There are a variety of reasons that you might be in need of a constant temperature circulator. Medical labs, environmental testing facilities such as water analysis providers, and health and safety regulators (to name a few) all rely on constant temperature circulators as well as other similar scietific tools to do their job.
If you are among the vast range of business who use constant temperature circulator, you might recognize that there are a few scientific equipment suppliers who provide a several different constant temperature circulators. This makes your search for the right one a little complicated. To help you out, we’ve put together a list of considerations you should make before you ever contact a scientific lab supplier to make a purchase:
- Not too big and not too small.
When shopping for a constant temperature circulator, you should approach it like Goldilocks when she was testing out the Three Bears’ chairs. You don’t want it to be too small like Baby Bear’s chair. A constant temperature circulator that is too small won’t exchange heat as it should, and you’ll struggle to maintain the appropriate temperature. You also don’t want it to be too large, like Papa Bear’s chair. A constant temperature circulator that is too big will burn through energy maintaining the temperature of the air or water for no reason, increasing your energy costs and wasting resources. Consider the size of the items you need to maintain a constant temperature of, and choose a tank that is appropriate for that sized item. - Crunch the temperature numbers.
When determining the best constant temperature circulator for your lab, you need to consider two temperatures: the temperature of the item you want to heat or cool, and the temperature you want it to reach in your constant temperature circulator. This will help you determine the heat load to be removed and the required coolant inlet to reach the required temperature.
We’ll add that while you shouldn’t give yourself room to grow while selecting a size for your constant temperature circulator, it’s a good idea to choose equipment that gives you the capacity to maintain greater or lower temperatures than you need at the moment. There are so many conditions that impact the temperature of a constant temperature circulator, if your unit can offer a little more than you need, you know that it will still be able to do it’s job if any external variables change. - Consider the lines and the placement of the equipment.
The temperature of the circulated heat or coolant will change mildly on its way to the tank from the generator. If the lines are too long, it will lose more temperature than if the lines are short. In this case, your compresser will have to have to work extra hard to maintain the proper temperature in the tank. Ideally, use temperature control equipment that require as few lines as possible. If there is no escaping it, using insulated lines will help maintain the temperature on its way to the constant temperature circulator. - Consider the flow and pressure of the temperature circulator.
Constant temperature circulators do their job by pushing air or water through the temperature controlled tank to maintain the temperature of the contents. Two factors make this happen: the flow of the air or water and the pressure of it. If the air flow is too low, it won’t properly control the temperature of the contents. If it is too high, it will damage the equipment. Look for a constant temperature circulator that has low flow but high pressure. - Ask yourself what impact the constant temperature circulator will have on the rest of the lab.
A constant temperature circulator is not an island; it will have some impact on the rest of your lab. If your lab is particularly sensitive, this could be a problem. If you have an air circulator, it could change the temperature of the equipment near it. If you have a water circulator, it could impact the water throughout your lab. Make sure you consider this before choosing a constant temperature circulator.
We want to hear from you! Have you ever purchased lab equipment like this? What factors did you consider while shopping? Did we leave anything important off the list? Share below!