carbon filter help

im currantly growing in a 1mx1mx2m grow tent.with 600hps cooltube.and 4 inch carbon filter.set up [carbon~fan~cooltube~exhaust]im getting a little bit of smell at exhaust end. im looking at getting a bigger filter as i know the 4inch is a bit small. should i go with a 6inch or a 8inch filter. im new grower so any help would be appreciated.thanks

I would probably go with a 435CFM 6inch fan and filter combo. What size fan are you using on that 4inch carbon filter? If the CFM for the fan is more than the CFM rating of the filter, that is why you would be smelling anything at the exhaust end.

Oh, also....is that cooltube reflector 6 or 8 inch? That would really dictate what size fan and filter i got...

thanks for reply.its a 4inch carbon filter /fan.and a 6 inch cooltube.i already had carbonfilter. temps were getting a little high on warm days.89/90.so bought cooltube was the smallest one i could get.

Nice looking plants Yea if the smell is leaking out still it would have to be the filter not scrubbing the air efficiently enough. How are your temperatures now that you have the cooltube/fan combo? If the temperatures are cool enough you could just replace the faulty air filter with a slightly bigger 4" one. But if your temp is still a bit on the high side, I would go with a 6" fan and filter combo. On a side note, do you have a hydrogemeter to check your humidity level? I have a cheapo one built in to my thermometer. If your humidity is on the high side a bigger fan would also help that probably.

i dont have a hydrogemeter m8 so i wouldnt really know, money is a bit tight.so haveing to get little bits at a time .and smell could become an issue were im growing so looks like carbon filter is now priority was looking at this one m8. http://www.hydroponics-hydroponics.com/pd-150mm-6-rhino-pro-ventilationextraction-kit.cfm

As stated, if your blowing through the filter with more CFM than the filter is rated for, the air is not in contact with the carbon long enough for it to absorb the smell, or the filter is getting old. Your tent should be sucking in a little, negative pressure. If it doesn't, the smell could be coming from a leak in the tent and you are noticing it at the exhaust because that is where your checking for smell. If the tent is bulging out, your filtering wrong and forcing air out of any leaks in the tent.Also check all your taped seals on your exhaust line. Tape does age and come loose. I have no experience with a tent, but that filter looks about right unless your growing some major stinky.
Some have the cooling for air cooled lights totally separate from the scrubber system. Outside air is pumped from the outside, through the light, and back out an exhaust. If everything is sealed, that air does not mix with the inside air in the tent. Then you have the scrubber and fan sucking through the filter and out its exhaust. That allows you to speed up or slow down the light cooling fan for temp. control without effecting the filtering of the tent. I know, another fan running and more noise...

ENGLAND 75 said:

i dont have a hydrogemeter m8 so i wouldnt really know, money is a bit tight.so haveing to get little bits at a time .and smell could become an issue were im growing so looks like carbon filter is now priority was looking at this one m8. http://www.hydroponics-hydroponics.com/pd-150mm-6-rhino-pro-ventilationextraction-kit.cfm

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Looks like a very solid carbon air filter. Gonna need a 6" fan for it to get the air moving....I personally can vouch for ValuLine 6" Centrifugal fan if you can find them online to order....I have two of em and they have been going strong for 2 years now. They are 435CFM which would be fine for that filter.

not trying to jack your thread but i need some help too if you dont mind. im growing in a 36 square foot space, i have a 190 cfm 4 inch fan/carbon filter, is that enough to remove the smell from my room? if not i need to upgrade now to prevent future complication when its too late. im also running it through a 400w air cool hood any help would be great/

Tranceus said:

not trying to jack your thread but i need some help too if you dont mind. im growing in a 36 square foot space, i have a 190 cfm 4 inch fan/carbon filter, is that enough to remove the smell from my room? if not i need to upgrade now to prevent future complication when its too late. im also running it through a 400w air cool hood any help would be great/

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Since it is just one 400watter you will probably be fine. But if you upgrade lights later or add any you will want to get something 400+CFM probably.

ok thanks for help and i look up that fan you recommended .its just that the plants are super cheese and blue cheese and smell a bit

high temps make terps go in the air...heat makes it smell more and humidity affects carbon filters abilities just saying since it wasnt mentioned

another question for you guys is my set up right im useing it like this { carbon filter~fan~ducting~cooltube~ducting} out side of tent and to air vent which leads outside.i also have 2 oscillating fans a small one at top of tent and a bigger one blowing on plants. for intake i just have vents open at bottom of tent.

ENGLAND 75 said:

another question for you guys is my set up right im useing it like this { carbon filter~fan~ducting~cooltube~ducting} out side of tent and to air vent which leads outside.i also have 2 oscillating fans a small one at top of tent and a bigger one blowing on plants. for intake i just have vents open at bottom of tent.

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Yea as long as you are sucking air through the carbon filter that setup is right. Now as for the ducting, if it is a long run of ducting or if it has any bends in it, that is going to seriously restrict airflow. So if you are using 4 inch ducting and it has a curve in it, that could make it where the carbon filter is not getting enough suction...could be an old carbon air filter too. I noticed a HUGE difference in airflow going from 4" to 6" ducting and fans.

you'd get a lot better airflow and probably lower your noise level if you cut that duct into your light to just a little longer than needed for the straightest route and if you're going to tile the bulb, make the up side your exhaust using convection instead of trying to pull air down against hot air that wants to rise. if the setup is permanent, tin ducts & elbow joints would flow a little better than turbulent dryer ducting and be quieter too.

you can use the smoke from incense etc. to find air leaks in your system that might be pulling air easier than your filter. that's what duct tape's for.

if you could move your filter to join directly to the back of your cool tube, you'd have maximum air flow and efficiency. venting higher than the bulb and filter would add a convection boost to your air flow for free.

yer m8 im sucking air through filter i dont think id have room to put fillter right on cool tube.im going to buy a 6inch rhino carbon filter fan set up as i read there good filters .i only paid 55 pound for the 4 inch of ebay new. its only done one grow and that was only 3 small plants.just need to get through next 2 weeks till have money for 6 inch.was looking at useing that ONA block to get me bye never tried it before but it cheap option for now. thanks for help.much appreciated .

Personally I'd say use the 4inch fan you have to run just the cool tube, so sucking air from outside the tent, through the cool tube and out of the other side. Then get a 6inch fan and filter combo and have that just exhausting the tent. That'd be the ideal set up in there.

If moneys tight now, getting a plug in air freshener in the room/surrounding rooms doesnt hurt or maybe a cheap air ioniser for a short term solution

Hey E75 the set up is fine. To determine what is going on you have to look at 2 issues with carbon filters. 1 is lack of air flow and 2 humidty. With your size and set up humidity seems more likely. Once humidity reaches 55-60% carbon loses its ability to filter and you begin to smell a little.

The farther you are into flower the smellier and more humid things get. If your in a tent things happen faster also.

Hygrometers are cheap before you change anything buy one and have a look. This could be the whole issue

Good Luck

ok cheers guys just bought 1 of ebay temp and humidity meter £5 so i take it it should be no higher than what you said 55-60%.