Fume Hood: Your Laboratory’s Primary Safety Tool

Fume hoods have taken the technological market by storm lately and how! This is a fundamental invention in the history of science and has been an excellent tool for many laboratories across the world. Fume hoods are an answer to many safety-related questions, especially if you are working with toxic and even lethal chemicals. Research demands the usage of a wide array of chemicals—some of which can be hazardous for the user and other members present within the vicinity. In such cases, it is imperative to choose fume hoods as one of the primary safety precautions. If you happen to have questions about this subject like ‘what is the use of a fume hood in the laboratory?’, read along to find the answers, and develop extensive knowledge.

How many variants of fume hoods are available?

 

 

If you need a fume hood for your laboratory, you should first be aware of all the variants and their respective uses. The most commonly used ones are Ductless and Ducted fume hoods. As the names suggest, ductless fume hoods have a ductless facility, meaning the machines or hoods are not connected with ducts to the outer environment. Similarly, the ducted fume hoods are connected with ducts and have significant similarities with the conventional ventilation systems. Apart from these primary forms, another modern system named Bench-top fume hood has also

 

been designed. This form is a table-top or bench-top version of the regular fume hoods. They are installed in such a way so that the workstation is directly in contact with the fume hood. Usually, this is a ductless variant and is nowadays used by a large number of laboratories.

How to assess which variant is suitable for your ?

 

This is an important decision to make before jumping into any conclusions regarding your purchase. You should first be clear about the spectrum of chemicals you are going to work with. Secondly, it is also necessary to note the space of the laboratory where you want to install the fume hood. Thirdly, the range of costs you are willing to spend on the maintenance needs to be considered as well. If the chemicals have a broad spectrum, you will need to choose a multi-filtered fume hood. In case you have restricted space, simply go for the bench-top variant. If your maintenance charge is limited, choose the ductless variant because it is easy to install and maintain. Remember, when buying the multi-filtered fume hood, you can choose either a ducted or ductless variant depending on the requirements and preferences.

What is the use of a fume hood in a laboratory?

 

You need a fume hood in your laboratory for a list of reasons. As already mentioned in the beginning, if you are bound to work with hazardous chemicals, this is one of the primary steps you need to take to ensure safety. If the chemicals particularly have a boiling temperature around 120 centigrade, then it is a must to install a fume hood in such laboratories. Also, it works on Carbon Filtration Techniques and is, therefore, the most efficient way of removing hazardous fumes out of your work area. Apart from this basic technique, it also has an array of filters, each of which is designed to fight against a definite set of chemicals. You can select the filters according to your requirements and build a more functional fume hood for your laboratory.

How can you maintain fume hoods on your own?

You can keep two basic things in check in order to maintain the  fume hood on your own. The first thing being to make sure there is no blockage of airflow inside the chamber. Secondly, cleaning will keep your fume hood stick around for a long time, so try to clean it regularly or weekly.

Is it better than conventional ventilators?

The answer is definitely yes. You can expect a much better result from fume hoods than what you can from a regular ventilator. This is mainly because of the differences in the technologies used for each of them. Fume hoods have more sophisticated filtration systems than ventilators and are hence, more relied upon by most of the chemical laboratories.

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