NOTE: This is a DRAFT site. The program is not yet live. Check back here later in July 2021
TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
This guide is part of the VTA Skillset for helping volunteer troubleshooters work through problems with respiratory equipment with clinicians around the world. Thank you for being part of our troubleshooting corps!
IMPORTANT: This is a general guide to help you walk through either basic troubleshooting or user training with the requester. It should not be used in place of expert advice, or to provide out of warranty repairs for a machine that is under warranty, as it could void the warranty. Please see the disclaimer for limits on what this program can do.
VERIFY A PROBLEM ACTUALLY EXISTS[edit | edit source]
The troubleshooting process begins with understanding the symptoms of the failure. To get the most information, the troubleshooter should ask:
- What are the requester's indications of the trouble with the equipment (i.e., faults, warning lights, failure to power up)?
- What were the conditions at the time the trouble occurred?
- Is the trouble constant or intermittent?
- If possible, over the video link, you should observe the equipment or system to get a first-hand impression of what's wrong. During this, note all abnormal symptoms, evaluate what's observed and you and the user should gather all available documentation for this equipment. (Links)
If there does not seem to be a failure with the equipment itself, but the requester simply isn't familiar with the operation of the equipment, shift over to the [TRAINING GUIDE]
NARROW DOWN THE PROBLEM'S ROOT CAUSE[edit | edit source]
The second step of the troubleshooting process heavily relies on the troubleshooter's technical skills, experience and intuition. If the user has available testing equipment, or ability to perform basic assembly/disassembly tasks, have them gather the available equipment and tools, but your strongest tools are logic, reasoning and evaluation.
If you are going to have the requester do any disassembly, make sure systems are de-energized and off-line before dismantling.
Some suggestions for helping isolate causes:
- Familiarize yourself with any specific modes that could help in troubleshooting such as built-in self-tests and diagnostics, or equipment specific troubleshooting guides that are called out in the documentation
- Examine replaceable items like fuses, tubing and filters.
- Walk through any calibration steps
- Document, document, document – keep track of what you have done and tried with the requester in the encounter form (link) so that if this takes several sessions, or it needs to be referred to another person, the history of what was tried is already
If you cannot isolate the cause with the requester, use your judgement as to whether to refer them to/call in another volunteer with more specialized knowledge (enlist the moderators help for this), or if this problem is unsolvable over a tele-mentoring platform.
CORRECTING THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM[edit | edit source]
Sometimes the equipment repair is as simple as replacing a filter, turning a switch, adjusting a valve or recalibrating. If the materials are at hand, walk through the replacement with the requester. If the repair requires replacing a major component (or the entire machine) either shift to trying to help the requester source the part, or to refer them to the moderator for more support in this space.
VERIFY THE PROBLEM IS CORRECTED[edit | edit source]
Walk through the diagnostic self-tests and calibration steps after the adjustments have been made and before the equipment is returned to active service. Typically, it will be necessary to double-check the same components that alerted the requester to the initial breakdown. The purpose here is to prove that the issue no longer exists, and must be thorough. This helps ensure the problem is rectified and not masking another issue, which will repeat the breakdown.
During the verification process, these observations should be made:
- Check all as gauges, readings and physical operation that related to the repaired item
- Re-run any self-tests process to verify the proper functioning of internal components
- Have the requester set up the equipment for its normal operating conditions and check the equipment while running
- Document again! Complete proper and detailed documentation of the problem and repair in the encounter form, and provide a copy to the requester to assist while troubleshooting similar problems in the future
