Fume Hood Testing Services Quote Request
Face Velocity and Tracer Gas Testing
- Face Velocity testing is commonly performed to verify a hood is working as it historically has, i.e. it's performance as related to past, more complete testing. What it does is verifies the overall air movement is the same, or not the same, as compared to previous testing. As ASHRAE, the industry and much documentation point out, face velocity testing by itself is somewhat meaningless when used by itself in an attempt to verify hood containment. Face velocity testing should be performed at a frequent interval as defined in a laboratories Chemical Hygiene Plan.
- Tracer Gas Testing utilizes the ASHRAE specified SF6 gas, a mannequin, a gas analyzer and develops a performance rating based upon three 5 minute test periods. The mannequin is set for a breathing zone 3" from the hood sash, and SF6 is released, normally at 4 liters per minute 9" away. Again the laboratories Chemical Hygiene Plan should specify the pass fail criteria. A typical rating for a hood tested in an "as used" state might be 4 AU 0.01 which means the hood when tested with typical user equipment in the hood and SF6 is released at 4 lpm, the breathing zone averaged less than 0.01 parts per million of SF6 gas detected.
For a quote please feel free to call us or email us. Typically we will need to know the location, number of hoods to be tested, and the number of testing areas, such as a room count, number of floors and number of buildings involved.