Temperature control sinks and trays

In response to the inquiry about temperature-controlled sinks, I suggest 
you investigate temperature controllers for water baths instead of a 
fixed installation.  These devices have a heater (and sometimes a 
chiller) which tempers solution pumped from your sink/tray/tank.  The 
benefits of such portable devices is that they are portable, can easily 
be replaced if they fail or become obsolete, and are less costly than a 
fixed installation.  If you have two or more such units, you can keep 
working even if one is down for servicing (all pumps and heating units
will fail in time).  

Make sure that the units you purchase have only stainless steel or 
plastic wetted parts.  You don't want your wash solutions to be exposed 
to copper or brass inside the pump or heater.  Such temperature control 
devices are available from laboratory suppliers.

To increase efficiency and temperature control, fabricate covers for all
your sinks and trays.  You might also want to insulate the bottoms by
resting them on an insulating material or glueing insulating material to
the bottom(s).  Closed-cell polyethylene foam (such as Ethafoam) would
certainly be suitable for bottom insulation and it might serve as well
for floating or suspended covers if of adequate thickness and density.  The
foam can be easily and relatively inexpensively replaced when it becomes
damaged or contaminated.

Geoffrey Brown
Curator of Conservation
Kelsey Museum
University of Michigan
313-747-0439

                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 8:83
                 Distributed: Wednesday, April 12, 1995
                        Message Id: cdl-8-83-003
                                  ***