How to choose a test chamber
By Grant, Inspection Tool Specialists. Reviewed November 2026.
Three things decide which test chamber you need: the conditions you must reproduce (temperature, humidity, salt spray, water or dust), the standard or procedure that sets the test, and how much space and how many samples you need to run. Answer those first.
Which conditions?
| Test | Chamber type | Typical in our range |
|---|---|---|
| Constant temperature and humidity, conditioning before testing | Temperature and humidity chamber | STH 416 L series; SLN condensation chamber |
| Benchtop temperature and humidity | Benchtop chamber | STH-32 |
| Corrosion resistance | Salt spray chamber | SST series; SST CCT composite |
| Water ingress | Waterproof test chamber | SRT series |
| Dust ingress | Dustproof test chamber | SDT series |
Size, space and power
Choose a chamber volume that holds your samples with air circulating around them, and check that the bench or floor and the power supply will take it. Benchtop chambers suit small samples and light use. Floor-standing chambers suit larger samples and longer runs.
The standard sets the test
The standard or procedure fixes the temperature, humidity or spray conditions, the duration, the cycling and how results are reported. A chamber that cannot hold the required conditions for the full period is the wrong chamber, however good it looks. Send us the standard with the enquiry.
Monitoring and records
Chamber conditions must be monitored and recorded during a test. Check that the chamber's controller logs the conditions you need, and that its sensors are calibrated. For conditioning of samples before measurement, record the time and conditions as the procedure requires.
Our range
| Application | Suggested starting point |
|---|---|
| Temperature and humidity, 416 L | STH 416 L temperature and humidity chamber |
| Benchtop temperature and humidity | STH-32 benchtop chamber |
| Condensation testing | SLN condensation chamber |
| Salt spray, standard | SST series salt spray chamber |
| Salt spray, composite | SST CCT composite salt spray chamber |
| Water ingress | SRT waterproof test chamber |
| Dust ingress | SDT dustproof test chamber |
As a guide to our current range, including VAT: salt spray chambers from about R76,700 to about R930,000 for the composite model; temperature and humidity chambers from about R150,800; benchtop chambers from about R222,500; water and dust ingress chambers from about R256,000. Prices change, so check the product pages and confirm the controller and monitoring each quote includes.
Questions we will ask you
Tell us the conditions you must reproduce, the standard or procedure, the sample size and how many samples you run at once, the duration and cycling, whether the chamber is for conditioning or for testing, the space and power available, and the records you must keep. With that we can recommend a chamber and provide pricing.