The Three Types Of Water Baths
Laboratory water baths are used to incubate samples. The water surrounding the sample helps to keep it at a warm, consistent temperature. This can be a great way to incubate a sample and see what germs or bacteria grow or to see whether something thrives or dies in a warm setting. If you are looking to purchase a water bath for your lab, you will have to decide which type of water bath you need. There are three main types. Here is a bit more information about the three types of water baths that are available.
Non-Circulating Water Baths
The first type of water bath that is available to purchase is a non-circulating water bath. Think about your own bathtub at home. When you fill the tub up, the water sits in the tub. It doesn't move. This is what happens with a non-circulating water bath. However, unlike your tub at home, there is a coil system that constantly heats the water in the water bath to keep it set to a set temperature. But, as you can imagine, the water nearest the coil system may be warmer than the water further from the coils, which means the temperature in the bath may not always be exactly consistent.
Circulating Water Baths
The next type of water bath available is a circulating water bath. Think about a spa for a minute. The spa has jets that push hot water into the spa, causing water to circulate and move. The same is true with a circulating water bath. Water is always circulating. It is reheated internally and then pushed out into the bath, allowing the water temperature to remain more consistent than a non-circulating water bath.
Shaking Water Baths
The final type of water bath available is a shaking water bath. Envision you are in a pool and someone jumps in. The waves cause you to shake. A shaking water bath has waves that circulate the water and shake. This causes the sample that is incubating to move and shake. This may be needed if the sample cannot sit still, needs to mix with air, or needs to move to prevent it from drying out, hardening, or gelling into place.
The type of laboratory water bath that you select can have an impact on the water temperature and the stability of the temperature. Carefully consider the types of items that you will be incubating in the water and whether it is vital that the temperature remains consistent, or whether it is alright if the temperature is slightly different in one section of the water compared to another. Also, consider whether you need your sample to be shaken up or not. Thinking carefully about this will allow you to select the water bath type that is ideal for your lab needs.
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