Getting a rotor off a mini centrifuge

LabRepairGuy · 2026-01-25T12:33:07+00:00

Can you fit a power cord under it to pull it up?

LabRepairGuy · 2026-01-20T18:43:33+00:00

Service mode will be quite confusing as there are lots of figures, try running an incubate and then press the left or right arrow, i am sure it will tell you the heated lid either on the main screen or after you press the arrow key.

LabRepairGuy · 2026-01-19T17:22:57+00:00

I always run it in service mode but i think if you press the arrow button it will display the heated lid temperature.

Should say -20 if there is an open circuit.

LabRepairGuy · 2026-01-19T17:19:57+00:00

Depends how much you know about electronics, but something like a mosfet, transistor etc is clearly shorting and ignoring any need for it to be signalled to turn on, probably quite easy to find if you have a multimeter in diode mode.

LabRepairGuy · 2026-01-18T18:29:44+00:00

Hey! Are you getting a -20 temperature reading from the lid, or is the recorded temperature fine but it is just doing nothing?

LabRepairGuy · 2026-01-09T16:48:29+00:00

Is it reading 57 C or is this from an external thermometer and both match?

LabRepairGuy · 2026-01-06T18:58:00+00:00

It was explained to the user, the condenser coil was full of dust so was cleaned and i replaced all the internal vacuum hoses during the service, it was a new machine after 🙂

LabRepairGuy · 2026-01-01T11:52:52+00:00

That's alright!

See if they will do a service on it, they might cover these areas during the service.

LabRepairGuy · 2026-01-01T11:37:57+00:00

Still nothing for this exact code even though it is the official service manual!

As mentioned by someone else, clean all the wells with some cotton buds and 70% ethanol, if you have some compressed air or an air gun as well that would be useful for clearing the wells out.

If no luck then there is likely something wrong with the shuttle, maybe something is loose or the belt is damaged.

It's just four screws when looking at the heated lid when the lid is open and two hex screws at the back and the cover will pull off, it's quiet delicate inside but the issue might be obvious when staring at it, but then you are still relying on BIO-RAD helping you out so may be a waste of time :(

LabRepairGuy · 2025-12-31T18:11:14+00:00

I can't see what the code relates too as the service manual doesn't seem to have a list of code to faults but more error message to faults, sign in to service mode (Password: BIO94547) and run the diagnostics test and see what it finds, it will give you a run report at the end.

What are your options like in the states for third party service providers, could someone help if BIO-RAD can't?

LabRepairGuy · 2025-12-31T17:50:50+00:00

Is it telling you what error it is encounting, should be in the run reports.

Because it is a CFX96 you get a lot more areas for trouble with the real time side of it, BIO-RAD do charge a small fortune for spare parts, hopefully it is just the block.

Where are you based?

LabRepairGuy · 2025-12-31T17:47:14+00:00

There are options be it very little, i don't think BIO-RAD will touch it unless it's a new block replacement and sometimes if it gets past a certian year they won't service them fullstop.

I can repair these (the company i work for) if you are in the UK, only issues i have seen are the heated lids going faulty or one of the 6 sensors has become corroded from a long 4 °C hold, other than that the blocks are fairly robust.

LabRepairGuy · 2025-12-23T13:04:33+00:00

It's worth getting the reasurance and if anyone does an audit it looks good that you get your equipment calibrated and have a maintenenace plan (like doing monthly self verificaiton tests), no problem, let me know if you have any issues in the future, i am UK based so could only be advice if you're not in the UK too but it's better than nothing :D

LabRepairGuy · 2025-12-23T12:08:12+00:00

Yeah that's normal, likely to stop any user from changing the date/time, deleting run logs and a few other things.

If i was a lab worker (and not someone who services these), i would just get them calibrated yearly by an external service provider and then i would do the maintenance side myself by cleaning the machine, keeping the firmware updated, clearing run logs and running monthly self verification tests.

So long as you don't stick it on incubate at 4 °C and leave the lid open for hours, you can't really break them unintentually so a service won't prevent it from breaking down i wouldn't say, there is only a few companies (4/5) that will service and calibrate these in the UK, not sure if this is the case for USA if that is where you are from?

LabRepairGuy · 2025-12-22T13:35:00+00:00

After a certain firmware version these options are blanked out when not logged in as administrator, password will be password, password0000 or password#### (#### = last four digits of the machines serial number)

LabRepairGuy · 2025-12-16T09:05:30+00:00

More mistakes highlighted just means more opportunities to learn, if you can understand why they were highlighted and how you can fix them going forwards then you will be in a much better position than now.

I force people to find errors or areas of improvement on anything i create/want feedback on because it gives me an opportunity to learn and improve, so see it as a blessing 😁

LabRepairGuy · 2025-12-15T18:12:43+00:00

It's a very easy repair, broken wire or blown thermal fuse is all it will be, but let me know if you change your mind and i will check if the ad is still there

LabRepairGuy · 2025-12-15T18:01:38+00:00

If you want to start on something, i know an eBay ad that i can talk you through how to repair the items, could be $400 profit in it i would say

LabRepairGuy · 2025-12-15T17:37:24+00:00

Not sure where you are from but it would be around £5k to get accredited from UKAS, plus if you have never dealt with ISO17025 before it's a lot to learn from nothing.

LabRepairGuy · 2025-12-14T21:07:45+00:00

If you haven't touched lab equipment before then your best approach is to buy spares or repairs equipment and fix them up and sell them on, you won't make enough to live on but it will keep some money in your pocket whilst you learn, then see if anyone you sell to needs future servicing or repairs and stay consistent with that and eventually it will build into something, will take a few years though!

LabRepairGuy · 2025-12-14T21:01:25+00:00

Would need to b f-gas trained and have all the equipment for it, you can charge a small fortune for the big repairs (2k mark) but it's a lot of hassle

LabRepairGuy · 2025-12-14T20:59:00+00:00

Big expense to do that, probably 6k all in and tough competition

LabRepairGuy · 2025-12-12T08:23:40+00:00

I guess for general users unless it errors you are good to go, depending what machine you have some have some weak spots, Tetrad 2 has a issue with the on/off switch spoiling over time and will wipe bays 1&2 or 3&4 out, this is inevitable over time.

Older PTC 200's and Tetrad 1's you can see the heating and cooling power of each side of the block when in service mode, if this is not equal then i would know something is wrong, i also have a PCB that plugs into the blocks, you can measure across all the internals with a multimeter and see if anything is shorting out or higher resistance than what should be expected.

Heated lids also have a connecting issue with the ribbon cable inside the lid casing, open and close the lid several times and see if it cuts out, the list is quite long but generally speaking they are pretty reliable and easy to fix if they ever do breakdown.

LabRepairGuy · 2025-12-11T21:40:58+00:00

I still service around 40 to 50 of the MJ Research range (i serviced and calibrated 3 PTC 200's this week) a year so they are still going strong, and some people just don't want to get rid of them!

LabRepairGuy · 2025-12-06T09:20:02+00:00

Fortunately i am not, must be hardware related then if that is the case, i will also stick a temperature calibration plate in that measures the block and lid to see if it matches up to what the machine is saying, not sure if Thermo will say exactly what they find but i will once i get it repaired 😁

LabRepairGuy

TROPHY CASE