How to Keep Your Equipment from Turning into Lemons
		   by Takashi Yogi

	Even the best equipment can fail if not treated properly.
Here are some suggestions:

1. Keep the equipment clean. Sweep the floors regularly to keep
dirt from being sucked into equipment cooling ducts. Drain water
baths whenever the water is dirty and refill with DI water only.
Change vacuum pump oil frequently. (If the oil looks like
chocolate milk, it's very dirty.) Wash and dry centrifuge rotors
after use. Wipe up spills immediately-- buffers and salts are
corrosive and solvents can ruin plastics. Even DI water can ruin
electronic circuits; pull the plug immediately. Cover
microscopes. Don't use adhesive tags on centrifuge tubes; they
fly off and clog the motor.

2. Be kind to your equipment. Don't pull on electrical cords
and gel wires; always pull on the connector. Don't turn the
timer knob on Eppendorf centrifuges backwards. Don't drag
ultracentrifuge rotors across the table; the speed sensor disk is
on the bottom. Always balance centrifuge rotors. Don't try to
stop centrifuge rotors by hand; the rotors get damaged and you
may too.

3. Call me at the first sign of trouble. Don't wait until a
noisy centrifuge finally quits with a ruined motor. I am more
than happy to fix the slightest problem like a loose knob or a
squeaky hinge. A loose power switch can short circuit and cause
major problems. Get worn power cords replaced. If a fuse blows,
there is probably a good reason. Unless you are sure of the
cause, call me instead of replacing it yourself. If you do
replace a fuse make sure that the current, voltage, and time
lag rating are the same. The wrong fuse can damage the equipment
or cause a fire.

4. Turn off equipment whenever possible unless the instrument
requires a long time to stabilize. Turn off expensive UV lamps
in spectrophotometers unless you are using them. If a video
monitor doesn't have a screen saver, turn it off or dim the
screen when not used for long periods.