Replace the desiccant capsule

Refer to Open and close a compact instrument for details on accessing the desiccant.

Replace the desiccant capsule before each deployment.

Fresh desiccant will keep the instrument compartment dry and prevent malfunction. Water damage may occur if condensation forms inside the instrument.

As a preventative measure, RBR recommends servicing the instrument in a cool, dry place (when possible).

Replacing the desiccant capsule

  1. Open the instrument and pull out the sensor carriage.

  2. Push the desiccant capsule out of its holder using your finger or a blunt tool.

  3. Insert a new desiccant capsule into the holder.

  4. Insert the sensor carriage into the housing and close the instrument.

desiccantRemove.png
Fig. 18.    Desiccant location and removal direction in both the standard and | 2x variants.

All instruments ship with fresh reusable desiccant capsules. They use a cobalt-free colour changing indicator dye. Orange indicates fresh desiccant, while green indicates it is saturated (about 15% water by weight). Once exhausted, the capsules can be replaced with new ones (available from RBR), or refreshed.
desiccant.186.png
Fig. 19.    Fresh (orange) and saturated (green) desiccant capsules.

Refreshing the desiccant

Follow the steps below to refresh the desiccant.

  1. Remove the saturated silica beads from their capsule.

  2. Place them in the oven and heat at 120°C (250°F) for about two hours.

  3. Take the refreshed beads out of the oven and return them to the capsule.

  4. Wait until the silica beads cool down. Once cool, the desiccant is ready to be reused.

Always remove the beads from their capsule before refreshing. The capsule will deform if heated to 120°C.

Return the refreshed beads to the capsule immediately after reheating. If left outside the capsule, the desiccant will trap moisture and go back to green.