Guardian 5000 sectional block for vials

Quick Answer: The Guardian 5000 Sectional Block for Vials is a thin, wedge-shaped heating segment drilled with shallow wells for small vials, made to sit on the Guardian 5000 base plate with other segments. It lets a lab heat a group of vials next to test tubes on the same Guardian hotplate.

Specifications

Features Visible in the Listing Photo

Seen side by side with the tube segment, the vial segment is noticeably thinner and carries more wells, each smaller and shallower. The listing photograph shows a quarter-circle wedge with around ten round wells in curved rows, a small probe hole near one corner and the same concave notch at the inner tip that lets the segment fit around the centre of the base plate.

Shallow wells are the right design for vials. A vial is short, and burying it to the neck would make it hard to grip and uncap; a shallow well heats the lower body where the sample sits while leaving the cap free. That also makes vial segments quick to load and unload with gloved fingers.

Because the segments are interchangeable on the Guardian 5000 base plate, a lab can start with one vial segment and add tube segments later. The vial diameter the wells accept is not stated in the listing, so check it against the vials you use.

Applications

• Warming sample vials next to reaction tubes on one hotplate
• Holding calibration standards at the same temperature as samples
• Small-scale heating of solutions in capped vials

Care & Handling

• Vent or loosen caps when heating volatile liquids in vials
• Make sure the segment sits flat on the base plate
• Lift the whole plate with its handles rather than lifting single segments while hot
• Store segments together so none are lost or scratched

Why Choose LabEquip

This Guardian 5000 sectional block for vials is usually ordered with a base plate and one or more tube segments by labs that handle both vials and tubes. LabEquip can confirm the vial size and quote the full set from our general lab products range; contact us with your vial dimensions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the vial segment different from the tube segment?

It is thinner and has more, smaller and shallower wells. The tube segment has fewer, deeper wells for test tubes.

What size of vial fits the wells?

The listing does not state the vial diameter. Send us your vial dimensions and we will confirm whether this segment suits them.

Can I use vial and tube segments together?

Yes. That is the purpose of sectional blocks. Any mix of segments can share the Guardian 5000 base plate.

Why are the wells shallow?

Vials are short, so shallow wells heat the lower part of the vial where the sample sits while leaving the cap easy to reach.

Is it safe to heat sealed vials?

Only with vials designed for heating and at temperatures below the liquid’s boiling point. Loosen caps when heating volatile solvents to avoid pressure build-up.

Where does the temperature probe go?

The photographed segment has a small hole near one corner, which on blocks of this type takes a temperature probe.

Last Updated: September 2026