Capillary array as a carrier for polymers (e.g. POP™ and NimaPOP™ separation media) is critical for peak separation in Sanger sequencing and fragment analysis. At the end of the array life, it will not generate well-separated peaks.
A new 3130 and 3730 Series Genetic Analyzer capillary array costs several thousands of dollars/euros; taking good care of the capillary array goes a long way for saving money and reducing operation cost in your sequencing laboratory. Before you throw out the array and purchase a new one, you want to make sure if the array can be saved by cleaning. It is normal that the array gets dirty after hundreds of runs and cannot perform optimally.