All, There is a problem with the drain filters in these machines becoming clogged after a short period of use; a problem that is becoming more and more frequent. This problem is due to students cutting samples with tape and/or cotton balls/other material attached to the samples. Before cutting these samples ALL TAPE/COTTON/OTHER MATERIAL attached needs to be removed. NO exceptions. The debris created by the tape/cotton/etc completely clogs the drain filter, which in turn causes the recirculating water to back up and spill out of the drain hose onto the floor instead of going back into the reservoir tank as designed. This leads to a big mess being created in a short amount of time; a mess that the student using the machine is responsible for cleaning up. If this problem persists the machine in question will be locked out until further notice. If you have any questions/concerns/etc please feel free to contact me. Thank you very much for your cooperation with this matter. Sincerely, Darren Darren Pauly Laboratory Technician VIII School of Materials Engineering Purdue University (765) 494-7703