Aspirator Bottle, Deluxe

Quick Answer: The Aspirator Bottle, Deluxe is a storage bottle with an outlet near its base, normally fitted with a stopcock or tap, so liquid can be drawn off by gravity without lifting or pouring. Labs keep it on the bench as a reservoir for distilled water, buffers, rinse solutions and prepared media.

How a Bottom-Outlet Bottle Works

An aspirator bottle is filled through its wide neck and emptied through a short side tube, the tubulation, moulded or fused just above the base. A tap on that outlet opens and closes the flow, so a technician can fill a wash bottle, measuring cylinder or beaker straight from the shelf. Because nothing is dipped into the liquid, the contents stay cleaner than a stock bottle that is opened and poured from all day.

The name recalls an older job. When liquid runs out of the outlet, air or gas is drawn in through the neck, and bottles of this kind were once used to pull gas slowly through absorption apparatus. Today the everyday use is dispensing, and the same vessel serves as a gravity reservoir feeding tubing to a rinse point or a piece of apparatus.

‘Deluxe’ is the range name in the title; the material (glass or heavy-duty plastic), the capacity and the type of tap are not stated. Set the bottle on a shelf or stand above the vessel being filled, since the flow rate depends on the height of liquid above the outlet. For bulk stocks, a plastic carboy is the usual next size up.

Care and Handling

• Loosen the cap slightly while dispensing, or the flow slows as a partial vacuum forms above the liquid
• Check the tap for drips after filling, and do not overtighten a plastic stopcock
• Empty, rinse and air-dry the vessel regularly; standing water grows algae or biofilm, especially in light
• Label the contents and date, and keep strong oxidisers and solvents out unless the material is rated for them

Where the Deluxe Aspirator Bottle Earns Its Place

• Dispensing distilled water at the preparation bench for making up solutions and final rinses
• Holding a buffer or wash solution for repeated use through a practical session
• Storing saline or rinse water in microbiology and histology preparation rooms
• Acting as a gravity-fed reservoir connected by tubing to apparatus
• Demonstrating displacement, drawing air through apparatus as water runs out

Specifications

Why Choose LabEquip

Lab technicians and practical in-charges who prepare solutions for whole classes are the usual buyers, since a tap-fed supply on the prep bench saves lifting heavy stock bottles. The deluxe bottle sits in the Biology Lab Products range at LabEquip; tell us the capacity you have in mind through the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an aspirator bottle used for?

It stores a liquid and dispenses it from a tap near the base. Most labs keep one filled with distilled water or a common buffer, so containers can be filled at the bench without pouring from heavy stock bottles.

Why does the flow slow down or stop when the tap is open?

As liquid leaves, air must enter at the top to replace it. If the cap is screwed down tightly, a partial vacuum forms and the flow stalls. Loosen the cap or use a vented closure while dispensing.

How is it different from a carboy?

Both store liquids, but this bottle is built around its bottom outlet and tap for dispensing, while a carboy is a larger storage vessel that may or may not have a tap. Bench dispensing bottles are sized for shelves; carboys hold bulk stock.

Can the bottle be autoclaved?

That depends on the material. A polypropylene body can generally be autoclaved at 121 °C if the cap is loosened, while polyethylene cannot. Check the ratings of the body and the tap before autoclaving, and remove the tap if it is made of a different plastic.

How often should the water be changed?

Distilled water left standing absorbs carbon dioxide from the air and can pick up microbial growth. Many labs empty, rinse and refill the bottle weekly, and more often for buffers or anything that supports growth.

Where should the bottle be placed?

On a stable shelf or stand above the level of the vessel being filled, away from direct sunlight. A higher liquid level gives faster flow, so keep the bottle raised but within easy reach of the tap.

Last Updated: September 2026