has anyone had any experience with something like this?

http://www.amazon.com/Pu...p;ref_=sr_1_4&sr=8-4

(would never purchase through amazon, however....)

it is quite expensive, yet it seems like it would be a really great tool and a way of avoiding fumes, both inhaled and throughout the home. the hood above the stove just doesn't cut it, not to mention doing it on the stove, for obvious reasons....

i did several searches, but did not find any direct experience; rather just suggestions to use one.

thanks to everyone

It is a great tool, definitely.

However, it is very costly. So to make up for that cost it should at least see some good use, say if you were to do a lot of chemistry.

However, if it sees enough use the filters and such eventually need to be replaced. It is essentially a giant gas mask. This is additionally very costly.

Most persons interested in such a device, a home chemistry hobbyist like myself, will turn to a cheaper alternative and build their own fume hood using a high CFM fan, some plexiglas and some plywood.

Also, I would suggest simply buying an organic vapour gasmask instead!

thanks, Mindlusion....

i agree, it's pricey. and you have a great point: a DIY construction would be a good option, except the problems i face are fumes leaking into the rest of the house.

perhaps you might have insight into this: what type of ceiling fan (how many CFM) would be good to provide sufficient exhaust for a room to clean fumes out efficiently?

i'm looking at replacing a couple of existing fans with 290cfm fans - much cheaper than a fancy ductless hood...

i do have a great mask already - it is sufficient when working, but when evapping, for example, the room really stinks up. where i live, outside or garage is not an option.

thanks!

An air purifier should work, a decent one anyway

I wouldn't recommend DIY. Store bought fans can make sparks, sometimes too small to be visible. Last thing you need is to catch a fume hood made of wood on fire, let alone the rest of your house. It's pricey for a reason and you get what you pay for.

thanks, Psybin - i agree.

and, to your point, sbc1, most air purifiers contraindicate using around flammable materials. whoops. blew up the room trying to neutralize odors....

i am thinking that a really, really powerful, high CFM fan in the ceiling is about as good as i'll get without investing in an industrial hood.

oh the lengths we go to....

If all that you require is to evaporate solvent without it stinking up your place (and poisoning you in the process), why don't you construct an ad hoc mini fume hood from a cardboard box. connect a flexible tube, eg. a clothes drier exhaust tube, from a hole in the bottom of the box to the ceiling exhaust fan hole. The connection doesn't have to be air tight, as long as it pulls air through the box. Place the box upside down over your container with solvent to be evaporated. If not enough air can flow into the box, stick a pencil or something under one of the sides to lift one of the edges of the box a little. Alternatively, punch a few extra holes in the box to create air inlets.

If you do not trust you ceiling exhaust fan to be sparkless type, you could build a slightly altered contraption using a personal computer cpu fan and lead the tube out of a window. The cpu fans are sparkless and low voltage. I think most types of ceiling exhaust fans for continuous or otherwise durable operation are generally built with a synchronous motor, these don't spark.