Lab Fume Hoods

Lab fume hoods are used in many applications to protect personnel and the environment from harmful chemicals, fumes or gases. CFI offers a variety of hood configurations and features to suit applications ranging from educational to industrial for your laboratory needs.

Any hood option can be manufactured deeper when a larger internal work area is required. All of our fume hoods are designed and manufactured under our strict quality assurance guidelines including UL1805, ANSI Z9.5, NFPA and CSA.

High Performance Fume Hood
Airfoil Fume Hood
Double Sided Enclosure
Thin Wall Fume Hood
Floor Mount Fume Hood
ADA Height Fume Hood
Radio Isotope Fume Hood
Perchloric Acid Fume Hood
Flat Front Fume Hood
Demonstration Fume Hood

What is a Fume Hood?

A fume hood is a type of enclosed ventilation system that primarily protects the operator against exposure to chemical aerosols, gases, vapor and dust. They also function as physical barriers between reagents and the laboratory, offering protection against inhalations, spills of dangerous substances, reactions and fire.

Fume Hood Components

A typical fume hood is a box-shaped structure with a sliding window, or sash. Experiments are carried out inside the hood, while a blower creates airflow to route hazardous gases or fumes through a ventilation or filter system.
A fume hood consists of several main components:

The cabin where the gases are collected
A work surface, usually epoxy resin or phenolic resin
Integral or remote blower
Filer or exhaust duct

The negative air pressure inside the cabin prevents any air particles from escaping. The speed at which air enters the hood is essential to ensure the safety and effective operation. Higher speeds can generate turbulence that will not allow inside air to escape, but lower face velocities may not be sufficient for containment.

Choosing the Correct Type of Fume Hood

When designing a lab or remodeling an existing space, the floor plan should adhere to best practices to ensure optimal fume hood performance. Additionally, choosing the correct hood type is essential to the safety of lab personnel. CFI can help you choose the correct option based on your laboratory usage requirements, institutional safety regulations and personnel needs. Specialty fume hoods are also available.

Ductless Fume Hood

ADA Height

Designed to meet ADA guidelines this fume hood offers a comfortable and safe workspace for wheelchair users. Additionally, ADA base cabinets are available.

Hoods for Perchloric Acid

Perchloric acid reacts violently with organic materials, so these hoods require the incorporation of a washing system to prevent perchlorate residues. The interior linings are made of acid-resistant materials such as stainless steel, and the corners are rounded for easy cleaning.

Radioisotope

Applications involving radiochemicals require specialized fume hood materials and design. The work surface can support lead shielding. The interior is made with 304 stainless steel liner and radiused corners to prevent chemical buildup.

Floor Mounted

Floor mounted fume hoods (commonly called walk in fume hoods) provide a bigger workspace for mobile workstations and larger equipment. This type of hood is floor mounted and does not have a work surface, making it easy for teams to get in and out of the cab. Sash movement configuration can be horizontal sliding or vertical rising.

Demonstration Fume Hood

Demonstration hoods have four sides made of safety glass, which makes them great for university and K-12 environments. Students can easily view the instructor’s demonstrations from any angle.

Thin Walled

Thin walled fume hoods offer a great degree of flexibility by reducing post thickness. Save precious lab real estate with this option while ensuring work areas can still be properly ventilated.

High Performance/Low Flow

When efficiency and energy savings are paramount, a high performance hood can do the job. These hoods consume less energy by operating at 60 feet per minute (FPM). Ideal for specific lab types and work applications.

Benefits of the Fume Hood

Captures the contaminant before it affects the work environment
Allows lab personnel to work with hazardous chemicals safely
Shields personnel from aerosols, splashes and fires

Lab Fume Hood Uses

The fume hood is designed to address one or more of these three main objectives:

Protect the user
Protect the product or experiment
Protect the environment

The Difference Between Ducted and Ductless Fume Hoods

Ducted fume hoods exhaust into the atmosphere using an integral or remote blower and a ductwork system. Remote blowers are sometimes preferable since they create consistent negative pressure which is a failsafe against leaks.

Ductless fume hoods use a series of filters to remove chemicals from the air, which is then recirculated into the lab itself. They offer cost savings related installation and improved HVAC unit efficiency. (Cooled or heated air from the lab itself remains in the room and is not vented outside.)
However, they have limitations, so it is important to know what the application and purpose of the lab will be. Contact our lab design specialists to determine if this fume hood is right for your lab.
Laminar flow cabinets are another laboratory device that uses airflow principles but is not considered a fume hood.

When Fume Hoods Are Needed

Whenever laboratory work requires any of the following, you can use a chemical fume hood:

Any chemicals that have the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) health rating of 3 to 4
Volatile and toxic materials (formaldehyde or chloroform)
Flame retardant chemicals
Carcinogens, or substances that are particularly dangerous
A mixture which could create a toxic aerosol
Explosives or reactive substances or chemicals which can spatter
Poisonous /toxic gases like NH3, CO, F2, Cl2, H2S, NO2, etc
Both hazardous and non-hazardous odorous materials