Carbon filter not enough. Who else still has odors when using one?

[valuablevariable]

The air IS being pulled through and the filter is in the same room as the grow, theres no difference between the carbon filter being next to the plants or above them.

 

[trichlone fiend]

ya if that filter is pulling the air then its not even in the room and isnt doing a thing for smells,. needs to be in the room and yes filters are meant to be drawn through not blown through, hence the pre filter on them. and may be made of inferior carbon. ive been running mine almost 2 years on 24/7 and still no smells. this filter uses the best carbon there is out there. and gauranteed for 2 years.

ckckck, does has the fatcs right. we design filters. pull through them not push. why is there a pre filter if we push then???

...not completely true. I have 2 reversable carbon scrubbers....you can suck or blow through them.

 

[Medi 1]

ok well in the first post of pics i see what looks to be the top of the room and filer n fan above that. or is that just a shelf to hold up the filter. if so maybe its blocking what the filters air flow and isnt working right..or like said. cheep carbon. what brand is that filter. or a link to its info. knowing the microns will help to know a bit more on it

 

[valuablevariable]

The filter and fan size was recommended to us in the growshop for our space. I could be wrong because im just starting with carbon filters but from what ive read pulling through less air (reducing fan speed) isnt going to make the filter work better. Having it run at normal capacity will allow more air to be circled, reducing the amount of smell being piled up in the growspace.

 

[Medi 1]

trich friends...how does the air travel through the carbon on the outer ring then if it can go ruight through eitgher way. dose it cap at one end to force it through the varbon or is it like a cool tube...right though the center....like and odour sock does and dont work either.

 

[valuablevariable]

ok well in the first post of pics i see what looks to be the top of the room and filer n fan above that. or is that just a shelf to hold up the filter. if so maybe its blocking what the filters air flow and isnt working right..or like said. cheep carbon. what brand is that filter. or a link to its info. knowing the microns will help to know a bit more on it

Ah now I understand what youre all thinking. Yes it is just on a shelf in the cabinet. Not sitting outside. Sorry for that
And its not a cheap filter, price doenst of course mean quality but just as an indicator the filter alone cost 100

 

[Medi 1]

ya slow is worng. needs the odour molecules to be smashed hard into the varbon to get betetr obsorbtion...slow was old way thinking

 

[Medi 1]

if you can get links to it or what brand. i also suggest to loose that shelf then. its restricting the air flow to it. hang by straps or thick string/rope

 

[valuablevariable]

Im pretty sure my problem is humidity. According to some google searching high humidity will cause the carbon filter to not work properly

 

[Medi 1]

60% ish isnt high humidity. that good levels. lower in mid bloom but till then 55% is perfect, so 65 i think you had is fine. mine is there most times to.

 

[valuablevariable]

Its apparently 72% with lights on.
Im going to try and change the direction where the air gets pumped out of. Currently the air gets sucked in on the way bottom in the back of the cabinet and blown out at the way top also in the back. So im guessing its semi circulating the air and causing high humidity

 

[Medi 1]

nah, shouldnt effect it this badly. can try but i dont think thats it.


ill ask again....what brand is the filter. if i know this then i can check my books or info to see what they use for designs or carbons. it may jujst be its a cheep knock off. but at least you`d know.

 

[valuablevariable]

Its prima klima brand, can be found here for example: http://www.hydrohobby.co.uk/product/industry_carbon_filters/
125mm -- 320m3/hr

 

[valuablevariable]

Heres a rollitup thread where they talk about humidity https://www.rollitup.org/indoor-growing/258680-carbon-filter-not-working.html
And heres another article http://www.articlegarden.com/Article/Busting-Grow-Room-Odors-with-Activated-Carbon/85807

 

[Medi 1]

ok never even heard of them but that may be cause its UK.
i did see they recomend a betetr qualtiy one of their own so this right there tells me the carbion in it is inferiour. they make a claim in that link to use great stuff but yet the also claim in another erea there to use a betetr one that you cant change your own carbon in. so seems they tell me right there the other is a bettwe quality carbon. they have no info on the micron sizes to help.

also what are oyur temps in there and room size and fan cfm.

heres a small write up on our filters we designed.



GP/Dragon Filter is one of the best selling activated carbon filter and is fast becoming the preferred choice for odor removal world wide, especially plant pollens and odors. The secret lies in the ultra light RC-48 carbon used inside every GP/Dragon Filter. Odorous pollutants need only contact a GP/Dragon filter for a fraction of a second to be totally eradicated from the air with 100% efficiency. This 24carat carbon source makes for the lightest, smallest and most effective carbon filters available with an average three-year life span. Our 100% virgin RC-48 carbon is activated in the largest carbon kiln in the southern hemisphere by Ti-West industries. Ti-West ensures every batch of RC-48 carbon is independently laboratory tested for purity and consistency to the highest available standards. The end result is 24 carat carbon (ASTM Guaranteed)

 

[Medi 1]

yes i agree high humidity does shorten the life, but how old is htis and how often is the humidity this high...all the time or light on only. ive had very high humidity to but mine is still fine after a year n a half.

 

[valuablevariable]

Currently trying to figure out what model the fan is....

 

[valuablevariable]

I suppose its always 70% with lights on and 60% when off. Havnt monitored humidity too much yet but will be focusing more on it now. The filter is new and has only been in use for about a month.
I think our fan moves 360m3/h and our temp is 85F with lights on
You sure humidity only reduces lifespan and doesnt more or less immediately reduce how effective it is?
Grow space should be 35 sq feet (70x24x35 inches)

 

[RRLBT420]

The smell wouldnt be possible to cover up with another smell. Its very strong, you would almost think theres no filter being used at all

try attaching a UV air sterilizer in line. it'll oxidize any remaining smell particles your filter doesn't catch

 

[trichlone fiend]

The filter and fan size was recommended to us in the growshop for our space. I could be wrong because im just starting with carbon filters but from what ive read pulling through less air (reducing fan speed) isnt going to make the filter work better. Having it run at normal capacity will allow more air to be circled, reducing the amount of smell being piled up in the growspace.

Slower is better....try it!...that's all I have to say. Anyone can post on these threads, research the advisors, experiment, then decide what works.

When a material adsorbs something, it means that it attaches to it by chemical attraction. The huge surface area of activated carbon gives it countless bonding sites. When odors and vapors pass next to the activated carbon surface, they attach to the surface of the carbon. They are added to the surface of the carbon, they are not absorbed by the carbon. They are adsorbed. To be absorbed by carbon the odors and vapors would have to be diffused into the carbon, not simply attached to it's surface. The more contact time the activated carbon has with a pollutant, the better chances of it adsorbing it. The thicker the carbon filter the better it's adsorption. If the pollutant has to go through a long maze of activated carbon it's chances are also greater of being adsorbed.