Jerry:
I know I'm late getting to this (computer/internet
hangups all over the place since last Thursday!!!). 
However, our procedure is to do the rinses each time
we change chemicals (depends on number of cassettes,
size of tissues processed, etc).  Since we use
straight NBF, the protocol is hot (tap hot, about 55
C) water in stations 1,2,3 and 100% alcohol in station
4.  Cycle time is 5 min per station.  For your
situation, use the GAA in station 1, hot tap water in
stations 2 &3 and the alcohol in station 4.  You can
also bypass the cleaning cycle after running a
maintenance wash by hitting exit after pumping out the
retort.  If you are NOT using the same containers for
your maintenance flush as you use for processing, be
sure to rinse them out with hot tap water too when
changing reagents.  Hope this helps.

Roger Moretz, PH.D.
Dept of Toxicology
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals
--- JMeade0710@aol.com wrote:
> Fellow netters:
>     My lab uses zinc formalin as the primary
> fixative. Sakura recommends a 
> water rinse to routinely flush out potential salts
> from depositing on the 
> O-rings and rotary valves. A recommendation was made
> to use glacial acetic 
> acid in approx dilution of 200ml per gallon as a
> wash for removing the zinc 
> from the mechanism.
>     My question is what might the recommendation as
> to frequency of using the 
> GAA.
>     Any help would be greatly appreciated.
> 
>  Jerry Meade
>  University Laboratories
>  Detroit Medical Center
>  Hutzel Hospital
> 


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