Whenever working with chemicals which emit fumes and harmful odors. It is recommended to set the experiment inside a fume hood. The equipment is a cabinet with powerful exhaust fan eliminating any undesired vapors immediately. A sliding glass panel is installed to protect the scientist from accidental liquid splashes.
At home, smokes and mix vapors are often not harmful but still undesirable and should be eliminated. Smoke in moderate to heavy concentrations causes breathing difficulty while mix odors may cause headache.
Often, the cost of decent exhaust equipment is limiting and we resort to improvised or cheaper alternative such as:
A common exhaust fan. Several can be installed around the laboratory or kitchen. Turn it on whenever doing any activity.
Sorry for the following crappy images!
The pvc pipe exhaust for Kjeldahl digestion apparatus. The equipment may come with its own exhaust mechanism or must be placed inside fume hood every use. In case both are not available, an alternative exhaust system can be fabricated – consist of pvc pipe, large hose and a small powerful fan.
Pvc pipe exhaust for Soxhlet. Fat extraction assembly is normally operated out of the fume hood. However, residual petroleum ether may escape. Bent off vapors safely by using the same pvc pipe exhaust system.
A cone and a fan. The design is the same as modern kitchen hood. It can be made of scrap materials.
Box fan. I often do this. Temporarily fixing the box fan on window, facing outside. Then sealing the extra side spaces. It is effective in removing excessive smokes from cacao roasting.
