Frequently Asked questions

FARRAR® offers regionalized direct sales in the U.S. and Canada and partners with distributors globally. Additionally, we partner with over 130 service organizations across North America.

Yes, FARRAR® provide leasing and finance options through Trane Technologies Financial Services. This includes creative financing and leasing solutions for businesses in the United States and Canada.

Yes, FARRAR® provide leasing and finance options through Trane Technologies Financial Services. This includes creative financing and leasing solutions for businesses in the United States and Canada.

FARRAR® offers solutions globally, bringing value to customers through our powerful portfolio of solutions, predictive monitoring capabilities, and robust services.

We offer a broad network of both internal field service engineers and trusted third-party partners whom we rely on to provide installation and setup, PM services, IQ/OQ/PQ validation, and break/fix service. For state or regional partner recommendations, reach out to your local FARRAR sales representative. Recommendations will vary based on the location and complexity of the request.

You can contact us at lssinfo@tranetechnologies.com or check out our website at www.farrarscientific.com.

To decrease carbon footprint and increase energy efficiency, our solutions use R290, R600a, EPA SNAP, and EU F-Gas compliant low global warming potential (GWP) natural hydrocarbon (HC) refrigerants.

The newly launched FARRAR units (including the ULT) have been designed and manufactured to meet ENERGY STAR standards. The Lab Grade Refrigerator and Freezer solutions are already ENERGY STAR certified, with certification pending on the FARRAR Ultra-Low-Temperature (ULT) Freezer solution.

These solutions use SNAP/EU F-gas-compliant low global warming potential (GWP) natural hydrocarbon refrigerants. They also have undergone detailed accelerated life testing (ALT) and are manufactured in an ISO 13485:2016 certified, FDA-registered facility in full compliance with FDA 21CFR Part 820 (GMP).

FARRAR, a brand of Trane Technologies, has officially expanded its cold storage portfolio by introducing FARRAR Lab Grade +4°C and -30°C upright and undercounter refrigerators and freezers and the FARRAR Ultra-Low Temperature (ULT) -86°C freezer.

These solutions enable FARRAR to serve as a single source provider for precision cold storage solutions within pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturing, academic research, drug discovery, logistics applications, and more. When combined with the existing Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) freezer series and Controlled Rate Chamber freeze/thaw solutions, FARRAR’s latest offerings now represent one of the industry’s only complete line of cold-storage solutions.

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The high-performing units are workhorses for life science applications. They are designed to be highly reliable with forced air convection and excess cooling capacity. The units control temperature very tightly, preventing temperature excursions such as freezing products due to user storage configurations. Simple displays ease validation requirements, and configurable storage solutions provide high flexibility no matter what is stored.

Features and benefits include:

• High-quality and reliability
• World-class temperature performance
• Tight temperature uniformity
• ENERGY STAR® certified for energy efficiency
• SNAP/EU F-gas-compliant low global warming potential (GWP) natural hydrocarbon (HC) refrigerants to support sustainability
• Ultra-quiet operation 46dB - 52d for productive office/lab environments
• Auto defrost without temperature excursion risk
• Specify/Buy sales support simplicity

Like the FARRAR® ULC series, the lab grade refrigerators and freezers utilize forced air convection. The FARRAR ULT leverages cold wall technology, the same as other ULTs on the market today.

FARRAR Lab Grade Refrigerators and Freezers and the FARRAR ULT are now available for purchase. Lead time for domestic orders can be as little as a few days for materials in stock or 3 weeks for configurable options. Lead time for international orders is less than 1 week for stock orders and 4 weeks for configurable options. Shipments will begin on Jan. 2, 2024.

FARRAR’s ULT freezer for life science applications is a high-quality, highly reliable, energy-efficient, high-performing unit that is optimized for rack storage, noise management, temperature management/uniformity, and energy management/sustainability. This makes it an ideal replacement for older units when meeting sustainability goals. This unit is optimized for biobanking, academic research, and long-term storage in operations.

Features and benefits include:

• Integrated Smart Access Panel and PIN-controlled electronic door lock
• Integrated temperature logs
• Designed to meet ENERGY STAR^® standards
• Low energy consumption
• SNAP/EU F-gas-compliant low global warming potential (GWP) natural hydrocarbon (HC) refrigerants to support sustainability [R-170/R-290 (Low stage) and R-290 (High stage)]
• 5 layers of protection with 5 inner doors.

FARRAR® provides standard and custom material handling systems for bulk materials, finished goods and small samples, including product and transfer carts for the Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) Series.

The 4000 Series Controlled Rate Chamber should be inspected monthly dependant on usage.

Yes, installation is available for the 4000 Series Controlled Rate Chamber. FARRAR® also offers training and material freezing/thawing load testing for optimal speed and uniformity during operation.

