Questionnaire on freezer specifications

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    author.

The IPM working group treatment subgroup is looking for examples of
freezer specifications from various institutions. Our hope is to
compile these specifications and post them on the museumpests.net
site as a resource for institutions looking into purchasing
freezers. This information would accompany fact sheets already
posted about recommendations and procedures for low temperature
treatments, which can be found at

    <URL:http://museumpests.net/tools/treatments.htm>

(along with fact sheets for other types of treatments).

If your institution has a freezer you are happy with (or if you have
cautionary tales of freezers you have not been happy with) it would
be enormously helpful if you can find the time to put together the
basic specs. We can edit and compile them for posting. We won't use
the name of your institution unless you give us permission but your
location will be helpful information--i.e. country, and if US what
region.

Here is the basic information we are looking for, based on the
recommended minimum temperature at 20 degrees below 0 deg. C,
maintained constantly so that cycling (as in "frost-free" freezers)
does not bring freezer temperature above that.

    Type - i.e. chest freezer, walk-in
    Brand
    Model
    Size
    Price
    Year purchased
    Brief description of capabilities - lowest temperature capable
    of reaching and maintaining

    Have you had adjustments made to the freezer so that it can
    maintain adequate low temperature?

    How do you monitor the temperature? Are you doing any
    independent check of the temperature (e.g. dataloggers) and if
    so what equipment are you using?

    Comments on maintenance and any other related experiences

An example can be found on

    <URL:http://museumpests.net/tools/treatments.htm>

in the posted document "Pest Treatment Case Study: Low Temperature
Pest Management Treatment at the Smithsonian National Museum of the
American Indian "

Please send your information to me at the address below.

    Emily Kaplan
    (chair, IPM Working Group Treatments subgroup)
    Conservator
    National Museum of the American Indian
    Cultural Resources Center
    4220 Silver Hill Rd
    Suitland MD 20746
    301-238-1418
    Fax: 301-238-3201
    kaplane<-at->si<.>edu


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 22:41
                Distributed: Wednesday, January 21, 2009
                       Message Id: cdl-22-41-010
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