What is the best way to check for leaks at the column connector or the union between the LPGC column kit and the mass spectrometer?

Initially, to identify large leaks, use an electronic leak detector at pressurized points (e.g., the inlet). After eliminating large leaks, which might destroy a filament, use your mass spectrometer to detect the presence of a smaller leak. Although using your mass spectrometer is an effective way to identify a smaller leak, it is not able to locate where the leak is. At points where the vacuum’s influence is strong, like the column connector between the restrictor column and the analytical column or the fitting between the column and the mass spectrometer, we recommend using some form of “canned air” (commonly used for dusting keyboards). Canned air commonly contains a halogenated compound that the mass spectrometer can monitor in real time. Short sprays of the canned air near leaking connections will result in an elevation of the relevant m/z ion from the halogenated compound, indicating the presence and location of the leak.