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Wednesday, May 2, 2012

How to Determine the Difference between Laboratory and Domestic Refrigerator

By Kent Henry

Many people find it difficult to really know the difference between refrigerator types. Finding the right model and brand of refrigerator to buy depends entirely on your own personal refrigeration needs. You might require a basic domestic fridge for in-house use, a low-temperature freezer for frozen goods, or a laboratory refrigerator for scientific supplies. As an appliance, a refrigerator is somewhat of an investment. That means that you'll want to make sure you've done all you can to pick the best one.

Laboratory refrigerators store important medical and scientific materials at specific temperatures. Some are therefore very low temperature refrigerators for items that need to be kept extremely cold. Others reduce humidity so that sensitive specimens stay safe or intact in a highly controlled environment. As you might be able to tell, it is usually people in a specific profession who use these types of refrigerators. They are not used in households. With their specific temperature regulation capabilities, laboratory refrigerators are designed with much more detail and fine-tuned requirements than a typical home refrigerator.

You can buy laboratory refrigerators in many designs, shapes and sizes. Generally speaking however, they exist in two main categories: the chest freezer and the upright freezer. These models differ mainly in the respective quantities of space that each one needs. Depending on the layout and available space in a laboratory, it is appealing to have a refrigerator that can fit conveniently under a lab counter. Small refrigeration units like these will reduce the risk of accidents because they are tucked out of the way of any traffic.

An upright refrigerator is space saving compared to chest freezer. Though it is smaller, it still can hold bigger storage capacity. This refrigerator is more effective in maintaining and trapping air to be cool. Chest refrigerator on the other hand, can easily regulate the temperature even if it was exposed to the laboratory air when the door has been opened. Upright refrigerators have more room for organization, so samples will not be mixed up and misplaced, so you can have an easy access.

Domestic Refrigerators don?t require temperature regulation. These refrigerators are known to be household refrigerators that go around with 38 to 4o degrees Fahrenheit. Domestic fridge does not vary in sizes and shapes because most of them are in standard size with top and bottom compartment. There is a compartment called freezer to store foods to be frozen. It is usually open with single outward-pull door and a sliding drawer and compartments, while laboratory refrigerators has only one sliding glass door.

You can adjust the temperature of your domestic refrigerator with a dial at your own leisure, whereas most laboratory refrigerators are equipped with an alarm system. As soon as the internal temperature undergoes any sort of change, the alarm will go off to notify lab personnel. Now that you know the difference between refrigerator types, you can see how the refrigerator's intended use largely defines the model you will choose to buy. Most people only require a domestic refrigerator, but now you are familiar with the higher-tech functions of laboratory models as well.

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