Technology Report

February, 2003

VAV Fume Hood Energy Savings and Safety Considerations

Sash Closure vs. Automatic Face Velocity Setback

This report addresses the potential energy savings implementing face velocity setback center around
and safety considerations associated with Variable whether 60 fpm will provide adequate fume
Air Volume (VAV) fume hood control systems that containment even if no one is in front of the fume
offer automatic face velocity setback. Recall that the hood.
purpose of a VAV fume hood control system is to
Research has revealed that room air currents or
control fume hood exhaust as a function of the sash
cross currents in the vicinity of the fume hood can be
opening in order to maintain a constant face velocity.
very detrimental to effective fume hood containment.
By maintaining a constant face velocity, fume hood
Even relatively mild air currents passing a fume
air consumption is reduced whenever the sash
hood sash opening can draw out fumes from the
opening is reduced, thereby saving ventilation
hood interior. Figure 1 illustrates chemical fumes
system energy. VAV fume hood air consumption and
being drawn out of the fume hood by room air
ventilation system energy usage is minimized
currents (shown by dark arrows) passing the open
whenever the sash is fully closed.
sash. This phenomenon can result when the room
This contrasts with Constant Air Volume (CAV) fume air currents are horizontal, vertical, or even angular.
hoods, which do not change overall fume hood air Thus, all room air currents pose the potential for
consumption in relation to the sash position. Thus, compromising effective fume hood containment.
CAV fume hoods consume significantly more
ventilation system energy than VAV fume hoods.

