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Do you want to know why fume hoods in laboratories must be maintained regularly? What's the secret behind this?
A fume hood, also known as a fume hood, is a local ventilation device designed to protect users from exposure to harmful smoke, gases and dust. This type of equipment is usually set up in laboratories and is designed to seal and exhaust gases and particulates through moving windows to protect users from harmful substances. This design not only ensures the safety of the experiment, but also has an important impact on the energy consumption of the laboratory. Over time, these devices have improved in design, materials, and technology, but the maintenance they rely on to function properly is often overlooked.
The design history of fume cupboards can be traced back to the early 20th century. The earliest models were made of wood and glass and were specifically designed to objectively discharge toxic gases.
Early fume hoods were just basic ventilation equipment used in laboratories. With the advancement of science and technology, from the 1970s to the 1980s, many new fume hoods with high performance and low energy consumption came out one after another. Some of these devices are even designed with sensor technology that allows them to automatically adjust air volume based on actual usage. Of course, the implementation of these technologies requires regular maintenance.
To ensure the safe operation of a fume hood, regular maintenance is essential. This includes checking air speed, filtration systems and equipment integrity.
The proper function of a fume hood relies on its internal air flow control system, which regulates the amount of air entering and exiting. Whether direct ventilation or filtered return, these systems need to remain within certain operating parameters. This has led to some “window closing” campaigns, suggesting that fume hoods should be closed when not in use to reduce energy consumption in each laboratory. This behavior not only reduces operating costs, but also makes a small contribution to ongoing environmental protection.
According to the survey, about 43% of laboratory fume hoods are conventional air volume fume hoods, while 12% are variable air volume fume hoods. This shows that different types of fume hoods can effectively adapt to different usage needs.
Maintenance of fume hoods is critical, primarily because they are designed to handle a variety of chemicals and environmental influences. Many modern hoods are manufactured with chemically resistant materials such as stainless steel or polypropylene in mind to extend their lifespan. Even so, however, chemical corrosion can still take its toll on the material over time, so it’s equally important to regularly check that its internal structure is sound.
In addition to regular maintenance, operators’ sense of responsibility and compliance awareness are also essential. Correct and standardized behavior can effectively reduce safety risks and protect users' lives.
The fume hood is not just a symbol of laboratory safety, its presence is crucial for any experiment involving hazardous materials. Therefore, whether it is regularly maintained, cleaned and kept in good operating condition will directly affect the accuracy of scientific research results and the safety of work.
Have you ever thought about how many unknown stories lie behind every maintenance of a fume cupboard?
