Lab equipment maintenance and repair is an important factor in making your laboratory efficient, saving on expenses, and attaining quality assurance of your experiments. When carrying out your experiment, accuracy is paramount. Failure to repair worn-out equipment may derail your output. Lack of lab equipment repair and maintenance might also produce invalid results for your work. Well maintained and repaired lab equipment allows you to produce reliable and consistent data. When you repair your equipment and perform regular maintenance, you reduce the chances of having to replace your equipment, hence cutting down the costs of running your laboratory.

Here are The Best Lab Repair and Maintenance Tips According to Experts

 

  1. Cleaning

General and regular cleaning of your equipment remove the substances and stains from the previous experiments making your equipment ready for use when needed. Cleaning eliminates impurities from the previous experiments from contaminating the current experiments. When cleaning your equipment, ensure it is clean before and after an experiment. Ensure the cleaning aids and the cleaning reagents are specific for each type of equipment. For proper and in-depth cleanliness, disassemble your equipment to ensure the hard-to-reach parts are sparkling clean. If you want to make your equipment last longer, follow the instructions and recommendations of the equipment manufacturer on cleaning. Equipment manufacturers may recommend specific solvents, drying procedures, and cleaning materials.

  1. Calibration

Equipment calibration entails comparing your devices against set standard measurements. Calibration helps in checking your equipment’s precision, accuracy and allows you to make the necessary adjustments from the results. It would be best if you calibrated your equipment regularly at set intervals to prevent biases and prevent invalid data during an experiment.

When should you calibrate your equipment?

  • At the elapse of your manufacturer’s time
  • When you notice unusual sounds or irregular patterns when using your equipment
  • If your equipment drops, is hit, or when involved in an accident
  • When you obtain questionable data during an experiment
  • If you are conducting highly critical measurements which require high data accuracy

You can perform the calibration as basic preventive maintenance and an accuracy verification process in your laboratory. When you calibrate your equipment, you will need less maintenance, and your processes will be smooth.

  1. Repairing

After some time, your lab equipment will cease to work properly or provide inaccurate results due to wear or tear. Instead of disposing of your equipment, consider repairing it or replacing the faulty parts. It will be costly to dispose of your equipment and purchase your equipment rather than repair it. It is easier to replace the faulty components when dealing with larger equipment. Repairing reduces maintenance costs and increases the lifespan of your equipment. Due to the nature of some equipment, some components wear out faster than others; it is better to replace these components rather than dispose of the whole piece of equipment. When dealing with laboratory equipment such as a microscope, filtration system, and centrifuge lenses, replacing the parts is easier than disposing of the entire equipment.

  1. Refurbishing

It is best to refurbish lab equipment that doesn’t run as smoothly as before. The refurbishing process involves taking each component of your equipment apart and cleaning each part. Where necessary, polish the components and lubricate all the moving parts of your equipment. Consider replacing components that show signs of wear and tear to prevent further damage to the components. When refurbishing your equipment, make sure you have the technical know-how. Refurbishing helps your equipment return to as good as new and is best done by a professional.

  1. Maintenance of Electronics

Maintenance of electronics in the lab is similar to repairing and maintaining other laboratory equipment. Electronic equipment is mainly affected by heat, dust, and electrical surges. When using computer devices, dust collects on the casing; hence it is better to clean these cases regularly. When your electronic devices are operating, there is a tendency to generate heat. If there is overheating on your electronics, there could be damage to the electric components, such as the circuits. The best way to keep overheating at bay is to keep your laboratory ventilated. If you want to prevent short-circuiting in your electronic devices, consider installing surge protectors on your lab sockets.

  1. Maintenance of Software

Most computers connected to laboratory equipment either have outdated or disabled antivirus software or updates. Ensure that your equipment is compatible with antivirus and software updates when purchasing. Working without updates and antivirus poses a great security threat to your organization’s network. For optimum performance of your system, ensure you perform a scheduled antivirus and update scan.

If you want to limit the spread of viruses, ensure the following:

  • Limiting internet access in your laboratory
  • Limiting system access to only approved technicians
  • Enabling safe data transfers
  • Disabling USB ports in your computers

 

Final Thoughts

Sometimes your laboratory equipment cannot be repaired or refurbished. The only option is to replace. It is advisable to purchase quality equipment from a recognized supplier. Some suppliers guarantee the quality of your equipment and provide technical support such as installation and maintenance. Consider replacing faulty equipment that has overstayed in the lab with new ones. Ensure that you embed your lab standard operation procedure with the repair and maintenance of your equipment.

If you don’t have the technical capabilities of repairing and maintaining your equipment, consider outsourcing the tasks. An expert should do maintenance and repair work. In-house maintenance is often more costly than outsourcing the tasks to a third-party company. When you want to keep or upgrade the reputation of your laboratory, consider cleaning, repairing, calibrating, and refurbishing your equipment.

At Biotechnical Services Inc., we provide the best laboratory equipment maintenance and repair services in San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles. Our equipment maintenance procedure is up to date. We have the latest calibrating and refurbishing equipment. Our staff has the best training with wide experience in lab equipment. To maintain the good reputation of your laboratory, contact us today for your maintenance, repair, calibration, refurbishing, and installation of new equipment.