaks will be and vice versa.
If the peaks are too close together or too spread out, adjust the tracking speed. A higher setting will cause the paper to scroll through the recorder faster, causing the peaks to be farther apart (but the peaks will be broader).
If the paper does not seem to be scrolling through the recorder, check the tracking units. The recorder has two settings, cm/min and cm/hr. When the tracking speed is set to 2, for example, the tracking units switch dictates whether 2 cm of paper scroll through the recorder every minute or every hour. Tracking units of cm/hr move the paper very slowly, and units of cm/min are more commonly used.