Automatic Face Velocity Setback

Aside from maintaining a constant face velocity at all
sash positions, some VAV fume hood control
systems incorporate a type of user detection sensor
to enable initiating an automatic reduction in face
velocity when the user is not at the fume hood. The
claim is made that when no one is at a fume hood, a
face velocity of 60 feet per minute (fpm) in lieu of the
commonly accepted 100 fpm will still provide
adequate fume containment. And subsequently, by ROOM AIR ROOM AIR
reducing the face velocity from 100 fpm to 60 fpm, FUME
FUME
fume hood air consumption will be reduced to about ROOM AIR ROOM AIR
60% of what it would be at 100 fpm. FUME
E
FUM
ROOM AIR
ROOM AIR
Safety Considerations
Before addressing the potential energy savings
claim, the safety issues associated with automatic
face velocity setback should be the first
consideration. Although face velocity setback has
been promoted for a number of years it continues to
be a subject of controversy within the laboratory Figure 1. Room Air Currents Can Draw Out
ventilation industry. The reservations against Fumes from the Interior of the Fume Hood.
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Document No. 149- 976
To minimize these effects ANSI/AIHA Z9.5 states
that room air velocities should be less than one-half
and preferably less than one-third of the face
velocity 1 . Standard NFPA 45 also states that room
air currents should ideally be less than 30% of the
fume hood face velocity. 2
Therefore, to use a face velocity setback of 60 fpm
and be in accord with the foregoing safety
standards, one must be sure that room air currents
at the fume hood will be less than one-half and
preferably less than 30% of the face velocity. This
means that for a 60 fpm face velocity setback, room
air currents must be less than 30 fpm and preferably
less than 18 fpm respectively. 3
These are very slow rates of air movement and are
comparable to the rate that smoke rises from a
smoldering candle in a calm room. With such low
room air velocity requirements, it is understandable
why many fume hood safety professionals express
admonition against reducing the face velocity to
such a low level.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) recommends that a fume
hood's face velocity range from 60 to 100 fpm, which
places 60 fpm at the extreme low end of their
recommendation. OSHA also recognizes the
problems with room air currents and cautions that
airflow throughout the entire laboratory room should
be uniform and without higher velocity air currents.
Standard AIHAs Z9.5 specifically recommends that
the face velocity be at least 80 fpm. 4
The Sash Closure Alternative
An important safety consideration is expressed in
Standard NFPA 45 (Paragraph 6.8.3) which states:
"Laboratory hood sashes shall be kept closed
whenever possible. When a fume hood is
unattended, its sash shall remain fully closed."
1. American National Standard for Laboratory Ventilation
ANSI/AIHA Z9.5, 5.2.2: "Supply air distribution shall be
designed to keep air jet velocities less than half, preferably
less than one-third of the capture velocity or the face velocity
of the laboratory chemical hoods at their face opening."
2. National Fire Protection Association, Standard NFPA 45: A-
6-3.5: Room air current velocities in the vicinity of fume
hoods should be as low as possible, ideally less than 30
percent of the face velocity of the fume hood.
3. One-half of 60 fpm is 30 fpm. 30% of 60 fpm is 18 fpm.
4. American National Standard for Laboratory Ventilation
ANSI/AIHA Z9.5, 3.3.1: "Design face velocities for laboratory
chemical hoods in the range of 80100 FPM (0.410.51m/s)
will provide adequate face velocity for a majority of chemical
hoods." "This is the range recommended for a majority of
laboratory chemical hoods."
Page 2 of 6
NFPA 45 also requires that laboratory occupants be
trained and reminded as a safety practice to close
fume hood sashes since the sash provides a
physical shield or barrier much like a face shield.
Leaving a fume hood sash open even when no one
is in front of a fume hood constitutes an unsafe
practice and exposes all occupants of a laboratory
room to needless hazards. Chemical processes or
experiments can generate large volumes of noxious
or hazardous fumes that may not be contained with
a 60 fpm face velocity. Gasses, flammable liquids, or
vapors in a fume hood may ignite and result in a fire.
In actual instances, explosive chemical reactions
have fractured glassware and propelled fragments
and chemicals throughout the room.
A guide document published by OSHA for its field
inspectors specifically states that the laboratory
facility chemical hygiene plan should include the
provision whereby fume hoods shall be kept closed
at all times that do not require that the hood be
open 5 .
Face Velocity Setback and User
Safety Training
Having an automatic provision to reduce face
velocity when a user moves away from the hood
may convey a message that conflicts with safety
practices. It infers that fume hood users are not
really expected to close fume hood sashes, and thus
weakens the effort to maintain and enforce
laboratory safe working practices. If a laboratory
accident or mishap is ultimately attributed to a
needlessly open fume hood sash, an automatic face
velocity setback provision might be construed as
evidence that safety practices were not being
enforced. This would substantially increase the
liability on the part of the laboratory facility and
probably also on the laboratory ventilation system
designer. As a matter of logic, if strict sash closure
practices are enforced, there is no benefit from an
automatic face velocity setback provision, since it
would not be needed.
Energy Savings
The claim is made that a typical fume hood user will
always leave the fume hood sash open even though
they only need access to the fume hood interior for
short periodsperhaps an hour or two a day. Thus,
an assumption is made that with a 60 fpm face
5. Reference: Occupational Safety and Health Administration,
Philadelphia Regional Instruction STD 1-23,1
February 11, 1991, Office of Technical Support
Siemens Industry, Inc.
Document No. 149- 976
velocity rather than 100 fpm, an automatic face
velocity setback provision will provide a near 40% 6
reduction in fume hood ventilation energy for most of
the time.
However the actual energy savings are diminished
if:
1. Users close their sashes when they no
longer need immediate access to the fume
hood interior. VAV fume hood ventilation
energy savings will then attain the maximum
reduction of approximately 80% when the
sash is closed. 7
2. Fume hoods are actively used for more than
the short usage times often claimed.
3. Facilities use a fume hood sash stop to
restrict how far sashes may be opened. If a
vertical sash can only be opened 18 inches
rather than 28 inches, the fume hood
ventilation energy is reduced by nearly 35% 8
without the need for any face velocity
setback. In such situations, face velocity
setback does not add significant savings.
4. Room air currents in front of the fume hood
require that the automatic face velocity set
back needs to maintain a higher face
velocity than 60 fpm, thus reducing the
savings 9 .
Attaining Fume Hood Sash Closure
The argument for automatic face velocity reduction
is based upon the assumption that fume hood users
do not and will not close their sashes. However
implementing automatic face velocity reduction is
likely to only make this situation worse since it
communicates to the users that they are not
expected to close sashes. Compare this to a room
equipped with a lighting control arrangement that
shuts off the lights when no one is in the room.
Persons are less likely to make an effort to turn the
lights off when they know it will happen
automatically.
With fume hoods, the concern is primarily worker
safety and not just with energy savings. To obtain
the cooperation of fume hood users for keeping
sashes closed the following suggestions are offered:
Avoid impersonal and authoritative approaches
since these are unlikely to generate enthusiastic
cooperation. An ineffective example would be a
sternly worded notice such as:
NOTICE TO ALL LABORATORY PERSONNEL:
Effective immediately, all fume hood sashes may be open
only when absolutely necessary. At all other times, sashes
shall remain closed!
Conduct periodic safety training by a skilled
professional safety trainer or consultant,
preferably from outside of the facility. People are
more likely to heed an outside expert than
another facility person.
Post instructional posters or signage to educate,
encourage and remind workers of safe work
practices. For VAV fume hoods also provide
information indicating the difference in energy
consumption between open and closed sashes.
Figure 2 provides examples of signs that help
reinforce the importance of safe work practices
and energy consciousness.

