What role do fume hoods play in a laboratory?
Fume hoods play a critical role in laboratory safety by protecting users from hazardous chemicals, vapours, and fumes during experiments. In addition to containing fumes, the hoods also function as a physical barrier against chemical spills.
How does a fume hood work?
A fume hood removes toxic fumes either through ducting or a ductless system. I will explain the differences between ducting and ductless systems in more detail.
A ducted fume hood is connected to ducting within a building and is often connected to a fan or blower. The fan draws chemical fumes from the fume hood’s working area to the outside, where they are diluted and no longer harmful.
A ductless fume hood uses a filter or series of filters with a fan usually built into the fume hood. The fan draws the chemical fumes in the fume hood’s working area through the filter(s) and recirculates them as clean air back into the same room where the fume hood is located.
When should you choose a ductless fume hood over a ducted fume hood?
If you use low- to medium-risk chemicals, ductless fume hoods are the most appropriate for this application. Conversely, a ducted fume hood is the better choice if you frequently use highly toxic, corrosive chemicals or volatile substances.
Ductless fume hoods offer various advantages that make them attractive for specific laboratory settings. Here are the key benefits.
Flexible and Portable
Ductless fume hoods do not require external venting, so they can be placed almost anywhere in a laboratory, allowing for easier relocation.
Ductless fume hoods are very portable. They are compact and quickly moved to accommodate changing workspace needs or temporary projects.
Lower installation costs
Ductless fume hoods are essentially plug-and-play and do not require the complex infrastructure required by ducted systems. Therefore, they have lower upfront costs and faster installation times. The more straightforward setup makes them more cost-effective.
Energy Efficient
Unlike ducted fume hoods, which expel conditioned air outside the building, ductless fume hoods filter and recirculate air back into the room, minimising the energy demand on heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. This leads to lower utility costs, contributing to energy conservation and a more sustainable lab environment.
Compliance
Ductless fume hoods are designed to comply with many lab safety regulations, provided that they are used with appropriate filters. Airclean fume hoods are tested to the EN61326-1 standard.
Low Maintenance
Most ductless fume hoods only require periodic filter replacements, which the operator can carry out. Several self-monitoring features, such as low airflow alarms, real-time monitoring of the installed filtration bed, electronic gas detection for real-time gas phase filter monitoring, and filter lockout, ensure the correct filter replacement. Airclean systems ductless fume hoods offer these features.
When deciding between ducted and ductless fume hoods, evaluating your laboratory’s specific needs, including the types of chemicals used, safety requirements, budget constraints, and energy efficiency goals, is essential.
By carefully considering these factors, laboratories can choose the fume hood type that best suits their operational needs and safety standards.
