Ductless Fume Hood

Ductless Fume Hood-An Inclusive Buying Guide by Sunnyda.

There are certain processes in your laboratories that require the use of volatile substances. Volatile substances are those that release vapors when exposed to the environment.

Vapors released by certain chemicals are not good for human health. These vapors may also hinder the efficiency of the process being carried out in the laboratory.

To help you with this problem, a Ductless Fume Hood always acts as an efficient and reliable source to throw these vapors outside the laboratory environment.

It has special fans and filters specified for circulating air and sending harmful chemical vapors to the outside environment.

These fans and filters are also responsible for bringing fresh and clean air into the room to avoid the concentration of chemicals in the lab environment.

For further details, this guide mentions all the relevant information answering most of your questions related to a Ductless Fume Hood. Let’s start.

Ductless Fume Hood Testing

What is a Ductless Fume Hood?

A Ductless Fume Hood is a fume cabinet having no external ventilation requirements. It gets rid of harmful vapors with the help of filters and fans.

It has the same function as a ducted fume hood, but it has a different design and construction.  It does not require any additional duct installation for providing an escape passageway to the vapors.

This makes the installation process even easier as well as the maintenance demand. So you have to spend less time on its cleaning regime.

It also comes with sensors for monitoring the gases and preventing damage caused by overwhelming the filter.

As soon as the filter reaches its maximum limit, the alarm goes off and the fumes are released. It is best to be used for applications having low chemical demand.

It works as the most efficient and affordable solution for getting rid of harmful vapors from the laboratory especially when you are short of space.

Ductless Fume Hood

What are the Important Features of a Ductless Fume Hood?

• 360-degree transparency gives exceptional visibility

• 7 inches touch screen with power and lighting controls

• Optional stand

• High-efficiency EC fan with quiet operation

• Glass sliding tempered front window

• Built-in stainless steel, epoxy, or ceramic worktop

• High chemical resistance

• Cost-effective and eco-friendly 800 LUX LED lighting partitioned from the work area

• Advanced operation system

• Wide filter variety

• Easy front access for convenient filter replacement

• Good quality construction

• Low maintenance requirements

Multiple Features of Ductless Fume Hood

What are the General Specifications of a Ductless Fume Hood?

• Overall Dimensions: 24″ × 48″ × 36.25″ (D × W × H)

• Work Area Dimensions:25” × 47” × 24″ (D × W × H)

• Side Panels: ¼ inches

• Surface Resistivity: 106 -108 ohms per square

• Work Surface: ¼ inches with corrosion resistance

General Specification of Ductless Fume Hood

How Does a Ductless Fume Hood Work?

It uses filters for removing harmful vapors from your lab environment.

When harmful vapors are released in the lab environment, they are pulled in by the Ductless Fume Hood.

Turning on the power source starts air circulation. The harmful air particles are received by the filter and sent to the outside environment.

The main function of a filter is to absorb and treat acid gases, formaldehyde, ammonia, and radioisotopes.

Different laboratory applications require different filters depending upon the requirements.

The use of non-recommended chemicals should be avoided for ensuring maximum filter efficiency and performance.

Working Mechanism of Ductless Fume Hood

Why is a Ductless Fume Hood Preferred Over a Ducted One?

No Permitting Issues:

You don’t have to seek permission for venting outside of the building which you have to in the case of the ducted fume hood.

Environment-Friendly:

It saves energy and proves to be more environmentally friendly than a ducted fume hood.

Easy Replacement:

It comes with easy replacement and you don’t have to go through additional steps for removing and reinstalling the duct.

Low Maintenance:

It has low maintenance requirements. You don’t have to clean and maintain the duct as you have to do in the case of ducted fume hoods.

Low-Cost Environmental Friendly Portable Ductless Fume Hood

What are the Available Types of a Ductless Fume Hood?

Propylene Basic:

It gives a safe working environment when using harsh chemicals mainly organic solvents.

It also has a colored touch screen, air velocity display, 10-speed fan, a carbon filter replacement alarm, and an hour counter.

Propylene Pro:

It is the advanced version of a polypropylene Ductless Fume Hood and features a VAV system (Variable Air Volume), for measuring air velocity.

It has a larger touch screen, also includes a red light alarm that activates error detection, humidity and temperature sensors, and a chemical sensor alarm.

Educational:

It has clear glass with 360-degree transparency. It also features all-around visibility making it perfect for educational presentations.

Further features include a touch screen display, a quiet fan, environment-friendly LED lighting, and a tempered glass front window.

Environmental Friendly Polypropylene Ductless Fume Hood

What are the Common Applications of a Ductless Fume Hood?

