Director's Office

Frequently Asked Questions - Equipment and Instrumentation

FAQ

What do I do if I have a problem with card access?

Send email to onecard@smith.edu. See Admin FAQ

How do I request key or card access for somebody?

Send an email to div3-keys@smith.edu.

Who do I contact about equipment issues?
Contact the designated equipment person/people in your department:

• Michael Vollinger, Charles Amass, Dick Fish, Dana Parsons
  
• Louie/Judith/Kalina/Marc Anderson
• Ford Hall autoclaves: Chris-White Ziegler or Sue Haynes
• Sabin-Reed autoclave: Michael Barresi
  
• All major equipment has faculty members as main contacts.

If unresolved, contact Christian, x3802

What equipment is supported by Facilities Management? When should I put in a Service Request in TeamWorks?

The general rule is that Facilities Management is responsible for infrastructure, i.e. things that are similar across campus (power, water, plumbing, steam) or integral to the built environment (hoods, reclaimed water, reverse osmosis water, lab gas, compressed air). They do have expertise in many fields and have been known to help even beyond this scope in special situations.

I am totally lost in all this. Who can help me figure out what to do?

Contact the Director's Office x3802

Electricity and Emergency Power

• See the section on Emergency and Safety Information for a list of equipment supported by the emergency generator. Note that it takes the generator about 10 seconds to start up, so you may be in the dark for that long if you are in a space with no outside lights.
• Wall outlets in RED get back-up power from emergency generator.
• Ford Hall power plugs in GREY are automatically switched on and off by the occupancy sensor in the room.
• Ford Hall power plugs in white are 'normal' power plugs. However, some of them are connected to a Ground Fault Interrupter (GFI) essentially functioning as a local breaker. Do not plug refrigerated equipment into a GFI connected plug as the compressor is likely to trip the GFI breaker and you'll loose power intermittently. If a plug does not provide power, check to see if there is a GFI plug nearby that might have been tripped. If so, press the reset button. If it trips again there is a short somewhere - put in a service request.

Particular Equipment Types

Water Polishers

Barnstead-Nanopure systems (mostly in Ford Hall) - Must remain in "Standby" mode or "Off" at all times.

Vendor points out that it is critical that the units be placed in "Stand By" mode when not in active use (which in most cases is the majority of the time). This will prolong the life of the bulb which only has a life of 400 + hours. As we will start paying for these shortly, it's a big item. He also pointed out that in the stand by mode, the unit comes on automatically for 10 minutes an hour to keep the stored water "pure". Again unless someone is using a lot of it this process should allow them to do shot rinses, etc. and never have to take it off stand by.

Millipore units - Must remain in "Ready" mode or "Off" at all times.

The Millipore units must remain in the "Ready" mode. The UV lamp in the Millipore units is turned on by demand and the "standby" mode of the Millipore units is used mostly for maintenance. If the Millipore unit is left in "standby" it will never recirculate and the water in the system will not remain pure.

Replacement of filtes and UV bulbs.

Most units have automatic replacement alarms. These are based on run-time, not that the filter or UV bulb is malfunctioning. We replace these items once they no longer work, not based on the alarm. Marc Anderson will provide instructions here for how to reset/override alarms. Also, he can help evaluate when time has come to replace items. If he confirms that you need a new filter or UV bulb, you may place the order with Erin Smith in the Stockroom. Once replacement parts are available, Marc Anderson can give somebody in your department instructions for how to do the replacement, if needed.

Cold Rooms and Warm Room

All refrigerated items are generally serviced by Rene Cote.

Autoclaves

Contact Chris White-Ziegler or Sue Haynes in Ford Hall, or Michael Barresi in Sabin-Reed. Service is provided by Steris.

Fridges & Freezers

Users are responsible for:

• Removing ice build-up around door gaskets with plastic tool
• Regular cleaning of air filter (vacuum or wash in sink)
• Ordering replacement batteries from Erin Smith, if needed.

All refrigerated items are generally serviced by Rene Cote.

Centrifuges

Service is generally provided by TriTech.

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