Forma Laboratory Refrigerators 34830H63 Rev. A a & d voltages

2

Thermo Scientific Forma Laboratory Refrigerators

Installation and Operation

4

Installation

Do not exceed the electrical and temperature ratings.

CAUTION!

Improper operation of the equipment 

could result in dangerous conditions. To preclude 

hazard and minimize risk, follow all instructions and 

operate within design limits noted on the dataplate.

4.1

Location

Install the unit in a level area free from vibration with a minimum 

of 6 inches of space on the sides and rear and 12 inches at the top.

Do not position the equipment in direct sunlight or near heating 

diffusers, radiators, or other sources of heat. The ambient 

temperature range at the location must be 59 to 90

°F 

(15 to 32

°C).

4.2

Wiring

CAUTION!

Connect the equipment to the correct 

power source. Incorrect voltage can result in severe 

damage to the equipment.

DANGER!

For personal safety and trouble-free 

operation, this unit must be properly grounded before 

it is used. Failure to ground the equipment may cause 

personal injury or damage to the equipment. Always 

conform to the National Electrical Code and local 

codes. Do not connect unit to already overloaded 

power lines.

Always connect the equipment to a dedicated (separate) circuit. 

Electrical codes require fuse or circuit breaker protection for 

branch circuit conductors. Use time delay fuses for #12 AWG 

circuits.

Chromatography refrigerators are equipped with a duplex vapor-

proof interior outlet with a maximum of 4 amps per receptacle.

The wiring schematic is attached to the back of the cabinet.

4.3

Leveling

It is important to make sure the unit is level. Use thin sheets of 

metal to level units equipped with casters.

Undercounter models come with leveling feet installed, with 

casters provided in a bag inside the cabinet. The unit must be 

level. To level undercounter units, rotate the leveling screws, 

located under the front corners of the unit, until the unit is level. 

If the floor is seriously out of level, you may need to shim the 

corners with thin sheets of metal.

4.4

Door Seal

To check the door seal, complete the following steps:

1. Open the door.

2. Insert a strip of paper (a couple of inches wide) between the 

door gasket and the cabinet flange and close the door.

3. Slowly pull the paper strip from the outside. You should feel 

some resistance.

4. Repeat this test at 4-inch intervals around the door. If the 

door does not seal properly, replace the gasket.

CAUTION!

Door seal integrity is critical for 

refrigerators and freezers. A loose fitting gasket allows 

moist air to be drawn into the cabinet, resulting in 

quicker frost buildup on the evaporator coil, longer 

running time, poor temperature maintenance, and 

increased operation cost.

4.5

Door Operation

Solid doors and standard glass doors for models larger than the 

undercounter model stay open if opened 90 degrees. Door spring 

tension cannot be adjusted.

If the self-closing doors do not work properly, make sure the unit 

is level. 

4.5.1 Adjustable Hinged Glass Doors (Undercounter 

Models Only)

On undercounter models with hinged glass doors, you can use a 

regular screwdriver to adjust spring tension and center each door 

on its frame. The adjustment screws (“torque” for tension and 

“sag” for door placement) are located on the bottom hinge 

bracket (shown below in Figure 1).

Hinged glass doors can be propped open with metal braces at the 

bottom hinges. Open the door 90 degrees or until you feel some 

resistance. Push the door open past the resistance and the metal 

braces engage. To close the door, push it toward the unit (past the 

resistance).

CAUTION!'>Figure 1.  Undercounter Hinge Bracket for Glass Door 

Adjustments

CAUTION!

Do not overtighten the tension as 

damage to the equipment can result.

WARNING!

Disconnect equipment from main power 

before attempting any maintenance to equipment or its 

controls.

Torque

Sag

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3

Thermo Scientific Forma Laboratory Refrigerators

Installation and Operation

4.5.2 Sliding Glass Doors

45 ft

3

 models have self-closing sliding glass doors. 

If the self-closing mechanism is not working properly, check to 

make sure that the unit is level.

The sliding glass doors can be locked in the closed position, 

using the tubular key provided. To lock these doors:

1. Locate the spring-loaded lock bolt at the bottom left of the 

right-hand door frame. 

2. The lock bolt has a small red dot. Insert the key over the bolt, 

lining up the dot with the ridge on the key.

3. Rotate the lock bolt one half turn so that the dot is at the 

bottom of the bolt.

4. Remove the key and push in the bolt to lock the door. The 

door can be locked only when the dot is in the bottom 

position.

To unlock the doors:

1. Insert the key over the bolt, lining up the dot with the ridge 

on the key.

2. Rotate the lock bolt one half turn so that the dot moves back 

to the top of the bolt. The bolt will then spring back to the 

unlocked position.

To hold the right-hand door open, slide the door to the left and 

use the hook located in the side of the left-hand door.

4.6

Final Checks

Before startup, complete the following steps:

1. Make sure that the unit is free of all wood or cardboard 

shipping materials, both inside and outside.

2. Verify that the unit is connected to a dedicated circuit.

CAUTION!

Connect the equipment to a separate, 

dedicated, power source. Power fluctuations can 

result in severe damage to the equipment.

5

Shelves and Drawer Slides

For safety in shipping, the shelves are packaged and secured 

inside the cabinet. Insert the shelf support hangers (included with 

the shelves) into the built-in pilasters (located on the inside walls 

of the cabinet interior) at the desired locations. Position the 

shelves on the flat supports (refer to Figure 2).

Note:

The number of shelves supplied per cabinet varies 

according to type of unit and size of cabinet.

Figure 2.  Shelf Support Hanger

Drawer slides (standard for pharmacy refrigerators) are similar 

but have a small wire safety clip at the front pilaster which 

prevents the slides from falling when the drawers are removed. 

To change the position of the drawer slides, complete the 

following steps:

1. Locate the safety clip.

2. Slip your fingernail or a small screwdriver under the bottom 

of the wire clip and pry it out toward the inside of the 

refrigerator.

3. Lift up the slide at front. The slide is free to move from the 

front pilaster.

4. The drawer slide must be removed from the rear pilaster at 

approximately a 45 degree angle toward the center of the 

cabinet.

5. Pull the slide toward the front of the cabinet.

For more information on removing and reinstalling the drawers, 

refer to Section 10 on page 9.

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