Introduction
Now that the landscape of scientific research is rapidly changing, technology has become a cornerstone to reach tremendous findings. Among the really necessary tools in a laboratory, fume hoods guard the safety of scientists so they can carry out their experiments. Modern laboratory fume hoods are sophisticated, and with technological advancements, they have been incorporated with innovative features to make them more efficient, safe, and usable.
Before investing your money and trust in fume hoods, you must understand their working and the utilities they offer. This blog will guide you through the latest features every state-of-the-art lab fume hood should have. These features are crucial in keeping your lab productive, safe and well-organised. We will discuss the general functionality and safety of your laboratory with respect to fume hoods and guide you on what factors you must keep in mind while buying a fume hood for your laboratory.
Must-Have Features In Laboratory Fume Hoods
You need to ensure that the fume hood has everything your lab needs. This will enable scientists, students, and researchers to experiment with hazardous substances and toxic gases without harming their health. Before buying it for your laboratory, we have made a list of features you must see in a fume hood.
1. Safety Features
The best-in-class laboratory fume hood should be designed to ensure your safety through alarms, sensors, and airflow monitors that will alert you in the event of any mishap. This will mostly help protect you from exposure to toxic fumes, ensuring a safe working environment.
2. Vertical & Horizontal Sash
The opening of the hood should have various options, like the vertical sash and horizontal sash, allowing only slight variations, hence easy adjustment with minimal exposure to the
user. Choose the one that best fits. This has proven great versatility in accommodating different experiment types.
3. Resistance To Corrosion
The fume hood is actually designed with much detail on corrosion resistance. The raw material used in making the fume hoods gives them endurance and strength. The leak-proof enclosures of the hood restrict the spillage to a certain area, which adds to the lab’s safety.
4. Air Volume System
The fume hood should have an advanced air volume control system to effectively control airflow, hence saving energy while keeping the gases from escaping the enclosure. The air volume control system aids in finding the balance between safety and sustainability. You can choose between CAV [Constant Air Volume] and VAV [Variable Air Volume] systems to effectively ventilate the hood enclosure so that no gas escapes into the open air.
5. Ergonomic Design & Storage Section
The ergonomic design of the fume hoods is critical to enhancing the convenience and relaxation of the user. These fume hoods need to be of appropriate heights in combination with sections for in-built storage of tools and chemicals, ensuring that users have a relatively better-organized and productive workspace with less physical strain on their bodies.
6. Multiple Sizes & Mounting Options
The fume hood company should offer versatile sizes so that you can efficiently install the fume hood in a dedicated place in the lab that does not interrupt the workflow. You can choose between Bench Top Mounted Hoods, Low Bench Hoods, Walk-In Fume Hoods, or General Purpose Floor Mount Hoods for your lab.
Tips To Choose The Right Laboratory Fume Hood
We have briefly discussed the important features that any laboratory fume hood needs to have and how these features contribute to your lab’s efficiency and safety. Now that you have a checklist of features, we will guide you through making the final buying decision to get your lab the best fume hood.
1. Correct Size Of The Fume Hood
Size really does matter when it comes to selecting the fume hood. This should be based on optimising performance for safe usage. To determine the most appropriate size for your lab, you will have to consider the equipment’s dimensions and the types of experiments that go on in your hood and analyse the available space in your lab where you will install it.
2. Within The Stipulated Budget
If you want systematic and safe labs, prefer quality and invest in a good fume hood. Try to find a model that best suits your budget yet won’t disregard any fundamental features and makes no compromise on safety. Pay full attention to efficiency features while choosing the fume hood for your lab.
3. Durable Build Quality
Aggressive build quality means selecting a fume hood that is resistant to corrosion, as the students and researchers will work with harsh chemicals and toxic gases that can corrode the hood. Aggressive chemical resistance is a must. This will ensure that your hood stays durable and lasts long, even with exposure to elongated routine usage.
4. Have Adequate Safety Features
Modern laboratories require safe working conditions, and you should never compromise the safety aspect of the fume hoods. Ensure that the fume hood is well-equipped with proper chemical spill containment features and other safety protocols to maintain a chaos-free and safe environment in a laboratory.
Conclusion
In scientific research, the role of a well-stocked laboratory is crucial for the success of experiments and research. The fume hood surely defines itself among essentials in the laboratory setting as a guardian for safety and efficiency. Some aspects we looked at included safety devices, sash ease, corrosion resistance of the hood, air volume control, ergonomic design, and general airflow. With these aspects in place, laboratory fume hoods also feature measures to improve or make a good research experience while at the same time safeguarding the health of the user.
Therefore, the best fume hood amongst different options should be chosen according to these factors. It is meeting not only today’s requirements but also those needs that might occur in the future. A quality fume hood is an investment in your laboratory’s security and efficiency. It holds in it the promise to make the environment safe for the exploration and innovation of science. Trust Santech Labs with top-notch fume hoods, as we offer durability and safety with each of our hoods. Make your laptop safe and produce it with modern laboratory equipment.
