Have you ever paused to ask yourself, “How well am I maintaining the instruments that keep my lab running every day” Lab instruments are the backbone of scientific work, whether you are running a research facility, a diagnostic laboratory or an industrial testing setup. When instruments fail earlier than expected, the consequences can be costly, disruptive and sometimes dangerous. From inaccurate results to extended downtime, poor equipment care affects your people, your productivity and your reputation.

In this article, brought to you by B&M Scientific, we walk you through practical, science based strategies to extend the life of your lab instruments. These insights apply to tools most South African labs use daily, including Slide Warmer Dryers, Stirrers and Hotplates, Magnetic Stirrers, Immersion Thermostats and Circulators, Waterbaths, standard depth 200 mm, Refrigerated Tanks, standard depth 200 mm, and Incubator Shakers, orbital and linear.

Let’s break it down into simple steps your team can apply immediately.

Why Extending Instrument Life Matters

Before we dive into the how, let’s remind ourselves why equipment care is so important:

Worker safety, faulty shakers, overheating hotplates or leaking waterbaths can endanger technicians.
Data integrity, inconsistent heating, shaking or temperature control affects your experimental outcomes.
Cost control, replacing instruments is far more expensive than maintaining them, especially with tight budgets and procurement delays.
Operational uptime, equipment failure disrupts teaching schedules, QC workflows, microbiology incubation and routine testing.
Regulatory compliance, accredited labs under SANAS require documented maintenance, calibration and proper instrument control.

The principles sound simple, clean regularly, train staff, protect against power instability, but the real value lies in the details. Below are specific, practical steps and real South African research contexts that show why these details matter.

1. Plan Your Equipment Layout Strategically

1. a) Map out zones according to instrument risk and workflow
   Divide benches and rooms into logical spaces, for example a heating area for slide warmers and hotplates, a temperature control area for waterbaths and refrigerated tanks, and a shaker area for incubator shakers. Keep heavy foot traffic, chemical storage and open windows away from sensitive instruments, to reduce vibration, spills and temperature drift.
2. b) Ventilation and stability matter
   Make sure instruments are not pushed flush against walls, cables are not pinched, and surfaces are level. Poor placement can cause uneven heating, noisy bearings and premature wear.

Practical note, when high precision research depends on temperature or mixing stability, placement and environmental control are as important as routine maintenance. Leading South African researchers rely on stable laboratory conditions to preserve detection limits and reproducibility, for example Professor Philiswa Nomngongo at the University of Johannesburg whose environmental analytical work depends on accurate sample preparation and stable instrument conditions. 

2. Follow Proper Operating Limits

A large portion of premature failures comes from misuse or overloading. Examples include running stirrers and hotplates at maximum temperature for long periods, overloading incubator shakers with too many flasks, and allowing immersion circulators to operate below minimum liquid levels.

Always consult the operating manual or reach out to Lab Buddy if you are unsure. Following manufacturer limits prevents element burnout, motor damage and thermostat failure.

3. Clean Instruments Properly and Consistently

Contamination, dust and residue are silent killers of lab instruments. Use lint free cloths, mild detergents, and never immerse non waterproof units. Wipe water based instruments weekly to prevent mineral buildup. Remove spills immediately, and replace scratched work surfaces before corrosion or uneven heating develops.

Best practice for waterbaths, use distilled or deionised water to avoid mineral deposits, change water frequently, and disinfect periodically to control microbial growth, this is widely recommended in laboratory guidance. 

Real research depends on this, for example photodynamic therapy research led by Professor Tebello Nyokong at Rhodes University requires uncontaminated reagents and precise thermal control during sensitive syntheses and assays. Her group’s work on photosensitisers and related compounds highlights why stable incubators and clean baths matter for reproducible results. 

4. Train Your Staff Properly

Human error is a major cause of early equipment failure. Your training should cover startup and shutdown procedures, what not to do such as placing cold glass onto a hot plate, how to spot early warning signs such as unusual noise, temperature drift or burning smells, daily care routines, and basic troubleshooting.

