Research standard / v1.0

How Reef Bench researches equipment

Our job is not to make every product sound good. It is to make the evidence, trade-offs and uncertainty easier to see.

Our evidence hierarchy

  1. Manufacturer manuals and technical documents. We use model-specific documents for dimensions, electrical specifications, operating limits, included parts and maintenance instructions.
  2. Current UK retailer information. We check price, stock status, UK plug/version, warranty representation, replacement parts and delivery restrictions.
  3. Independent measurements and long-term owner evidence. We separate measured evidence from subjective reports and look for repeated patterns rather than isolated comments.
  4. Our calculations. We show formulas and assumptions for running costs, cost per litre, replacement costs and sizing estimates.

What we score

Fit

Does it suit the stated tank dimensions, load and use case?

Ownership cost

Purchase price, energy, consumables and expected replacement items.

Support

UK warranty, spare parts, documentation and retailer availability.

Control

Useful adjustment, integration and safeguards—not feature count alone.

Maintenance

Access, cleaning frequency, consumables and routine workload.

Evidence quality

How confidently the available evidence supports our conclusion.

How commercial relationships are handled

Affiliate commission does not purchase a ranking. Products can be included without an affiliate programme, and products can rank poorly even when a commission is available. Commercial pages and affiliate links are labelled clearly.

Corrections and updates

Every substantive guide will display a reviewed date. We revisit pages when models, prices, availability, warranties or reliable evidence change materially. Readers can report a factual error to corrections@reefbench.co.uk.