Push or Pull through carbon scrubber

G

growgreen5

Member
I have a stealth small cabinet - 4x2 foot print, 6" height.
400w cool tube.
I have a 5" centrifugal fan with 180cfm.

Ideally would like to DIY a carbon scrubber. Considering 8" intake core and 10" overall. Thoughts on DIY vs. purchased?

Should the fan be pulling air through the scrubber, or pushing it on the exhaust side? Ideally I'd like to push it through.
 
Flash63

Flash63

Well-Known Member
Pulling is the only way...the air needs to be pulled through the srubber then out the fan...
 
warble

warble

Well-Known Member
You can push the air through the scrubber, but it really puts a strain on the fan. If fans are free, go with what ever you want. If you have to pay for fans or do not want the fans to die as often, then listen to Flash63 and have the fan pull air through your scrubber.
 
Flash63

Flash63

Well-Known Member
Pushing air backwards through a scrubber makes no sense to me at all.Most are not designed to run backwards.(why do they come with a prefilter?)
 
TheYokel

TheYokel

Well-Known Member
Pull.

If a vent connection comes loose, it will be inside the tent. You may get a *little* stank coming through, but 90% will still be pulling through the filter.

If you are pushing and the filter is outside the tent: If an air leak occurs in your venting it will be outside your tent but before the filter, basically blowing that pure stank all over your room.
 
G

growgreen5

Member
thanks Vostok. That is a great post. Another modification, and I just came up with a easy, cheap simple dark room vent idea.
 
purplehays1

purplehays1

Well-Known Member
growgreen5 said:
I have a stealth small cabinet - 4x2 foot print, 6" height.
400w cool tube.
I have a 5" centrifugal fan with 180cfm.

Ideally would like to DIY a carbon scrubber. Considering 8" intake core and 10" overall. Thoughts on DIY vs. purchased?

Should the fan be pulling air through the scrubber, or pushing it on the exhaust side? Ideally I'd like to push it through.
Click to expand...
I have found both to work, but it is better to pull through the filter.
 
a senile fungus

a senile fungus

Well-Known Member
Pull.

You want the same pressure on both sides of the carbon so that the air gets evenly filtered.

Pushing through the filter causes high pressure on one side and low on the other, which isn't optimal.

Bernoulli, like the other guy said.
 
a senile fungus

a senile fungus

Well-Known Member
eugene b said:
not true i have a 4 inch carbon filter designed to push air through the filter rather than pull....works like a dream...-)
Click to expand...

The problem with pushing through the filter is, as I said earlier, the pressure isn't the same on both sides of the carbon.

The airflow will find a path or paths or least resistance through the carbon and filtering efficiency is reduced as much of the air needing filtered is bypassing carbon and taking the easy way out.

Pulling equalizes pressure and maintains constant airflow over the carbon. This is obviously assuming a quality packed carbon filter. Homemade deals will not be packed like a store bought one. Pushing through a homemade filter is sure to cause paths where the air can escape more quickly and when the air is moving quickly through the filter it won't get scrubbed.

So basically, either way will work. Pulling is more efficient and a better use of the filter.

Pushing does work though, I know people who do it.
 
eugene b

eugene b

Well-Known Member
a senile fungus said:
The problem with pushing through the filter is, as I said earlier, the pressure isn't the same on both sides of the carbon.

The airflow will find a path or paths or least resistance through the carbon and filtering efficiency is reduced as much of the air needing filtered is bypassing carbon and taking the easy way out.

Pulling equalizes pressure and maintains constant airflow over the carbon. This is obviously assuming a quality packed carbon filter. Homemade deals will not be packed like a store bought one. Pushing through a homemade filter is sure to cause paths where the air can escape more quickly and when the air is moving quickly through the filter it won't get scrubbed.

So basically, either way will work. Pulling is more efficient and a better use of the filter.

Pushing does work though, I know people who do it.
Click to expand...
that was my point it works fine pushing....my filter is off ebay im 4 weeks into flower with 4 plants in a 4 foot wide by 8 foot long tent and no problems with smell, a little surprised as the filter size is a little small for my tent but to date all is good-)
 
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