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.
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 types used by survey respondents:
| Conventional ducted fume hood | 70% |
| Laminar flow hood | 38% |
| Benchtop ductless fume hood | 21% |
| Canopy ducted fume hood | 20% |
| Variable air volume ducted fume hood | 11% |
| Portable ductless fume hood | 6% |
| Other | 2% |
Fume hood related components used by survey respondents:
| Base storage cabinet | 62.5% |
| Work surface | 49.1% |
| Airflow monitor | 45.5% |
| Blowers | 26.8% |
| Digital monitor | 22.3% |
| Fume extractor arms | 9.8% |
| Transport support cart | 5.4% |
48% of respondents are engaged in purchasing a new fume hood. The reasons for these purchases are as follows:
| Replacement of aging fume hood | 50% |
| Addition to existing systems, increase capacity | 22% |
| Setting up a new lab / developing a brand new method | 12% |
| Other | 16% |
Top 10 features/factors respondents look for when purchasing a fume hood:
| Durability of product | 87% |
| Performance of product | 84% |
| Safety and health features | 80% |
| Low maintenance / easy to clean | 78% |
| Value for price paid | 74% |
| Ease of use; ergonomic operation | 74% |
| Low operating costs | 62% |
| Total cost of ownership | 56% |
| Warranties | 52% |
| Service and support | 45% |
For more information on fume hoods, including useful articles and a list of manufacturers, visit www.labmanager.com/fume-hoods