• Life Sciences

• Educational Purposes

• Dental Laboratory

• 3-D Printing

• Glass Manufacturing

• Soldering

• Art Restoration

• Forensics, DNA, and Fingerprinting

• Clinic and Hospitals

• Archaeology

• Mycology

• Pharmaceutical Clean Rooms

• Production of Paints, Glues, and Solvents

A Pathologist Working in a Ductless Fume Hood

What to Consider When Choosing your Ductless Fume Hood?

Keep these factors in mind when choosing Ductless Fume Hood for your laboratory:

Are the Chemicals Safe to be Used?

Also, see if the chemicals being used in your application requirements are safe to be filtered from this fume hood or not. See the sifting effectivity also.

Is the Working Area Enough Spacious?

Check if the working environment is enough spacious to fit in the ductless hood.

What are your Application Requirements for Using it?

Your application demands are vital to consider when choosing a Ductless Fume Hood. Some models are built for light-duty applications and for processing specific gases.

Others are designed for heavy-duty applications or chemical filtration processes.

Spacious Working Area for Ductless Fume Hood

Is a Ductless Fume Hood Better for your Laboratory Than a Ducted Fume Hood?

A Ductless Fume Hood is better for your laboratory than a ducted fume hood if you have a small setup.

It is also safer to be used as it does not involve the use of harmful chemicals in very high concentrations.

In case you are running a big laboratory then a Ductless Fume Hood will not be able to meet the workload demands.

It can involve the use of limited chemicals only. So if your laboratory applications require the use of a variety of chemicals then a ducted fume hood is preferable.

It also produces loud noise due to the working of the internal blower so get it for your laboratory only if you think you can handle it.

Ducted Fume Hood and Ductless Fume Hood

How to Ensure if a Ductless Fume Hood is Appropriate for your Application?

You can easily find out if a Ductless Fume Hood is appropriate for your application or not, just go through the following information:

Filter Maintenance:

In case you don’t have enough time for regular filter maintenance then a Ductless Fume Hood is not good for you. It requires regular maintenance for giving good and efficient results.

Use of Carbon Filter:

It involves carbon filters which help in the efficient removal of harmful fumes.

In case your application is not compatible with activated carbon filter filtration, then you should better prefer a Ductless Fume Hood.

Less Expensive:

If you have to already spend a lot on your application expenses, then Ductless Fume Hood is your right choice. It is inexpensive to buy and saves you from financial stress.

Short Time Operation:

If you are working on a bigger scale and you want the fume hood to be running for longer durations then the ductless choice is not suitable for your application.

In such cases, use ducted fume hoods as they can be used continuously for hours.

Maintenance of Ductless Fume Hood Filter

Does a Ductless Fume Hood Effectively Filter the Chemicals Involved in your Application?

The effectiveness of chemical filtration in a Ductless Fume Hood depends on the type of filter being used.

Different chemicals require different filters for helping efficient filtration.

Different types of filters available include:

HEPA Filter:

It offers 99.97 percent efficiency for filtering particulates and chemical powders.

Acid-Sulfur Carbon Filter:

It features impregnated carbon for neutralizing compounds containing acids and sulfur.

Formaldehyde Carbon Filter:

It has impregnated carbon for neutralizing formaldehyde.

Radioisotope Carbon Filter:

It neutralizes radioisotopes featuring impregnated carbon filters.

Organic Carbon Filter:

Organic carbon filter contains activated carbon for adsorption of organic vapors.

Ammonia-Amine Carbon Filter:

This filter neutralizes ammonia and amine compounds using impregnated carbon.

Mixed Bed Carbon Filter:

It includes neutralization of multiple compounds using impregnated carbon; 20% of acid and sulfur-containing compounds, 20% of ammonia and amine compounds, 20% of formaldehyde-containing compounds, and 40% of activated carbon for organics.

But there exist some exceptions in the case of each filter.

Such as some organics like methanol do not show effective adsorption on the organic filter because it is lightweight and highly volatile.

For finding out the right filter for your application, always reach out to a well-known chemical specialist for conducting the chemical assessment.

Ductless Fume Hood Filters

What are the Pros of Using a Ductless Fume Hood?

Cheaper Installation:

The installation cost is much cheaper than the installation of a ducted fume hood. This is because you don’t have to purchase or install any duct for the proper running of the unit.

Mobile:

You can easily move it to different places anytime you want to. It is lightweight adding more to the mobility.

It is also supported by a storage chamber with tiers underneath making the moving process easier.

Energy Saving:

You don’t have to provide extra power to pass the vapors through the duct in a Ductless Fume Hood. This saves you a lot of energy if considered on a bigger scale.

Cheaper and Easy to Install Ductless Fume Hood

What are the Accessories of a Ductless Fume Hood?

