Why should your laboratory invest in laboratory-grade refrigerators and freezers? Laboratory refrigerators and freezers are engineered to provide the highest safeguards for your critical sample storage. Refrigerators and freezers manufactured for laboratory use are designed for precise temperature control and uniformity with rapid recovery after door openings. Most of these units come standard with audible and visual alarms and digital displays allowing you to visually sight cabinet temperature.
Commercial or residential refrigerators and freezers are not designed with these same parameters and may experience temperature excursions and have cold and warm areas within the cabinet. While commercial and residential refrigerators and freezers are less expensive to purchase upfront, storing your samples in a commercial refrigerator may be putting your samples at risk.
There are many different options available when it comes to cold storage in your laboratory. A good starting point is to ask the following questions:
- Which products will be stored and at what temperature?
- What setpoint and performance will ensure product stability?
- How much room is needed to avoid overcrowding in the cabinet?
- Do the samples need to be locked?
- Are there any regulatory or sustainability standards that need to be met?
- Does the equipment need to be qualified or validated?
- What type of monitoring is required?
Laboratory refrigerators and freezers are engineered to provide the highest safeguards to store your critical samples. Look for units with efficient performance, durable design, rapid defrost, and easy maintenance. When looking at the long-term ROI, a laboratory refrigerator or freezer is the safest and more cost-effective option.