Hi all- I am looking into whether we could supply electric bunsen burners instead of natural gas ones in a teaching new build. Does anyone have any experience with electric bunsens in a non-gas situation? Any help would be gratefully accepted!
I am currently waiting to test this one.
But I think that something (or a proper adaptation of) this 1600W Heat Gun 375°C/500°C could, in principle, also work?
Best regards,
Andy Krupa, Sustainable Lab Manager, University of Sheffield.
Hi Andy,
What is it you will be heating up? If it is for micro/aseptic work, they won’t work (not hot enough). I looked into this at Nottingham, and for this type of work, it was a no-go!
Kind regards
Lee
From: AndyKrupa-UoSheffield notifications@uknsr.discoursemail.com
Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2026 2:45 PM
To: Lee Hibbett (staff) lee.hibbett@nottingham.ac.uk
Subject: [UK Network for Sustainable Research UKNSR] [Energy Management & Equipment] Electric bunsen burners?
 |
AndyKrupa-UoSheffield February 11 |
|---|
Hi all- I am looking into whether we could supply electric bunsen burners instead of natural gas ones in a teaching new build. Does anyone have any experience with electric bunsens in a non-gas situation? Any help would be gratefully accepted!
I am currently waiting to test this one.
But I think that something (or a proper adaptation of) this 1600W Heat Gun 375°C/500°C could, in principle, also work?
Best regards,
Andy Krupa, Sustainable Lab Manager, University of Sheffield.
or reply to this email to respond.
To unsubscribe from these emails, click here.
This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential information. If you have received this message in error, please contact the sender and delete the email and attachment. Any views or opinions expressed by the author of this email do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nottingham. Email communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored where permitted by law.
Hi Andy
Like Lee said certain methods need gas bunsens still, we have managed to get away with one of our newer buildings having bottled gas rather than mains as we could prove gas use was minimal and alternatives eg heat mats could be used for non-aseptic
All the best
Cai
Hi Andy and Lee,
We tested electric bunsens some time ago for microbiology work and also elsewhere in our Education labs.
Our microbiologists uniformly hated them and said they were unsafe.
For Education tests show they take a long time to heat up and cool down and are not really fit for purpose. They need careful handling, and I would not set students loose to use them.
Best wishes,
Tas
Hi all, thanks for your responses and I appreciate your thoughts. I think the potential carbon and costs savings could be big for this build and in use so I am going to push it a bit more! We will need them for creating an updraft “sterile(ish!) zone” and for sterilising loops etc. I don’t suppose anyone has any scientific papers on the actual dry heat temp. needed to sterilise and destroy E. coli spores? I am thinking that the 1500oC max of a bunsen is very overkill? Most DIY heat guns can reach 500oC-700oC but some can reach 1000oC- I am sure they could be professionally adapted on scale to look and act a bit like a bunsen.
Hi Andy,
Another suggestion: I would look into microincinerators. Here is a link https://www.medlinescientific.co.uk/product/medline-bactipro-500-microincinerator/
Quite expensive compared to a Bunsen but they do sterilise loops – achieving temperatures in excess of 850oC. We haven’t used them so I can’t comment on practicality.
Kind regards,
Tas
Hi Andy,
What about something like thishttps://www.fishersci.co.uk/shop/products/bunsen-burner-26/10485173