GC-MS Troubleshooting Made Simple: Tips, Tricks, and Best Practices

Thursday, March 19, 2026
8am PST | 11am EST | 4pm GMT | 5pm CET

When a GC–MS system fails, we often blame the chromatography - but the Mass Spectrometer is actually your most powerful diagnostic tool. From the vacuum gauge to the ion source, every component of the MS leaves a unique spectral "fingerprint" when things go wrong. If you can read the tune report and the background spectra, you can stop guessing and start fixing.

We’ve gamified the troubleshooting process to help you master the "Logic of the MS." By using the instrument’s own diagnostic feedback, benchmarks, tuning and spectra, you will learn to narrow down common root causes through a series of tactical "Yes/No" questions, to speed up the diagnostic process and save valuable time and money on dealing with actual problems rather than wasting time chasing phantom issues.

Topics include:

• The MS as a Diagnostic Engine: Using spectral "fingerprints" for hardware failures versus chemical contamination
• The "Guess Who" Logic: Applying tactical "Yes/No" questions to filter common root causes
• Air/Water Diagnostics: Using m/z 18, 28, and 32 to pinpoint vacuum leaks at the inlet or interface
• Autotune Auditing: Distinguishing between source contamination, filament issues, and incorrect method variables
• Benchmarks & Blanks: Establishing performance baselines to stop chasing "phantom" peaks.

Speaker

Phil Aston (Training and Technical Consultant, Element Lab Solutions)