Practical training item, show staff how to check water levels in immersion thermostats, how to rebalance shaker loads, and how to safely remove magnetic stir bars to avoid scratching plates. Well trained teams reduce repair bills and extend uptime.

5. Protect Your Instruments from Power Instability

South African labs face the reality of load shedding and power fluctuations, which can damage sensitive electronics, compromise cold storage and corrupt long runs. Universities and research facilities have warned that load shedding endangers critical specimens and research workflows, for example Universities South Africa and reporting in the national press about specimen risk during power cuts. Investing in UPS systems, surge protectors and voltage stabilisers for critical equipment such as incubator shakers, refrigerated tanks and immersion circulators is essential. 

Practical step, fit a UPS to the control panels of incubator shakers and circulators, and keep logs of power events to inform maintenance schedules.

6. Practical Care Tips for Key Instruments

Below are specific, practical guidelines for the seven instruments you selected, with linked product pages for ordering and further info.

Slide Warmer Dryer

• Clean the warming surface after each session, using a lint free cloth and mild detergent.

• Do not exceed recommended temperatures, frequent overheating shortens element life.

• Avoid sitting wet slides directly on the surface, blot excess moisture before warming.
  Order or view Slide Warmers, B&M Scientific on Lab Buddy

Stirrers and Hotplates

• Heat gradually, do not leave at maximum temperature continuously.

• Replace scratched or warped plates, they cause uneven heating and stress heating elements.

• Keep units away from corrosive fumes which degrade electronics.
  View Stirrers and Hotplates, B&M Scientific.

Magnetic Stirrer

• Use the correct size stir bar and keep the top surface clean.

• Avoid viscous loads beyond the unit rating, motors are not designed for heavy torque.
  View Magnetic Stirrers, B&M Scientific on Lab Buddy

Immersion Thermostats and Circulators

• Fill with distilled or recommended fluid, never run dry.

• Clean pumps and filters monthly, check for scale.

• Calibrate temperature sensors regularly.
  Immersion Circulators, B&M Scientific on Lab Buddy

Waterbath, standard depth 200 mm

• Use distilled water to prevent scale, change water weekly, and add approved biocide when needed.

• Close lids to reduce evaporation and contamination.
  Waterbaths, B&M Scientific/

Refrigerated Tanks, standard depth 200 mm

• Defrost as required, clean condenser grills, log temperatures daily, and use power protection strategies during load shedding.
  Refrigerated Tanks, B&M Scientific on Lab Buddy

Incubator Shakers, orbital and linear

• Always balance loads, do not exceed rated weight, clean spills immediately, and inspect belts and bearings regularly.

• Validate shaking speed and temperature as part of routine QC.
  Incubator Shakers, B&M Scientific on Lab Buddy

7. Calibration, Validation and Consumables

Calibrate temperature, rpm and other measuring functions on a schedule consistent with SANAS guidance. Replace wear parts such as seals, gaskets, belts, probes and stir bars before failure. Proactive replacement avoids catastrophic downtime and protects expensive control electronics.

National facilities such as iThemba LABS rely on strict instrument control for isotope production and nuclear medicine research, highlighting the value of regular calibration and preventative maintenance in high stakes research settings.

8. Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Running instruments at full capacity constantly

• Skipping routine cleaning and inspection

• Using tap water in thermostats and waterbaths

• Ignoring early warning signs such as noises, smoke, or drift

• Restarting equipment immediately after a power interruption without checks

Avoid these to keep instruments functioning longer and more reliably.

Conclusion, Practical Next Steps

Well maintained instruments produce better results, reduce costs and protect your team. Start with three simple actions this week, label them as tasks, assign responsibility, and log completion:

1. Clean all water based instruments and replace bath water with distilled water.

2. Fit surge protection or UPS to two most critical instruments.

3. Schedule a monthly inspection checklist for slide warmers, stirrers and the incubator shaker.

If you need equipment, spare parts or maintenance advice, B&M Scientific supplies a full range of the instruments mentioned above. Order and product information is available via Lab Buddy.