School lab hotplates and magnetic stirrers: Replenish for 2027

School lab hotplates and magnetic stirrers: Replenish for 2027

Which piece of equipment did your science department borrow most often this year? If it was the prep room’s only stirring hotplate, that tells you more about where to spend the remaining budget than a count of everything marked “hotplate” in the storeroom. A shelf can hold four working units and still leave two rooms competing for the one that does both jobs.

For your end-of-year order, separate the equipment into three groups: units that heat, units that stir and units that do both. Note where each one belongs, which ones are out of service and which ones rarely stay in their assigned room. Then use the Wiltronics range below to price the gap.

Which IEC unit belongs on the purchase order?

IEC variable-speed magnetic stirrer (CH2080-001)

If the prep room regularly borrows a stirring hotplate just to mix solutions at room temperature, the CH2080-001 gives staff a dedicated mixing station. They can adjust the stirring speed for the vessel in use and leave the shared hotplate available for work that needs heat. Include a magnetic stirrer bar in the order if the bench has none, as the bar is sold separately.

IEC thermostat hotplate (CH1922-001)

The CH1922-001 suits a bench where staff need heat and already have mixing covered. Its thermostat lets them select a plate temperature from 50 to 320°C. When reviewing an older hotplate for replacement, check whether prep instructions specify a plate setting. That detail helps identify where a thermostat model earns its place.

IEC simmerstat stirring hotplate (CH2090-001)

For general prep that involves warming a solution while it mixes, the CH2090-001 brings both jobs to one bench. Its plain alloy plate has separate controls for heat input and stirring speed, so staff can ease back the heat while the stirrer keeps running at the chosen speed. It suits a shared prep room where the same vessel routinely needs both functions.

IEC PTFE-top simmerstat stirring hotplate (CH2091-001)

The CH2091-001 offers simmerstat heating and variable-speed stirring with a PTFE-coated plate for improved chemical resistance. If you are replacing a plain-top unit, ask the technicians who use that bench whether exposure to spills has been a recurring concern. Their experience can help you decide where a coated surface is worth specifying on the order.

IEC PTFE-top thermostat stirring hotplate (CH2093-001)

The CH2093-001 suits a prep station where staff regularly return to a specified plate temperature and also need a chemically resistant surface. They can select a plate setting from 50 to 320°C and adjust stirring speed independently. If a procedure specifies the temperature of the liquid, staff still need to measure it in the vessel.

One combination unit or two separate instruments?

If staff need to heat and stir the same vessel, the simmerstat combination unit gives them both controls in one position. A standalone stirrer and thermostat hotplate let one staff member mix at one bench while another uses heat elsewhere. Choose according to where the queues form.

When replacing a combination unit, check the control type on the outgoing model. A simmerstat adjusts heat input and suits general heating such as simmering. A thermostat regulates the plate around a selected setting. The temperature on the specification sheet refers to the plate, not the liquid in the beaker. When choosing between the two simmerstat models, consider which benches need the coated top’s improved chemical resistance.

What to replenish alongside the equipment

Magnetic stirrer bars. Count the bars by length as well as by quantity. A drawer full of one size can hide a shortage of the size staff use most. The standalone IEC stirrer is supplied without a bar, so add PTFE magnetic stirrer bars to a new station or top up the sizes missing from existing ones.

Beakers. Count usable glassware by capacity and record the shortfall in each size. If the department is short of 250 mL beakers, order that size directly from the GG17 low-form borosilicate beaker range. A mixed order based on total breakages can leave the most-used shelf just as empty in January.

Bar retrievers. If bars regularly go missing when vessels are emptied, check whether each shared prep area has a retriever. The 40 cm flexible magnetic retriever reaches into deeper vessels and lets staff lift out the bar before pouring.

End-of-year purchasing FAQ

Does a missing stirrer bar mean the instrument needs replacing?
No. If the instrument is otherwise serviceable and the bar is missing, replenish the bar. Record any equipment fault separately so it can be assessed before you commit to a replacement.

What if the budget covers only one major purchase?
Prioritise the gap that affects the most rooms. If two labs share one combination unit because both need heating and stirring together, price a second combination unit first. If the shortage is mixing capacity alone, the dedicated stirrer leaves more of the budget for bars and glassware.

Before the Christmas break, put a model number and a room against each major purchase, then add the sizes and quantities of the accessories that room is missing. That gives your department a 2027 order built around the equipment staff actually use.