Deciding whether to equip your lab with a portable fume hood or a permanently fixed one can be challenging, given the unique needs of your workspace.
A portable fume hood, also known as a ductless fume hood or recirculating range hood, recirculates the air in your lab after passing it through a filter. This type of fume hood is self-contained in that it passes a continuous flow of air across the work surface, drawing it through the filter to remove impurities, particles and chemical fumes. These hazardous fumes can pose dangers to the staff in your lab.
Unlike ducted fume hoods, a portable model is NOT connected to your building’s HVAC system. Portable fume hoods recycle the clean air back into your lab rather than venting air outside.
Are portable fume hoods right for your laboratory? Let’s take a look at their benefits.
Benefit 1: Portable Fume Hoods Are Movable
As the name suggests, portable fume hoods are movable. They can be shared among various projects at different times of
the day or on different days of the week.
Many ductless fume hoods are on wheels, making it easy to position them when and where needed, including when they are not in service. This level of mobility is impossible with ducted fume hoods, which are permanently connected to your HVAC system.
Benefit 2: Portable Fume Hoods Are Less Expensive
The initial cost of a portable fume hood is almost always less than the cost of a ducted unit. That’s because portable fume hoods don’t require the extensive ductwork and structural modifications that ducted fume hoods need. Ducted fume hoods often need significant changes to the building’s HVAC system to ensure proper ventilation as well. This can be costly. Because portable fume hoods are self contained, they don’t require these modifications.
The day-to-day operational costs of portable fume hoods can be lower than ducted hoods as well. Since a portable unit only uses energy when it’s in use, you may save energy costs. Ducted fume hoods also need to push air over longer distances, which consumes energy.
Benefit 3: Portable Units Are Easier To Install
For many of the same reasons outlined above, portable units are easier to install. In fact, a ductless fume hood is often ready to go immediately after delivery. Workers simply insert the appropriate hepa filter or carbon filter, roll it to the workstation and plug it in.
Contrast this with ducted fume hoods, which require more complex connections and may require licenses, permits and approvals before operating for the first time. Building engineers may require training to ensure proper maintenance of ducted fume hoods as well, while lab workers can typically maintain portable models.
Benefit 4: Portable Fume Hoods Allow For Scalability
Portable fume hoods offer significant scalability advantages for lab operations, making it easier to adjust to varying
business demands and project scopes.
When expanding your lab, adding portable fume hoods can be done quickly and without the need for extensive renovations or infrastructure upgrades. This allows for rapid scaling to accommodate increased workloads or new types of research and development activities.
If there is a need to downsize or reconfigure the lab, portable fume hoods can be relocated, repurposed or stored with minimal effort and expense. This flexibility helps you optimize space and ensures that resources aren’t wasted on permanently installed equipment that may not always be in use.
For businesses that operate in dynamic environments or industries with fluctuating demands, such as pharmaceuticals or biotechnology, the ability to scale operations efficiently can be a significant competitive advantage. Portable fume hoods enable labs like yours to remain agile, adapting quickly to new projects, regulatory changes or shifts in market demand without being constrained by fixed infrastructure.
When A Portable Fume Hood Isn’t Ideal
Despite the four advantages of a portable fume hood that we outlined above, there are situations or types of laboratories where a portable fume hood isn’t ideal.
Portable or ductless fume hoods work well in light to medium duty labs that regularly use 10 or fewer chemicals, and chemicals in small volumes of 500 mls or less. They work best in labs with experienced and well-trained lab personnel and in labs where it is not possible to vent outdoors. Total daily contaminant exposure per employee should not exceed two or three hours.
Other conditions that aren’t ideal for portable fume hoods include:
- If the chemicals in your lab are not easily removed by charcoal or other readily available filters
- If your lab has extreme heat conditions or with a high chemical load
- If your laboratory is staffed with students or inexperienced personnel
Another consideration is the regular maintenance required of a portable unit. The filter in a ductless fume hood must be changed at regular intervals. You must rely on lab personnel to perform this task as required, and the cost of frequent filter changes may over time offset the initial low acquisition costs.
It’s also important that your team never ignore these 7 ductless fume hood safety rules when operating this piece of lab equipment.
Should You Invest in a Portable Fume Hood for Your Lab?
A portable/ductless fume hood can be a great choice for your lab, especially if you use a minimal number of chemicals in small volumes and aren’t ready to invest in a costly ducted fume hood.
However, before moving forward, it’s important to talk to an experienced fume hood manufacturer about your lab’s application. A fume hood expert can analyze your lab and work within your budget to help you make the right decision to ensure the safety of your lab personnel and the environment.
