Shellab SCO6AD - Manual (Page 37)

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OPERATION (CONTINUED)
C ONDENSATION AND THE D EW P OINT
Relative humidity inside the incubator chamber should never be allowed to exceed 95%.
Exceeding this thresholds will likely result in condensation, possible leaks around the incubator,
and may cause corrosion damage if allowed to continue for any significant length of time
Condensation appears wherever the humidity level in the incubator chamber reaches the dew
point. The dew point is the level of humidity at which the air cannot hold more water vapor. The
warmer the air, the more water vapor it can hold.
As the level of humidity rises in an incubation chamber, condensation will first appear on surfaces
that are cooler than the air temperature. Near the dew point, condensation will form on any item or
exposed surface that is even slightly cooler than the air. When the dew point is reached,
condensation forms on nearly all exposed surfaces.
Managing condensation primarily depends on either lowering the humidity level or increasing the air
temperature in the incubator chamber.
Note: Rising or falling air pressure from weather will adjust the dew point up and down in small
increments. If the relative humidity in the incubation chamber is already near the dew point,
barometric fluctuations may push it across the dew point threshold.
Note: Thin air at higher altitudes holds less humidity than the denser air found at or near sea level.
If condensation is forming in the incubator chamber, check the following:
 Is the access port stopper properly seated in the port on the outside of the unit? The
SCO6AD depends on a controlled atmospheric leak rate through its copper-filtered access
port to help prevent condensation. Stopping up the port by placing the stopper in the port
inside the chamber will interfere with this leak rate.
 Are the interior and external chamber doors closing and latching properly? Are the door
gaskets leaking? Check each gasket for damage, wear, or signs of brittleness or dryness.
Replace gaskets if needed.
 Are frequent or lengthy chamber door openings causing significant temperature
disruptions? If so, reduce the number of openings. Utilize the glass viewing door when
conducting visual inspections of samples.
 Is the incubator exposed to an external flow of cold air such as, an air-conditioning vent or
a door to a cooler hallway or adjacent room? Block or divert the air, or move the incubator.
 Does the ambient humidity in the room exceed the stated operating range of 80% relative
humidity? If so, lower the room humidity.
 Are there are too many open containers of evaporating sample media in the chamber? If
so, reduce the number of sample containers.
 Remove the humidity pan or other open containers of water.