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Purchasing Guide

Lab Manager Magazine's Independent Guide To Purchasing A Lab Washer

This guide will take a look at three main selection criteria and present you with a short list of products from manufacturers whose products you should examine more closely.

by John Buie
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There are many different factors to consider when purchasing your next laboratory glassware washer. First, you should consider the throughput and capacity you require. Do you have large glassware that may be difficult to fit inside the wash chamber or small pieces that require special injection racks to properly clean them? Do you need to get the glassware back into use quickly, or can you afford to have it sit in the washer overnight to dry? Do you have a centralized washing room or do you wash benchside? Does the DI rinse cycle need to be heated and at what temperature? Have you compared water circulation pumps in terms of gallons per minute? Do you require monitoring alarms and under what conditions?

This guide will take a look at three main selection criteria and present you with a short list of products from manufacturers whose products you should examine more closely, asking some of the questions above to your end users and vendor representatives.

First, let's choose the washer capacity you require. Choosing the correct capacity is very important, as the energy consumption delta between the two groups is substantial on a per wash basis. However, if you end up having to perform more wash loads because you purchased too small a washer, the energy savings are negated. Check out the latest models of lab washers at LabWrench.com.

Standard-Capacity Lab Glassware Washers

A. Having a HEPA-filtered forced-air dryer built into your lab washer saves considerable time in your wash program by reducing the time it takes for you to dry your glassware and put it back into use. The HEPA filter eliminates new particles and impurities from being introduced while drying. If you are washing narrow neck flasks, tubes or pipettes, look for models that have the option to add injection baskets to dry inside of the hard-to-reach places. There are many different methods used for forced-air drying, ranging from a single fan on a door to multiple blowers with their own air heating elements, so look at this carefully before purchasing. More advanced models even include steam condensers to evacuate moisture before the drying cycle begins. Now that you have determined you need a standard-capacity washer with a built-in HEPA-filtered forced-air dryer, choose where you will be placing it: under your lab cabinet or freestanding somewhere else in your lab.

  • Under-counter washers free up valuable floor space, as they are mounted underneath any existing lab cabinets. They are ideal for point-of-use systems or smaller labs. If you are looking for an under-counter standard-capacity washer with a built-in dryer, check out the latest models at LabWrench.com.
  • Freestanding washers require less installation and support, and offer more flexibility in your lab design. They are ideal for centralized wash programs. Look in this group for the larger capacity washers. If you are looking for an upright standard-capacity washer with a built-in dryer, you’ll find all the latest models at LabWrench.com.

B. If you do not require high throughput on your wash program you may want to consider a convection drying system. In these models, glassware is heated by the element and gravity pulls away moisture. There may also be fans to help circulate the warm air. These systems may use more energy as the heating elements are left on for longer periods of time. Now that you have determined you need a standard capacity washer without a HEPA-filtered forced-air dryer, choose where you will be placing it: under your lab cabinet or freestanding somewhere else in your lab.

  • If you are looking for an under-counter, standard-capacity washer without a HEPA-filtered forced-air dryer, you can find the latest models to fit your needs at LabWrench.com.
  • If you are looking for an upright, standard-capacity washer without a HEPA-filtered forced-air dryer, take a look at LabWrench.com to find the latest models to suit your lab.

Large-Capacity Washer

Large-capacity washers are intended for high-throughput, centralized wash areas. They can accommodate a very large volume of small labware or large items that are challenging to wash manually or cannot fit into smaller units. Next, let's decide whether your applications require a built-in drying unit.

A. Having a HEPA-filtered forced-air dryer built into your lab washer saves considerable time in your wash program by reducing the time it takes for you to dry your glassware and put it back into use. The HEPA filter eliminates new particles and impurities from being introduced while drying. If you are washing narrow neck flasks, tubes or pipettes, look for models that have the option to add injection baskets to dry inside of the hard-to-reach places. There are many different methods used for forced-air drying, ranging from a single fan on a door to multiple blowers with their own air heating elements, so look at this carefully before purchasing. More advanced models even include steam condensers to evacuate moisture before the drying cycle begins. Now that you have determined you need a large-capacity washer with a built-in HEPA-filtered forced-air dryer, choose where you will be placing it: under your lab cabinet or freestanding somewhere else in your lab.

  • LabWrench.com is the place to find the latest models if you decide an under-counter, large-capacity washer with a HEPA-filtered forced-air dryer is the best fit for your lab.
  • If an upright, large capacity washer HEPA-filtered forced-air dryer is best for you, head over to LabWrench.com and use the “Narrow Search” function on the left hand side of the Lab Washers page to find the latest models.

B. If you do not require high throughput on your wash program, you may want to consider a convection drying system. In these models, glassware is heated by the element and gravity pulls away moisture. There may also be fans to help circulate the warm air. These systems may use more energy as the heating elements are left on for longer periods of time. Now that you have determined you need a large-capacity washer without a HEPA-filtered forced-air dryer, choose where you will be placing it: under your lab cabinet or freestanding somewhere else in your lab.

  • For the latest models, check out LabWrench.com if you are looking for an under-counter, large-capacity washer without a HEPA-filtered forced-air dryer.
  • If an upright, large-capacity washer without a HEPA-filtered forced-air dryer best suits your needs, LabWrench.com also has the latest models of lab washers that fit these requirements.