Yes, the 4000 Series Controlled Rate Chamber is similar to a blast freezer. The major difference between the rate chamber and a blast freezer is the volume of air that is moved through the chamber- 500CFM and the ability to precisely control how fast or slow to freeze the material by modulating the cooling capacity.

Yes, our team is able to assist with GMP certification and validation for the 4000 Series Controlled Rate Chamber.

The 4000 Series Controlled Rate Chamber is designed to freeze both bags and bottles using forced air rather than contact plates like a plate freezer. Customized profiles can be built similar to a plate freezer, however.

The 4000 series control rate chamber is compatible with nearly any size bag, bottle or other storage containers. Contact us for the ideal freeze/thaw orientation for your application.

The 4000 Series Controlled Rate Chamber is compatable with any types of bags, bottles or storage containers. For optimal layout within the chamber, contact us.

No, the 4000 Series Controlled Rate Chamber uses forced air, cascade scroll compressors with 2100W of available cooling capacity.

Yes, an independent BMS probe can be placed inside the 4000 Series Controlled Rate Chamber to provide monitoring and analytics.

The HMI display is available on the 4000-LC Controlled Rate Chamber and is not customizeable, however the controller accommodates customizable freeze/thaw profiles with hold times, and slow or faster rates based on individual needs and preferences.

The length of the freeze process for the 4000 Series Controlled Rate Chamber will vary depending on the volume and chemical composition of the material being frozen in the chamber, and the storage medium shape, insulation level and material. The freeze process for an empty chamber will take about 37 minutes from ambient temperature to -80°C.

The defrost process for the 4000 Series Controlled Rate Chamber takes approximately 5 to 8 minutes.

The autodefrost setting for the 4000 Series Controlled Rate Chamber is a manual process; The user will start the defrost process with a push button at the end of each of each freeze process.

The 4000 Series Controlled Rate Chamber supports +40°C (highest during thaw cycle) to -80°C (lowest freeze temp).

FARRAR's 4000 Series Controlled Rate Chamber supports bioprocessing, biomanufacturing, drug substance and drug product applications.

The 4000 Series Controlled Rate Chamber does not currently integrate with any remote monitoring or analytics.

The 4000 Series Controlled Rate Chamber has a 1-year standard (parts and labor) warranty in North America which is extendable for an additional two years. Globally, we offer a 1 year, parts only warranty that is also extendable for an additional 2 years.

The BTU out-put for the Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) Series is 14,500 BTU (4.25 kW) for air-cooled and < 1,550 BTU (0.44 kW) for water-cooled.

FARRAR® has two different methods to experience our products. At our headquarters in Davidson, NC, our BioSolutions space contains fully operational ULC units with typical material handling options - feel free to visit this space to plan your project and work with our design team on a customized material handling solution that fits your process. We also offer demonstration units to test, define operational processes around, and plan workflows. Contact us to determine the best way to support your project needs.

Only the ULC-259 and ULC-311 have the internal chamber dimensions to accommodate pallets.

The Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) Series has the ability to freeze product from ambient temperatures to -80°C, but it does not allow for precise cooling profiles such as drop and hold or controlled temperature changes/minute.

The Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) Series ULC 259 and 311 can accommodate 42" pallets.

Yes, the Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) Series internal set up can be configured. For exmaple, one side of the freezer can be configured for shelf storage and the other for pallet storage in the ULC-259 and ULC-311.

The Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) Series freezer should be maintenanced yearly or longer, depending on customer process requirements.

The Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) Series should be inspected and its temperature sensors calibrated yearly with more frequent inspection/service recommended depending on customer process requirements.

No, the Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) Series is adapale to any size or configuration of storage bags, bottles and containers.

Yes, the Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) Series can accommodate bags, bottles, and containers. The ULC-311 can also accomodate standard U.S. and European pallets.

The Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) Series has a RTD/PT100 DIN A sensor which offers accuracy within 0.15 degrees.

Currently, ULC-190 is EnergySTAR rated. At 0.30 kWh/day/cuft, It is one of the most efficient units on the market. We are working to gain that certification for the remainder of the Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) Series which utilize the same refrigeration systems as the ULC-190.

Yes, installation is available for the Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) Series as part of our standard delivery process.

All of the Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) Series models have a temperature range of +2°C to +8°C in refrigeration mode and -20°C to -80°C in freezing mode.

No, the Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) Series utilizes a discrete refrigeration system that actively cools an insulated chamber via forced air convection, similar to a walk-in freezer. This system provides automatic defrosting capabilities and fast repairs without taking freezers out of service. A standard cold wall ULT freezer relies on natural convection to cool its chamber, a slower and less uniform process.

The key differences between the Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) Series models is the cubic feet of the interior chamber - ULC-190 offers 190 cu ft of storage, ULC-259 offers 259 cu ft of storage and ULC-311 offers 311 cu ft of stroage.

