BS 1970 Hot Water Bottles Manufactured from Rubber and PVC - Specification

Developed by the British Standards Institution (BSI), BS 1970 Hot Water Bottles Manufactured from Rubber and PVC - Specification is an internationally recognised safety standard for rubber and PVC hot water bottles. The aim of this standard is to provide minimum specifications for hot water bottles and to help ensure safety in doing so.

The BS 1970 standard has undergone several changes over the years. The changes made in the latest update mainly concern filling and general safety. Namely,

• The inner surfaces of the hot water bottle should not stick together or block the water during filling. This refers not only to the bottle neck, but also to the entire hot water bottle.
• It should be possible to fill the hot water bottle to the recommended capacity (usually two-thirds to three-quarters of the total capacity) within 30 seconds.
• Minimum elongation at break for PVC materials has been reduced from 200 percent to 150 percent.

New and adapted safety guidelines / best practices are organized as follows:

• The bottle should not be overfilled as this may cause it to burst.
• It is necessary to make sure that the funnel is empty
• If there is a possibility of prolonged skin contact with the hot water bottle, adequate protection (e.g. kitchen gloves, towel) is required.
• Hot water bottles should never be used as pillows or sat on.
• Nothing should be placed on the hot water bottle while it is being stored.
• Before use, the entire hot water bottle, including the stopper, should be checked for signs of wear or damage.

BS 1970 covers bottles made by moulding and dipping techniques. It defines the physical properties, performance and labelling of bottles fitted with screw stoppers and other types of closures, and test methods. It includes safety warnings for packaging and draws attention to the legal requirements applicable to certain types of bottles.

Although hot water bottles are generally used for keeping warm, traditional hot water bottles have been used with some effectiveness for local heat application as a medical treatment. In general, the primary uses of hot water bottles have been for general well-being, such as keeping warm, increasing relaxation, reducing stress, relieving aches and pains, and improving sleep.

Hot water bags are preferably made of thermoplastic or elastomeric synthetic material or of rubber, PVC or soft, flexible, rubber-like synthetic material. It has a water filling neck, the neck is seam-welded to the side walls, and has a flexible lining inside. The hot water bag is manufactured by injection molding in assembled outer molds containing a core. The bag body with the embedded filling neck is first manufactured with a side slit to remove the mold core, then the flexible lining is seam-welded to one side, and finally the slit between the side walls is welded shut.

Raw materials and construction shall be such as to ensure satisfactory performance of the rubber hot water bags under normal conditions of use. The workmanship shall be good in all respects and the rubber hot water bags shall be free from porosity and from defects which would cause reduction in the specified thickness or strength of the vulcanized rubber.

Rubber hot water bottles should have a smooth or patterned surface. A spare rubber washer should accompany each bottle. The rubber washer should be of good quality and have a hardness between 55 and 70 IRHD. It should not show a hardness change of more than 5 IRHD or other obvious deterioration due to ageing.

The plug must provide a watertight seal and any metal parts must be made of a corrosion-resistant material or have a corrosion-resistant surface. If a plastic plug is used, the type of plastic must be approved by the purchaser.

When measured with a standard thickness gauge, the wall thickness of the rubber hot water bottle should not be less than 1,5 mm at any point. The edges and neck should be reinforced by increasing the rubber thickness.

The rubber hot water bag shall not show any leakage when tested according to the method specified in the standard. The rubber hot water bag shall not show any sign of leakage when inflated with air at a pressure of 10 kN/m2 and immersed in water.

Our organization has a strong staff that closely follows the developments in the world in the field of science and technology and constantly improves itself. Among the numerous test, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies provided for businesses in various sectors, there are also testing services in accordance with the "BS 1970 Rubber and PVC Hot Water Bags - Specification" standard.