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H2O or air-jacketed CO2 incubator - (Jun/10/2008 )

Hi All,

I am currently looking to kit out a new cell culture lab and have been looking at CO2 incubators. I have previously used water-jacketed incubators but the reps are all telling me that air-jacketed are better in that there is less chance of contamination. I've never had a problem with contamination with the water-jacketed ones (touch wood!!) but I wondered does anyone here have any opinion on this?

Thanks in advance for any help,

auldmok

-auldmok-

QUOTE (auldmok @ Jun 10 2008, 05:10 AM)
Hi All,

I am currently looking to kit out a new cell culture lab and have been looking at CO2 incubators. I have previously used water-jacketed incubators but the reps are all telling me that air-jacketed are better in that there is less chance of contamination. I've never had a problem with contamination with the water-jacketed ones (touch wood!!) but I wondered does anyone here have any opinion on this?

Thanks in advance for any help,

auldmok


I think the biggest advantage of using air-jacekted ones over water-jacketed ones is that water-jacketed incubators regulate temperature slowly (takes longer time for temp to stabilize after repeated opening-closing of the incubator), but have not heard this sales-speech (contamination).

So, if you are dealing with / planning to deal with some sensitive cells or some tricky cultures, you should go with air-jacketed incs. If not, use the ones that have brought the science this far without any problem!

-cellcounter-

Thanks for that cellcounter!

-auldmok-

QUOTE (auldmok @ Jun 10 2008, 06:10 AM)
Hi All,

I am currently looking to kit out a new cell culture lab and have been looking at CO2 incubators. I have previously used water-jacketed incubators but the reps are all telling me that air-jacketed are better in that there is less chance of contamination. I've never had a problem with contamination with the water-jacketed ones (touch wood!!) but I wondered does anyone here have any opinion on this?

Thanks in advance for any help,

auldmok


Dear Auldmok,

Water-jacketed incubators used to be popular years ago as a method for regulating the temperature of the incubator in high ambient temperature areas. Also as stated already it can reduce fluctuations in temperature due to door opening events. IT DOES NOTHING TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION.
My preference these days is air jacketed as:
Emptying the water is a pain.
You have to maintain water-jacketed incubators i.e. regularly change the water and put in anti-corrosion chemicals.
Moving them is a problem as the water makes them extremely heavy.

Regards

Rhombus

-Rhombus-

QUOTE (Rhombus @ Jun 11 2008, 03:11 AM)
QUOTE (auldmok @ Jun 10 2008, 06:10 AM)
Hi All,

I am currently looking to kit out a new cell culture lab and have been looking at CO2 incubators. I have previously used water-jacketed incubators but the reps are all telling me that air-jacketed are better in that there is less chance of contamination. I've never had a problem with contamination with the water-jacketed ones (touch wood!!) but I wondered does anyone here have any opinion on this?

Thanks in advance for any help,

auldmok


Dear Auldmok,

Water-jacketed incubators used to be popular years ago as a method for regulating the temperature of the incubator in high ambient temperature areas. Also as stated already it can reduce fluctuations in temperature due to door opening events. IT DOES NOTHING TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION.
My preference these days is air jacketed as:
Emptying the water is a pain.
You have to maintain water-jacketed incubators i.e. regularly change the water and put in anti-corrosion chemicals.
Moving them is a problem as the water makes them extremely heavy.

Regards

Rhombus

Thanks Rhombus, I agree with you on the maintenance of the water-jacketed ones!

-auldmok-

QUOTE (auldmok @ Jun 11 2008, 07:54 AM)
QUOTE (Rhombus @ Jun 11 2008, 03:11 AM)
QUOTE (auldmok @ Jun 10 2008, 06:10 AM)
Hi All,

I am currently looking to kit out a new cell culture lab and have been looking at CO2 incubators. I have previously used water-jacketed incubators but the reps are all telling me that air-jacketed are better in that there is less chance of contamination. I've never had a problem with contamination with the water-jacketed ones (touch wood!!) but I wondered does anyone here have any opinion on this?

Thanks in advance for any help,

auldmok


Dear Auldmok,

Water-jacketed incubators used to be popular years ago as a method for regulating the temperature of the incubator in high ambient temperature areas. Also as stated already it can reduce fluctuations in temperature due to door opening events. IT DOES NOTHING TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION.
My preference these days is air jacketed as:
Emptying the water is a pain.
You have to maintain water-jacketed incubators i.e. regularly change the water and put in anti-corrosion chemicals.
Moving them is a problem as the water makes them extremely heavy.

Regards

Rhombus

Thanks Rhombus, I agree with you on the maintenance of the water-jacketed ones!




We got an air-jacketed incubator and it is fab! The maintenance is much easier and it's not half as heavy as our water-jacketed type.

-labrat612-

We got an air-jacketed incubator and it is fab! The maintenance is much easier and it's not half as heavy as our water-jacketed type.
[/quote]


Sounds like air-jacketed is the way to go so!

-auldmok-