Yes, our team is able to perform or guide your team with GMP certification and validation, including IQ OQ and PQ (IQOQPQ), and temp mapping for the Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) Series.

The LCD display for the Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) Series is not customizeable, however the controller can be conifgured for specific setpoints and processes.

The recovery time for the Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) Series will vary depending on the application/use, fullness of the chamber and amount of time the door is open. For an empty chamber, with an outer and inner door opening of 30 seconds, the recovery time is approximately 10-15 minutes.

No, our current Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) Series offerings only include the ULC-190, ULC-259 and ULC-311. Contact us if your needs require a unique size or material handling application.

No, the Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) Series uses mechanical cooling only.

The ULC has excessive cooling capacity to freeze materials. The length of the freeze process for the Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) Series will vary depending the volume of material to freeze, and the starting and intended ending temperature of the material.

The Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) Series supports bioprocessing, biologics manufacturing, biobanking, sample kitting, biologics logistics activities, and low temperature sample storage applications.

The defrost process for the Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) Series only takes a few minutes - Once the temperature of the coil reaches above freezing, the defrost process stops. Routine maintenance would eliminate snow build up within the chamber, so chamber defrost is not needed. Regular defrosting of the coil will prevent coil damage.

The Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) Series in refrigeration mode ranges from +2°C to +8°C and -20°C to -80°C in freezing mode.

The Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) Series auto-defrost is programmable based on variables including how frequently the doors open, humidity level of the facility, and more. Unlike standard cold wall freezers, The evaporator and condenser are located outside of the chamber. The system considers the defrost cycle (e.g. every 12 hours, every 8 hours) and automatically initiates defrost while the other refrigeration system continue with temperature conditioning to the setpoint (e.g. -80°C, -50°C) This allows the system to defrost without chamber warmup, protecting samples without having to thaw the whole freezer

BACnet is the standard communication protocol for building automation and control systems. FARRAR products with BACnet capabilities can be directly integrated into Building management systems (BMS) and Building Automation Systems (BAS).

MODBUS is an industry standard serial communication protocol for communicating between devices. FARRAR products with MODBUS allow users to connect FARRAR products to their monitoring solutions including local and cloud based systems.

Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) Series has a 1-year standard parts and labor) warranty in North America which is extendable for an additional two years. Globally, we offer a 1-year, parts only warranty that is also extendable for an additional 2 years.

Yes, the FARRAR® team is available to train in-house service personnel.

Yes, FARRAR stocks service parts.

FARRAR uses both our own service technicians and third-party service providers, working with a network of over 130 organizations across the U.S. and Canada.

Yes, FARRAR offers extended warranty and preventive maintenance Service Contracts.

Yes, FARRAR's Service Solutions offer installation and validation services.

Yes, FARRAR's Service Solutions offer remoting monitoring on all products to ensure performance and compliance within your process.

Yes, FARRAR's Service Solutions can assist with obtaining required IQOQ validations and certifications.

No, FARRAR does not service or perform maintenance on competitor products. Please contact our Service Solutions Team, under Diversified Laboratory Repair (DLR) for repairs to all of your laboratory equipment.

Yes, FARRAR's Service Solutions include preventive maintenace from our expert team to keep you up and running.

In addition to end-to-end planning and installation capabilities (engineering and project management), FARRAR provides calibrations, turnkey installation and start-up, training and technical support and validation services. After installation, FARRAR offers scalable nationwide maintenance and calibration plans, remote preventative and predictive monitoring, and proactive technical response.

Leveraging deep-application expertise, our team engineers walk-in environmental chambers for ultra-low temperature suites, freezers, and cold, warm, cold clean, stability (temperature and humidity), and wide-range rooms.

Our engineered solutions are ideal for companies committed to mission-critical refrigeration processes and storage. FARRAR chambers adhere to tight environmental specifications to help protect finished goods, bulk unfinished goods, frozen blood and blood product, as well as vaccine and drug substances.

FARRAR does use low GWP refrigerants in our Walk-In spaces. The Ultra-Low Chamber (ULC) Series and 4000 Series Controlled Rate Chamber use the lowest GWP refrigerants available in the charge levels needed to provide enough cooling capacity to the chamber. Global refrigerant charge limitations on flammable refrigerants such as hydrocarbons limit our ULC and Rate chamber GWP listings. However, Trane Technologies and FARRAR have a dedicated refrigerant design team investigating new formulas that significantly lower GWP without impacting charge limitation rules.

FARRAR provides Walk-In freezers and cold rooms from +40°C to -80°C.

Our trained team can guide you to choose the best solution for your application. You do not have to know everything about your refrigeration needs, however, knowing your intended storage temperature range, desired volume and amount of entries per day into the space are a great start to a painless design process.