2014 Fume Hoods User Survey Results
One of the primary safety devices in laboratories where chemicals are used is the laboratory fume hood. It allows a researcher to work with—but not be exposed to— materials that create toxic fumes or particles when it is properly installed and maintained.
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Trevor Henderson, PhD
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Trevor Henderson BSc (HK), MSc, PhD (c), is the creative services director at Lab Manager. He has more than two decades of experience in the fields of scientific...
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Top 6 Questions You Should Ask When Buying a Fume Hood
- Can your lab go ductless? Ductless hoods are a viable solution for most routine laboratory applications.
- What is the hood constructed from and how is it constructed? Will the chemicals you use attack, degrade, or physically alter the material of the hood?
- What types of safety controls are included in the base cost of the unit?
- Has the manufacturer/distributor gone through a thorough application review process? Does the suggested filtration make sense?
- How hard is installation? Will there be a future/potential need to move the hood after initial installation? Should the hood be portable?
- What are the capital, installation and operational costs? From the lab manager’s perspective, capital costs are but a fraction of the overall budget.
Fume hood type(s) currently being used in readers’ labs:
| Benchtop ductless fume hood | 13% |
| Canopy ducted fume hood | 10% |
| Conventional ducted fume hood | 36% |
| Laminar flow hood | 25% |
| Portable ductless fume hood | 5% |
| Variable air volume ducted fume hood | 4% |
| Down flow workstation | 6% |
| Other | 1% |
Fume hood related components used by survey respondents:
| Airflow monitor | 25% |
| Work surface | 23% |
| Base storage cabinet | 22% |
| Blowers | 12% |
| Digital monitors | 9% |
| Fume extractor arms | 5% |
| Transport support cart | 3% |
| Other | 1% |
Nearly 21% of respondents plan on purchasing a fume hood in the next year. The reasons for these purchases are as follows:
 | Replacement of aging fume hood | 32% |  |
 | Addition to existing systems, increase capacity | 30% | |
 | Setting up a new lab / developing a brand new method | 29% | |
 | Changing from a ducted fume hood to ductless fume hood | 3% | |
 | Other | 4% | |
 | Changing from a ductless fume hood to a ducted fume hood | 1% |
Top 10 features/factors respondents look for when purchasing a fume hood:
| Performance of product | 97% |
| Safety and health features | 97% |
| Durability of product | 95% |
| Ease of use/Ergonomic operation | 94% |
| Low maintenance/Easy to clean | 91% |
| Value for price paid | 88% |
| Low operating costs | 86% |
| Warranties | 85% |
| Service and support | 79% |
| Availability of supplies and accessories | 77% |
For more information on fume hoods, including useful articles and a list of manufacturers, visit www.labmanager.com/fume-hoods