Environmental Express Soil-Cell - Manual (Page 10)

800.745.8218 / 843.576.1147 / www.environmentalexpress.com Environmental Express • 8
Soil-Cell: Operation and Instruction Manual About Your HotBlock TM
HotBlock TM Temperature Settings:
The pre-set factory “set point” temperature of your HotBlock TM is 106°C. Factory tests have shown that this temperature is
“sea level safe.” Liquids in uncovered polypropylene tubes should not boil at this setting. Please note that the set point of the
block is not the same as the temperature of the liquids being digested. The block temperature should be optimized for the
specific digestion. The temperature of liquid contents of the digestion cup will vary according to:
• The material being digested
• The number of samples being digested
• The air movement of the digestion area
• The addition of a watch glass or reflux cap
If watch glasses are being used, the control point temperature should be
lowered approximately 10°C to avoid boiling.
Note: The maximum sample temperature tolerance for our polypropylene digestion vessels (SC475) is 130°C.
Remember that the temperature display (current block temperature) is not the temperature of the sample. Sample temperature
will usually be 5-15° less than the display temperature.
Adjusting the Temperature of Your HotBlock:
1. Plug the HotBlock TM into an approved receptacle. Turn the HotBlock on by pressing the button on the back of the unit.
Wait until the display shows the current block temperature (in red) and the set point temperature (in green).
2. Press and hold or tap the  or  key. The display will show the set point temperature on the right in blue. The
adjustment is from ambient to 150°C in increments of 0.1°C. There is no need to press the green (advance) or ∞ button.
Safe-Sample™ Temperature Protection:
Your HotBlock TM is protected from runaway temperatures by a fail-safe alarm system. In the unlikely event that the
heating system fails to respond to the controller, the Safe-Sample™ system will automatically shut the system off and sound an
audible alarm.
This alarm sequence occurs if the actual temperature of the block reaches a temperature that is fifteen degrees higher
than the set point temperature. If this should occur, the HotBlock TM will stop heating, preventing the loss of samples. The
HotBlock must be turned off, then turned back on to reset the alarm.
If the alarm sounds, see the troubleshooting section of this manual, pages 13-15.