6. 100 fpm 60 fpm = 40% less.

7. The 80% air reduction figure is based upon the AIHA Z9.5
and NFPA 45 recommendation that VAV fume hoods
maintain a minimum exhaust airflow rate of 25 cfm per
square foot of internal work surface when the sash is fully
closed (Paragraph 3.3.1 in AIHA Z9.5 & Paragraph A.6.4.6
in NFPA 45). This enables reducing a VAV fume hood's air
consumption by approximately 80% of maximum when a
constant face velocity of 100 fpm is maintained.
8. For an 18-inch vertical sash opening rather than 28 inches,
the sash open area is reduced to about 65% (18 in. 28 in.)
and, thus, only requires 65% of the maximum ventilation
airflow. This results in the 35% reduction in air American
National Standard for Laboratory Ventilation ANSI/AIHA
Z9.5, 2002 5.2.2, consumption.
9. Since room air current velocities will not be known until after
the room is constructed and the ventilation system is put into
operation, the permissible face velocity setback value cannot
be determined beforehand.
Siemens Industry, Inc. Page 3 of 6
Document No. 149- 976
 STOP
100

DID YOU REMEMBER

AN OPEN SASH
TO CLOSE YOUR SASH ?
IS A HAZARD !

FUME HOOD
ANNUAL ENERGY COST
SI ZE SASH OPEN SASH CLOSED

5Foot $5,00000 $1,00000

6Foot $6,25000 $1,25000
KEEP FUME HOOD SASHES 8Foot $8,50000 $1,70000
CLOSED 10Foot $10,75000 $2,15000

Figure 2. Example Signage for Reminding Laboratory Workers to Close Fume Hood Sashes.

Sash Closure Technology
Various means can also be implemented to help
attain sash closure and thus enhance safety and
energy reduction without the potential problems of
automatic face velocity reduction.
Open Sash AlertThis feature uses the
electronic logic of the VAV fume hood controller
to also monitor the extent the fume hood sash is
open and the time since the sash was last
repositioned. If a fume hood sash opening
exceeds a preset limit and has not been
repositioned for a certain time period, it is
probable that the user is no longer at the fume
hood and has failed to close the sash. The fume
hood monitoring panel will then begin a series of
periodic audible chirps as a reminder to close
Page 4 of 6
the sash. The variables of this feature including
the sash opening limit, elapsed time since last
movement, audible alert volume, time between
successive chirps, and so forth are assigned by
authorized personnel.
Central Monitoring of SashesBuilding
automation systems which network into VAV
fume hood control systems are capable of
monitoring all fume hood sash positions and
providing this data at designated locations. This
can include alerts when sashes are left open in
excess of a preset time period. Also, many
different summary printouts of the cumulative
time that individual sashes remain open over
daily, weekly and monthly periods are available.
This information may be used to identify the
Siemens Industry, Inc.
Document No. 149- 976

Automatic Sash Closure Mechanisms
Mechanisms may be added to fume hoods to
slowly close the sash after a pre-designated
period in which there is no sash movement.
Such devices typically incorporate appropriate
safety features to ensure against personal injury
and exerting excessive closing force on flexible
hoses, electrical cords, or other apparatus that
may extend into the sash opening. The use of
these mechanisms is dependent on individual
facilities and may not be suitable for every
instance.
Siemens Industry, Inc.
Document No. 149- 976
Conclusion
This paper has presented a factual discussion on
the ramifications of implementing automatic face
velocity setback. In general, the application of an
automatic face velocity setback provision requires,
as a minimum, the assurance that room airflow
conditions meet very stringent requirements. In
addition, fume hood users must be well aware of the
need to keep all chemicals and apparatus well inside
of the fume hood sash and not to create harmful air
currents due to their movements within the
laboratory. Fume hood users must also be made
aware that automatic face velocity setback is not a
substitution for closing the sash whenever possible.
However, if the fume hood users maintain safe work
practices and keep fume hood sashes closed
whenever possible, they will maintain a safe work
environment and maximize the reduction of
ventilation energy without the need for face velocity
setback.
Page 5 of 6
Product or company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. 2009 Siemens Industry, Inc.
Siemens Industry, Inc. Printed in the USA
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