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An open fume hood sash can use as much energy in a day as 3 to 4 homes!  Keep yourself safe, avoid chemical exposure, and help reduce campus energy use by shutting your sash.

What is a chemical fume hood?

Chemical fume hoods are safety devices/engineering controls that protect a user from hazardous vapors and pollutants released during experimental procedures by removing those vapors and exhausting them outside. Fume hoods confine hazardous airborne material and dilute it with large amounts of air before expelling it safely.

When should the sash be closed on a chemical fume hood?

Standard maximum operating height of sashes is ~18 inches from the base of the fume hood — or where the mechanical stop is located (if one is present). Sashes should be opened beyond 18 inches only to set up or modify an experiment.  The sash should be shut whenever a user is not actively working in the fume hood to increase safety and energy savings.  While some hoods in MSU laboratories have audible alarms that remind users to shut the sash, users should remind themselves to shut the sash every time they walk away from the hood.

What is the “Shut Your Sash” campaign and why is it important?

Closing the sash on the fume hood when it is not in use is the best way to save energy in your lab! A Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) study found that lowering the sashes on fume hoods by 26% reduced the amount of air drawn through each hood by approximately 23 ft3/min or over 5%, saving $41,500 per year. Make sure that your staff and students know to close the sashes when they are not using the hoods3.

If your fume hood has an adjustable fan, keep it on the lowest settings possible for your experimental and safety requirements. This minimizes the amount of air that the hood withdraws from the lab space and the amount of energy needed to power the fan. Recommended settings are: 

      • 60-75 feet per minute (fpm) for combustibles and irritants;
      •  75-100 fpm for common chemicals, toxic vapors, flammables and radioisotopes;
      • 100-150 fpm for OSHA specific standards, chemical requirements; and
      • 125-150 fpm for perchloric acid.

If you are operating or purchasing an energy-efficient, high-performance fume hood, see this white paper on operational and safety considerations.

If you rarely use a fume hood, consider turning it off and/or sharing with another lab on your floor or in your department when necessary for your work. Before changing settings on your fume hood, consult with MSU Facilities Management.