Hot Water Bath

What are they and why do we use them? What types are there?

A hot water bath is a tub of heated water that may contain a submerged shaking platform or a pump to agitate the water. Hot water baths are somewhere between an incubator and a heat block and can be used for either purpose. Due to the specific heat capacity of water, these should technically be a more stable form of incubation - but this doesn’t make too much of a difference in reality.

When do you use?

Shaking water baths are useful for all overnight incubation steps. They’re also useful for protocols that require heating to a specific temperature such as Heat Shock.

How do you use?

Turn on the hot water bath and wait for the water to reach the correct temperature. Add your sample to the platform or stick it in a foam floatie to allow it to float on top. Ensure your vessels are sealed tightly as the water in the bath is not sterile.

Hot water baths require regular cleaning or they will become disgusting and smelly very fast. I recommend adding cavicide to the bath to slow down this process and ensure the water is changed at least once a fortnight.