Some additional accessories help you with the use of a Ductless Fume Hood in your sterile room, which includes:

Base Cabinet with Wheels:

This cabinet is mainly responsible for storing the chemicals required for the application. You can spare some space in the cabinet for keeping instruments to be used.

The wheels make it easier to move the unit from one place to another. Caster wheels are recommended here because of their durability, heavy-duty strength, and versatility.

Faucet:

The faucet helps in delivering water for your Ductless Fume Hood applications.

There are several types of faucets that you can use depending upon the application and environment of the laboratory.

Foot Switch:

It allows the building of a safe and reliable electrical connection for operating the unit.

Carboy:

It helps in the storage of chemicals required for your application.

Drain Pan:

It is an inexpensive and easy solution to prevent water damage caused by accidental spills or leakage.

Ductless Fume Hood Base Cabinet

Which Chemicals are Unsafe to be Used in a Ductless Fume Hood?

Ductless Fume Hood filters have different adsorption rates and affinities for different chemicals, making them chemical-specific.

This variation is mainly dependent on the type of filters installed and the application required.

The incompatibility of chemicals leads to filter damage and processing inefficiency.

Chemicals like picric acid, perchloric acid, and nitric acid are unsafe to be used in a Ductless Fume Hood especially at high-temperature levels.

The reason is that these chemicals are difficult to handle and require special handling care. At high temperatures, they behave as strong oxidizers.

Having this property, they show good reaction with wood, metal, and other combustibles and form explosive compounds.

Picric acid is dangerous in both contaminated and dry states because picrate metal salts can give explosion reactions.

Even when using compatible chemicals, wear protective equipment for your safety.

Unsafe Chemicals for Ductless Fume Hood

What are the Effects of Radioactive Elements on Ductless Fume Hood?

Radioactive elements put a negative effect on a Ductless Fume Hood working in your laboratory.

It is because they release ionizing radiations like alpha, beta particles which result in bond breakage, stripping of electrons from atoms, and contamination.

They also start accumulating on the Ductless Fume Hood surfaces and crevices and cause carcinogenic effects on living tissues.

Some major alpha emitters are uranium-238, americium-241, radium-226, plutonium-236, thorium-232, polonium-210 and radon-222 which eject alpha particles.

These ejection results in the loss of two neutrons and two protons. As a result, the atom is changed into a different element.

On the other side, beta emitters cause the ejection of beta particles. This results in the loss of two electrons which are then attached to a positive ion.

Some major beta emitters are potassium-40, tritium, strontium-90, carbon-14, cobalt-60, technitium-99, cesium-137, iodine-131 and iodine-129.

Alpha and beta radiations have acute and chronic effects on living tissues leading to tissue damage and cancer.

Ductless Fume Hood cannot protect users from these radiations.

Radiochemistry Ductless Fume Hood

How Does the Work Area Affect the Performance of your Ductless Fume Hood?

Different work surfaces have different compositions, chemical plus heat resistance, and abrasion.

Below mentioned are some widely used work surfaces suitable for this fume hood along with the reasons.

Solid Epoxy Resin Work Surface:

It offers the highest-level resistance allowing you to work with highly concentrated chemicals.

When working with a solid epoxy resin work surface, you can safely use a high concentration of acids and bases without the risk of damaging the work surface.

Solid Phenolic Resin Surface:

These stations also have high durability and excellent chemical resistance, but not as good as those offered by solid epoxy resin workstations.

If your application requires handling moderately concentrated chemicals, then this surface will work great for you.

Composite Resin Surface:

For general use, composite resin work surfaces are recommended as they offer the least amount of chemical resistance.

Some Extra Tips to Follow:

Spill Containment Facility:

Adding a spill containment facility to your work surface will prevent the absorption of spilled chemicals into the work surface.

It serves as an extra drainage system or container to receive spills.

Prefer Cup or Sink Cutouts:

Work surfaces with a cup or sink cutouts are preferred for easy cleaning and washing required in the application. This will also save your time for completing the process.

But with this, you will have to face some plumbing difficulties. If you attach your sink to the acid waste system then installing vacuum turrets in the future would be quite inconvenient.

Epoxy Resin Work Surface of Ductless Fume Hood

How to Install your Ductless Fume Hood?

Unpack the Delivery:

The first step is to carefully unpack the delivery and take out all the attachments. Be very careful especially when dealing with glass sheets.

Prepare the Installation Site:

Then prepare the installation site. This involves cleaning the walls and floors to avoid any hindrance in the installation process.

Organize Everything:

Next, you have to organize the installation equipment and attachment to make the installation process easier for you.

Read the Installation Guide:

Make sure to go through the installation manual once or twice to get a better idea of the installation.

Follow the Steps:

Follow every step carefully. Make sure you attach and screw the parts properly to avoid any problem later.

