Oval Sink And Cup Sink For Fume Hood

Quick Answer: The Oval Sink & Cup Sink for Fume Hood are small drain sinks set into the work surface of a laboratory fume hood: the round cup sink and the slightly larger oval sink provide a drain inside the hood for condenser cooling water, rinse water and small liquid volumes, so this work need not be carried out to the main sink.

A Drain Inside the Hood

Many operations in a fume hood produce water that needs somewhere to go: cooling water leaving a Liebig condenser during reflux or distillation, water from a filter pump, or a quick rinse of a spatula or small beaker. Carrying a dripping tube out of the hood to the main sink means reaching past the sash and moving contaminated items through the room. A cup sink for fume hood use, a small round bowl set flush into the work surface, or an oval sink, which is a little longer and easier to rinse small items in, keeps that water inside the hood and sends it straight to the drain.

The listing names both shapes but not their material or sizes. Hood sinks are commonly moulded in polypropylene or epoxy resin to match the work surface, and the material should suit the chemicals handled in that hood; confirm the material, dimensions and whether one sink or both are supplied before ordering.

A cup sink is a drain, not a waste-disposal route: anything hazardous, from solvent residues to concentrated acid, is collected as chemical waste and never tipped into the hood sink. A trap under the sink, such as a bottle trap, keeps drain air out of the hood; in a hood that is seldom used for wet work, run water through the sink every week so the trap does not dry out.

Applications

Receiving cooling water from condensers during reflux and distillation in the hood.
Draining the water from filter pumps used for vacuum filtration inside the hood.
Rinsing spatulas, small beakers and stirrer bars without leaving the hood.
Refitting or replacing the drain in an existing fume hood during refurbishment.

Specifications

Items	Oval sink and cup sink for fume hood work surfaces
Cup sink	Small round drain bowl for water and small rinses
Oval sink	Slightly larger bowl, easier for rinsing small items
Fitting	Set flush into the hood work surface, connected to a trap and drain
Material, size and quantity supplied	Confirm at enquiry

Care & Handling

Seal the rim to the work surface with a chemical-resistant sealant so spills cannot seep underneath.
Run water through the sink weekly if the hood is seldom used for wet work, to keep the trap sealed.
Clamp condenser outlet tubing so it cannot whip out of the sink when the water pressure changes.
Never pour solvents or concentrated reagents down the hood sink; collect them as chemical waste.

Why Choose LabEquip

Fume hood manufacturers, lab furniture builders and institutions refurbishing hoods buy these sinks as drain points for hood work surfaces. LabEquip lists them in General Lab Products; the work-surface material and cut-out size can be shared through the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a cup sink in a fume hood?

A small round drain bowl set into the hood’s work surface. It takes cooling water, rinse water and small volumes of liquid so they can be drained without carrying them out of the hood.

What is the difference between the oval and cup sink?

The cup sink is the smaller, round version, used mainly as a drain for tubing. The oval sink is longer, which makes it easier to rinse small items such as spatulas or beakers inside the hood.

Can chemical waste be poured into a fume hood sink?

No. Hazardous liquids such as solvents or strong acids must be collected in labelled containers for proper disposal. Only water and the dilute solutions that the lab’s waste rules allow should go down this drain.

Why does a fume hood sink sometimes smell?

Usually the trap has dried out because the sink is rarely used. Running water through it every week keeps the water seal in place.

What material should a hood sink be made of?

It should resist the chemicals used in that hood and suit the work surface. Polypropylene and epoxy resin are common choices; confirm which material this sink is made of at enquiry.