Ups and Downs of Stability Mechanicals

Where do you like your Stability Mechanicals?

Remember the beer commercial from a few decades back?: ”Tastes Great!: Less Filling!”, or more recently the manly debate: boxers or briefs? Whenever there are options, people will differ on the merits of each. Stability chambers are no exception; Do you like your chamber to have the mechanical system on the top / out of sight in the back, or do you prefer to have it on the side or even in the front?

There are advantages and disadvantages to each. Your preference may depend on what you do with stability chambers.

If your duties take you into the chamber to deal with samples, or perhaps you are charged with fitting as many chambers as possible into limited real estate, you may prefer to keep your mechanicals out of the footprint, maximizing shelf space in the stability area. That’s a win for the Stabilitarian, unless mechanical failures and investigations impact your program. The negative aspects hit the HVAC Technician and the Maintenance Department the hardest. To maintain the equipment through preventive and reactive measures, they may have to operate in any combination of cramped, dark, dusty, and non-air conditioned spaces. Not being able to see or breathe, with a Brown Recluse spider hanging in your face and an alarm blasting in your ear may not be the best environment for trouble shooting, equipment maintenance and documentation of what work is being performed.

The HVAC Technicians and their department would like to avoid having to function in sub-optimal conditions and would have fewer challenges if the stability mechanical systems were located in a clean, dry, well lit, accessible, spacious, air-conditioned environment. In most circumstances, the best available option is the space next to the chamber.
If you are about to obtain new stability chambers, weigh both viewpoints and get the best scenario for your available space by including your HVACs and Maintenance Department when making the style decision.

More space! : Less hassle!