For failures of ultra low temperature (ULT) and -40/-30 ⁰C freezers:

  1. Find space in a back-up freezer by contacting one of the following people based on your building or department. If your department is not listed below, reach out to greenlabs@colorado.edu and we will do what we can to help you find space for your samples in another freezer. 

MCDB - Jerry Greene 
Jerome.Greene@colorado.edu 303-492-6314
JSCBB - Steve Hammerlein 
jscbbfacility@colorado.edu 303-735-7550
IPHY - Jennifer Law
jennifer.shannon@colorado.edu  303-492-1093

 

  1. While you wait to find space, pack empty space in your freezer with dry ice until a solution can be found. Sources of dry ice on campus and around Boulder can be found on this poster.
  2. Contact someone to help diagnose and repair your freezer. The contact information for two repair companies are listed below.

  • Sercom Scientific Equipment Repair
    Fort Collins Office: (970) 482-8410
    Denver Office: (303) 573-7266
    Email: info@sercom-usa.com

  • Sienco Instrument Repair in Aurora, CO
    Phil Bish, 303-934-1084
    Email: pjbish@centurylink.net

Facilities Management will change filters, freezer batteries, and provide basic troubleshooting (not repairs) for a fee. Facilities Managment provides Preventative Maintenance (PM) on your freezers, on an annual basis, if your freezer has been tagged with an equipment number. Contact Robin Arellano-Valles at arellarl@colorado.edu to verify your freezer is on the PM schedule.

For failures of -20 ⁰C freezers (including for flammable materials):

  1. CU Green Labs has some mobile freezers (link to mobile freezer page) that are available for -20 ⁰C freezer failures including one mobile freezer suitable for the storage of flammable materials. Contact greenlabs@colorado.edu to utilize this resource.
  2. If your -20 ⁰C freezer or flammable freezer is not lab grade, the cost of the freezer repair may be as high as buying a new freezer and thus, often times,  it makes better sense financially to just purchase a new unit.
  3. Be sure to check out our webpage on Choosing a Unit for more helpful information before purchasing a new -20 ⁰C freezer.

Contact CU Green Labs