A laboratory water bath is a piece of equipment designed to hold liquid water at the desired temperature for long durations. It’s well-suited for experiments where temperature control is necessary, but an open flame, hot plate, or other direct heat source is undesirable or dangerous. In contrast to dry baths, water baths provide a large heating surface area. The high thermal capacity of water means temperature fluctuations within the bath, even upon adding multiple samples, are less common. Water baths are also ideal for accommodating larger containers with uncommon or bulky geometries.

Water baths come with several features that should be considered before purchase. These include the type of control system, temperature accuracy, uniformity, range; basin volume; materials used for construction; water level and temperature sensors; and whether a lid is included.

Why Choose Revoluationary Science for Your Water Bath?

Since 2003, Revolutionary Science has been a leading manufacturer of digital and analog water baths. Their Pro Bath line of laboratory water baths ranges in size and sophistication from the compact yet durable Mini Pro bath to the Poly Pro bath series, which utilizes a chemically resistant polypropylene liner to prevent chemical corrosion. In addition to the traditional single basin design, the Poly Pro series is also available in a dual chamber format for those whose experiments may require multiple water temperatures.

Water baths are inherently multipurpose and are frequently used to warm, thaw, and incubate. These heating methods are employed in numerous scientific, educational, medical, and industrial disciplines. Microbiology and molecular biology techniques such as bacteriophage plaque assays, restriction enzyme digests, and DNA extraction require water bath incubators to heat agar tubes, bacterial cells, and genetic samples, respectively. Subsequent experimental steps, like cellular recovery phases, may require cooler temperatures and can be performed in a refrigerated incubator like the Revolutionary Science Incufridge.

Bacteriological examinations, including coliform enumeration tests and aerobic plate, counts, monitor water and food quality and utilize water baths to temper traditional, mEndo, and mFC agar plates. A common quality control method used in the dairy industry is the acid degree value test which uses warm water baths to separate fat content from samples.

Many medical disciplines employ scientific water baths for both therapeutic and diagnostic procedures. Radioimmunotherapy and medical imaging use the increased temperature provided by water baths to radiolabel drugs, protein fragments, and monoclonal antibodies. Diagnostic laboratories use water baths to perform blood coagulation tests, such as the Clauss fibrinogen assay, to examine concerns with a patient’s clotting factors. Pathology, histopathology, and immunohistochemistry labs utilize water baths to relax and smooth out tissue samples prior to slide mounting.

The utility of water baths as laboratory equipment is substantial. They are aptly suited to accommodate the temperature requirements of diverse protocols and experiments while avoiding the need for direct heat sources. Whether you are liquefying agar, thawing biological constituents, or performing radiochemistry, using a water bath is a prudent choice.