Build an Electrical Connection:

A safe electrical connection should be built for running the Ductless Fume Hood. Ensure that no wires are cracked or loose.

Installation of Ductless Fume Hood

How to Maintain your Ductless Fume Hood?

Monitor the Air Gauge:

This is necessary to see if the airflow adjusted within the required range. Higher than normal flow rates are never good for your applications.

Check the Exhaust Fan:

The exhaust fan should be working properly to eliminate all the harmful vapors from the laboratory.

Check the Baffles:

The baffles in the exhaust fan should also be properly working for ensuring uniform airflow. If the airflow motion is disturbed, the efficiency of the fan would decrease

Keep it Clean:

Make sure to carry out regular cleaning of your Ductless Fume Hood for preventing blockage problems.

Neglecting daily cleaning would cause the build-up of dirt and dust in the fan filter which will get harder to clean over time.

Use Only the Recommended Chemicals:

It is advised to use only recommended chemicals for your application. Using incompatible chemicals damages the surface coating and also hinders process efficiency.

A Professional is Maintaining the Ductless Fume Hood

How to Prevent your Ductless Fume Hood from Damage?

• Allow only laboratory professionals to use the fume hood.

• Be careful not to forcefully touch or hit the glass when taking your hands into the fume hood.

• Use only safe chemicals that meet the standard safety conditions.

• Do not stumble in hard into the fume hood to avoid dents or breakage.

• Avoid any chemical spills for protecting the surface and the body.

Precautions While Using a Ductless Fume Hood

What are the Storage Protocols of a Ductless Fume Hood?

The storage of your Ductless Fume Hood should always comply with the standard storage guidelines to prevent accidents in the lab.

So make sure to follow these storage protocols for smooth and efficient working.

Enough Storage Space:

The main issue faced by lab workers is the lack of storage space. This ultimately leads to other lab accidents like chemical spills, glassware breakage, etc.

To avoid these problems ensure that there is adequate storage space for fitting in the required chemicals.

Cluttered Storage:

Keeping stuff organized always saves you from accidents. Keeping storage items unorganized will take more time to look for the relevant thing, delaying your work.

It may also lead to a chemical mess which is not good for the workers. So always keep storage items labeled and organized for a smooth workflow.

Keep Chemicals Covered:

The biggest mistake you can ever make in a fume hood is leaving the chemicals uncovered, especially volatile ones.

As a result, vapors continuously escape from the chemical bottles ending up concentrating the surrounding air particles. Always keep chemicals covered for your health safety.

Storage Protocol of Ductless Fume Hood

How Often Should you Replace your Ductless Fume Hood Filter?

You don’t have to bear heavy installation expenses when it comes to a Ductless Fume Hood. The only major expense, in this case, is the replacement of the filters.

Fume hood filters need to be replaced timely for maintain efficient filtration results.

Here are some questions to ask yourself to decide if it is the right time for the replacement of filters of your fume Hood.

• Which type of chemical is being introduced to the filters?

• How much is the filter capacity for the chemicals required in your application?

• How fast does each chemical evaporate?

• How much chemical is being used?

• What is the exposure time of each chemical?

• What are the temperature requirements of each chemical?

Filter Replacement of Ductless Fume Hood

What are the Safety Considerations of your Ductless Fume Hood?

Ductless Fume Hood is considered to be safer than a ducted one. But this doesn’t mean that you don’t have to take any lab safety precautions when using it.

Here are some safety considerations that you must consider for safe and smooth usage.

Frequent Visual Inspection:

Make sure to keep visually inspecting it frequently. This will keep you aware of any breakdowns or damages.

No Traffic Surrounding:

It is better not to crowd your Ductless Fume Hood environment with people, especially on the front side. Traffic in front of the hood will hinder the ventilation mechanism.

Ensure Maximum Airflow:

Ensuring maximum airflow is important to prevent the accumulation of hazardous vapors. For this place, any large piece of equipment is at least 2 inches higher than the surface.

Wear Protective Equipment:

Whenever working with a Ductless Fume Hood, ensure wearing the proper protective equipment for your safety and protection.

Do not take off your masks for preventing the inhalation of harmful vapors. Always wear gloves so that you don’t come in direct contact with hazardous chemicals.

Wear Proper PPE Before Using Ductless Fume Hood

Conclusion.

Ductless Fume Hood can be used for different types of laboratories for medical, testing, or research purposes.

It prevents the accumulation of harmful vapors in your laboratory, making the environment safe for your workers and processes.

Make sure to choose the best one for your laboratory to get the most benefit out of it. Also, take care of its maintenance for ensuring durability and long service life.

Always ask professional help if you are experiencing any problems with your Ductless Fume Hood instead of fixing the fume hood problems on your own.

Prime Quality Ductless Fume Hood