Laboratory Equipment

There are many types of laboratory freezers, each designed with a different purpose in mind within a clinical or research setting. These lab freezers are designed to store various types of sensitive samples and come in different sizes, temperature ranges, and with different features. This guide will help you decide which lab freezer is compatible with your specific application.

What is a Laboratory Freezer?

Lab freezers are designed with a temperature that can be precisely controlled. They’re designed to be reliable and with storage capacity in mind. Typically, lab freezers are not designed with an auto defrost feature like residential refrigerators. This is due to the fact that any fluctuation in temperature can affect biological reagents such as enzymes.

The cooling elements may be designed with coils consisting of a refrigerant housed within the chamber walls or in the shelves. Others are designed to cool using coil and an external compressor that regulates the temperature in the chamber with the circulation of forced air.

What are the Two Types of Laboratory Freezers?

There are two common types of laboratory freezers:

1. Low-temperature freezer 

One is the ‘Minus 20’ or low-temperature freezer. Just as the name implies, their operating temperature is -20℃. This temperature makes them ideal for storing material that needs to remain frozen.

An example of a ‘Minus 20’ freezer is an enzyme freezer. Enzymes are used in life science research and lose key elements if not stored in a precise range. The enzyme freezer features a precise temperature control that is key when storing enzymes. This feature eliminates any warming cycles that would damage the activity of the enzymes.

2. Ultra-low temperature freezer

The other common type of lab freezer is the ultra-low temperature freezer also known as the ULT. These freezers are designed with either a vertical or horizontal configuration. These freezers have a stainless steel interior and multiple shelves for accessories. The storage compartment operates at a temperature of -80℃. These freezers are designed for the storage of items over a moderate to long-term time-frame.

What to Consider When Purchasing a Laboratory Freezer

There are several things to consider when purchasing a lab freezer. These include what is being stored, what temperature is required, the size needed for storage, and are any special accessories or features needed.

When it comes to temperature, the freezer you choose should put the required temperature somewhere in the middle of the operating range. For a precise temperature control, a forced air unit is what you should choose. Forced air units ensure the temperature is uniform throughout the chamber. If the temperature needs to remain stable, then make sure you do not use a freezer with an auto-defrost.

When it comes to space, consider where the freezer will be placed in your lab and how much space is needed for storage. Chest size ULT freezers are typically large in size. Under the counter freezers are ideal for a limited number of samples, high turnover samples, and samples with short expiration dates.

Do you need any special accessories? If samples can not be replaced, then you should consider a ULT unit. A ULT has a liquid nitrogen cooling system as a backup in case of a power outage. A ULT will maintain the critical temperature for storage.

What features are required? Do you need different shelving configurations with racks or bins for a more organized storage system? Do you need a temperature monitor for checking the temperature several times a day? How about a status alarm to aid in saving samples in case of some type of failure that results in a temperature that deviates from the pre-set range?

Where to Buy Laboratory Freezers

Laboratory freezers are utilized for a wide variety of sensitive samples. Lab Pro’s selection includes low-temperature to ultra low-temperature laboratory freezers. Pick between manual and automatic defrost freezers that come in different sizes and temperature ranges.

Lab Pro offers a large variety of chemicals and laboratory supplies. For over 40 years, Lab Pro Inc. has been committed to delivering the highest quality laboratory freezers, microscopes, chemicals, tweezers, hard-wire cutters, lab supplies, and cleanroom PPE apparel to medical device and electronic manufacturing companies and laboratories worldwide. To learn more, visit the biggest Lab Supply showroom in California, or contact us online at 888-452-2776.