Autoclaves run at very high temperatures - temperatures that can melt certain materials, such as some plastics. There are a few ways that an autoclave can damage a load. Meet the People Behind Our Autoclaves > 2.

The temperature the user has entered exceeds the autoclave’s maximum temperature allowance.

check the chamber drain strainer) that is preventing air from escaping the chamber and the steam from reaching the correct pressure and temperature.

There is a clog in the chamber drain (i.e.

Other reasons why the autoclave might not reach sterilization temperature include: If the user doesn’t realize that the power source for the generator is turned off, while the rest of the sterilizer appears to be powered on, this would prevent the sterilizer from reaching the designated temperature. This type of steam generator is typically hooked up to its own high-voltage power source, which can be turned off when the rest of the unit is still on. Certain autoclave models use integral steam generators, which sit below the autoclave chamber. For example, perhaps the power source for the steam generator isn’t turned on. There are a few reasons why an autoclave might not be able to reach the sterilization temperature within the given period of time.

If the autoclave fails to reach the designated temperature in the time it takes to run the sterilization cycle, it will either abort the cycle or sound an alarm (i.e. The sterilizer won’t reach the temperature set-point.Īutoclave users have the ability to customize sterilization cycles based on a number of parameters, including sterilization temperature. In this article, we’ll outline seven of the most common autoclave problems and how to identify them.

Unfortunately, issues can and do arise - the key to resolving them is knowing what to look for.

In an ideal world, laboratory autoclaves would always work exactly as intended.

Steam coming out on top