What are Laboratory Refrigerators?

When refrigerators became widespread in society, towards the middle of the last century, they completely changed the lifestyle of the average family.

Being able to effectively preserve all types of food has revolutionized the way we conceive of daily life.

Similarly, laboratory refrigerators play a vital role in research institutes, companies, and commercial activities.

But how are they different from regular refrigerators? What exactly are they used for?

Let's see it together.

What are Laboratory Refrigerators Used For?

Laboratory refrigerators are refrigeration appliances intended for the storage of chemicals, medicines, reagents and biological samples.

As the name suggests, they are mainly used in laboratories but also in some commercial activities that come into contact with the public, such as pharmacies.

Even more than our foods, the preservation of medicines and various chemical substances requires equipment capable of guaranteeing precision and reliability. 

Laboratory refrigerators meet these needs with temperature regulation systems , which can be calibrated as needed.

How Laboratory Refrigerators Are Made

Like standard refrigerators, laboratory refrigerators typically have a refrigerator compartment —i.e., one with temperatures above 0°C—and a freezer compartment —i.e., one with temperatures below 0°C. But this isn't always the case.

There are simple laboratory refrigerators, without a freezer compartment, which may be preferred for their cost and low energy consumption.

Laboratory refrigerators are available in many models that differ mainly in: temperature range, shape and internal layout, and dimensions.

The internal temperature can reach highs of 30° and lows of -15°. 

For lower temperatures we are talking about laboratory ultra-freezers which we have discussed here.

in size and shape , and the choice must take into account the available space and internal capacity. Some laboratory refrigerators resemble standard kitchen refrigerators, while others are arranged horizontally in a box-like arrangement.

Finally, the interior of laboratory refrigerators must be evaluated considering the number of shelves and their shape: there are refrigerators with simple shelves and refrigerators with drawer shelves which are more suitable for storing multiple samples to be catalogued.

All laboratory refrigerator interiors are designed with linear designs that facilitate sanitization and defrosting.

As for defrosting, they can be equipped with manual or automatic defrosting. We've discussed  the pros and cons of each system in detail here

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FDM Laboratory Refrigerators

FDM – Environment Makers offers its line of laboratory refrigerators, featuring a wide range of models suitable for all uses and needs.

In addition to the ten models you can browse here, our technicians are always ready to listen to customers to meet their needs and design a custom laboratory refrigerator together.

For any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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Reference Standards

• NF ​French standard (implemented as European practice) for thermal/hygrometric qualification of climatic elements and laboratory refrigerators.
• IEC 60068-3-5 — Environmental testing – Part 3-5: Supporting documentation and guidance – Confirmation of the performance of temperature chambers.
• IEC 60068-3-11 — Calculation of uncertainty of conditions in climatic test chambers.
• DIN 58345 — Kühlgeräte für Arzneimittel – Pharmaceutical refrigerators, specific requirements for medicine storage 2-8 °C.
• WHO TRS 961 Annex 9 — Model guidance for the storage and transport of time- and temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products.
• USP — Good Storage and Distribution Practices for Drug Products, including 2-8°C range for refrigerated drugs.
• EN ISO 15189 — Medical laboratories – Requirements for quality and competence, including temperature control of sample refrigerators.

Authoritative Sources

• WHO – World Health Organization. Publishes cold chain and Performance Quality Safety (PQS) guidelines for pharmaceutical and vaccine refrigerators.
• AFNOR. French standards body that manages NF X15-140, the European reference for climate control qualification.
• IEC – International Electrotechnical Commission. IEC 60068-3 series on the qualification of environmental test chambers.
• EMA – European Medicines Agency. GDP Guidelines 2013/C 343/01 for the distribution and refrigerated storage of medicines in the EU.

Frequently Asked Questions About Laboratory Refrigerators

What temperature ranges do lab refrigerators cover and which one should you choose?

Laboratory refrigerators are classified by operating range. Pharmaceutical refrigerator 2-8°C (target 5°C ± 3°C) for vaccines and biological drugs according to WHO PQS. Chromatography refrigerator 4°C ± 1°C with high uniformity. Clinical sample refrigerator 2-10°C compliant with ISO 15189. Laboratory freezer −20°C ± 3°C for reagents and enzymes. Ultra Low Temperature (ULT) −80°C for DNA/RNA, proteins, and long-term sera. Cryogenic freezer −150°C (cascade) or −196°C (liquid nitrogen vapor) for stem cells and tissues. The choice depends on the thermal load (kcal/h), required uniformity (CV ≤ 2-5% spatial), backup autonomy in the event of a power failure (minimum 4-8 hours for GDP), and the presence of emergency CO₂/N₂ on the ULTs.

How is a laboratory refrigerator thermally classified?

Qualification follows NF X15-140 or IEC 60068-3-5 with documented IQ/OQ/PQ protocol. Thermal mapping includes 9 PT100 Class A probes (DIN EN 60751 ± 0.15 °C at 0 °C) distributed in the corners, center and midpoints of the useful volume, plus 1 probe at the geometric center. Continuous acquisition ≥ 1 Hz for at least 24 hours including open/closed door cycles (typically 6 openings/day × 30s). Typical acceptance criteria for pharmaceutical refrigerators: spatial gradient ≤ 2 °C, temporal fluctuation ≤ 1 °C, recovery time < 30 minutes after a 30s door opening. ACCREDIA calibrated sensors with uncertainty ≤ 0.2 °C. Requalification occurs annually; monthly calibration with a reference thermometer. Data logger with 21 CFR Part 11 audit trail required for pharmaceuticals and clinics.

What are the GDP requirements for transport and storage at 2-8°C?

EU GDP Guidelines 2013/C 343/01 require maintaining 2-8°C throughout the supply chain for refrigerated products (vaccines, insulins, biologics, monoclonal antibodies). Documented excursions must be evaluated for Mean Kinetic Temperature (MKT) with calculation according to the Arrhenius equation (Ea ≈ 83.144 kJ/mol). Tolerance: brief excursions to 0°C and 12°C for a limited time (30 min) may be acceptable with the manufacturer's temperature excursion study. The storage refrigerator must have: multi-threshold audible/SMS alarm, UPS for ≥ 2 hours, initial and annual mapping, continuous temperature log with backup, and gasket sealing verified semi-annually. Out-of-range drugs must be quarantined with a QA evaluation. Temperature < 0°C on protein-based vaccines causes denaturation and loss of immunogenicity (freezing-induced damage).

What is the difference between compression cooling and Peltier thermoelectric cooling?

Compression refrigerators with HFC (R134a), HC (R290 propane, R600a isobutane) or HFO (R1234yf) refrigerants reach from −40 °C to 10 °C with COP 2.5-4.0, suitable for volumes from 50 L to 1000+ L, MTBF reliability > 50,000 hours. The cascade ULTs use two compressors (high stage R404A + low stage R508B) to reach −86 °C with auto-clutch. The thermoelectric Peltier (TEC) uses the Peltier effect with ΔT max 60-70 °C, COP 0.3-0.6, without refrigerant or moving parts, ideal for small volumes (1-50 L), low maintenance, high precision ± 0.3 °C, but limited to internal temperatures ≥ 0 °C in a 25 °C environment. Peltier systems are preferred for portable mini-refrigerators, BOD incubators, and chromatographs; compression remains dominant for GDP/WHO-PQS-certified pharmaceutical refrigerators.