Known as the stalwarts of successful kitchens, exhaust hoods are high-powered appliances with many capabilities. Quality hoods can clean out a kitchen’s air, recycle it, reduce the risk of fires, and maintain a steady room air pressure at the same time.

The technology used in exhaust hood ventilation systems has universal applications. Far from only being useful for restaurant kitchens, range hoods and other ventilation appliances can be used in practical do-it-yourself projects!

Range hoods can be converted into fume hoods for chemistry projects with a bit of imagination and know-how. Here are some steps:

First of all, be aware of what you are building! Fume hoods are used during science experiments to shield the experimenters from hazardous chemicals. Unsurprisingly, range hoods, which are built to filter out dangerous chemical waste from kitchens, are well suited to be transformed into fume hoods.
Be sure you have a relatively small, home kitchen-sized range hood. This will be the foundation for your project.
The next step will be to build an enclosure for the hood. This can be done in many ways, but it is best to form a box with three sides which fits the contours of your range hood. Attach the hood to the top of this enclosure.
Now, you will need to properly wire the hood so that it can receive electricity. This should be set up to give power to the range hood’s light and fan. Consult a detailed guide to electrical wiring if you are uncertain of how to do this—though rest assured that, as far as wiring goes, this step is not so difficult to do.
Firmly attach the range hood to the wooden enclosure by whatever means you prefer. Cable ties and heavy-duty adhesives are good ways to get the job done, but be sure the two parts are securely attached.
Thoroughly seal any holes you see on the range hood and the enclosure. Duct tape will suffice to cover the leaks.
You will now want to install a duct boot to the fume hood, to send exhaust out of the system. Attach it around the full hood enclosure.
Set up an area for the fume hood system to vent to. Be sure that it will vent away from any humans, as the idea is to keep away hazardous chemicals.
You’re all done! Nice work.

Do-it-yourself projects are good fun, but for serious commercial kitchen ventilation system tasks and purchases, professional assistance and quality service are invaluable. Visit the hood pros at HoodMart online today to see what we can do for you!