FAQ

Why shouldn’t I use liquid leak detectors?

01 Aug 2025

Some common liquid leak detectors, such as Snoop products, are soap solutions. These solutions are easily drawn into the pneumatic system, analytical column, and detector by Venturi flow. Because soap solutions can cause irreparable damage to a GC column, they should never be used. If necessary, you can use a 50/50 mixture of water and isopropanol as a liquid leak detector that will not damage your column. Many liquid leak detection fluids have limited usefulness on hot fittings (i.e., above 100 °C) because they boil away. A Restek electronic leak detector is always the best choice because it is more sensitive, and it will not damage the column.

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  • Restek Corporation

    Restek is a leading provider of chromatography columns, accessories, and certified reference materials. Trust Restek for reliable, high-quality analytical solutions.

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