Taking Care of Your Environmental Chamber

Maintaining the condition of your environmental chamber
is essential to keeping it performing like new.
Image courtesy Percival Scientific

When your new environmental chamber or incubator arrives, fresh off the pallet, everything about the equipment is in top shape. Over time, through normal use, there are aspects of the equipment that can become worn, dirty, or otherwise compromised. This normal wear and tear, if left unchecked, can impede the proper operation of your chamber and cause its performance to deteriorate.

Percival Scientific, globally recognized manufacturer of plant growth chambers and other environmentally controlled chambers and rooms, posted a blog with some general recommendations that users can employ to make sure their equipment stays in good working order. You can read the full article, or a synopsis with key items provided below.

• Air cooled condensing units must have sufficient air movement across their condenser surface in order to function properly. As dust accumulates on the condenser, the chamber's ability to cool is compromised. You may need to use a small ladder of step stool to get access for inspection and cleaning. Use a vacuum to remove accumulated dust, not compressed air. The air quality at the chamber installation site will determine how often this inspection and cleaning should be performed. 
• Perform a similar check at the evaporator, the cooling coil inside the chamber. The requirements are the same. Remove accumulated dust with a vacuum.
• Chambers with cooling systems will have a condensate drain pan and a drain tube below the evaporator coil. Over time, dust and dirt (sometimes debris) can accumulate in the pan or restrict flow through the drain tube. Periodic flushing with warm soapy water will help keep the line and pan clean and clear.
• Various surfaces within the chamber will benefit from regular cleaning. This will help retard corrosion, accumulation of dirt, and growth of unwanted mold, etc.

There are more regular maintenance details, depending upon the features of the environmental chamber. Many users, already burdened by the time demands of their work, contract with outside parties to perform regular cleaning, checking, and calibration. Whatever your system of performing regular preventive maintenance, keep it in place and working to maintain the chamber performance you expect.

Share your environmental chamber questions, concerns, and challenges of all types with the equipment specialists at Atlantic Technology Group. Their expertise will leverage your knowledge and experience into effective solutions.