CARBON FILTERS - How To Test If They're Still Effective?

I have just sprayed flyspray, air freshenet and burnt some paper, next to my Carb Filter
in the next room my friend could smell them coming out of the ducting....

I think this proves the filter is no good.....

Am I correct?
Or is there hidden dimensions to this product?

maybe adding a pre filter will increase the lifetime of the active charcoal

all it is , is oxygen enriched charcoal. the oxygen opens up millions of pores, once you use it as a filter the pores clog and it stops working.

i guess just take a stick of insence and see if he smells it to check it?

something to consider is, make sure the filter is large enough for the amount of CFMS going through it, an improperly rated filter might be an issue too.

High humidity will kill the filters really fast. I don't use mine during veg for that reason, and the WHite Widow doesn't really smell very much during veg.

Did you know you CAN reactivate the used filter! If it fits in a oven, or you can figure out how to get the carbon out and then put it back again (making the "can" resealable).
1: remove outer prefilter and wash it with dishsoapy water and rinse.
2: wash as best you can (run through) water with 5ml of dish washing soap per gallon.
3: rinse WELL!
4: preheat oven to 200F
5: Bake your filter for 30 min and remove - let cool and replace the washed prefilter there you go!

I might guess that an enterprising individual with a filter to large to fit in an oven could find a way to remove and replace the carbon from inside a filter! Same for if you didn't want to put the metal can in a wash situation.
Thus he/you could simply treat the carbon as above....

Dr. Who said:

Did you know you CAN reactivate the used filter! If it fits in a oven, or you can figure out how to get the carbon out and then put it back again (making the "can" resealable).
1: remove outer prefilter and wash it with dishsoapy water and rinse.
2: wash as best you can (run through) water with 5ml of dish washing soap per gallon.
3: rinse WELL!
4: preheat oven to 200F
5: Bake your filter for 30 min and remove - let cool and replace the washed prefilter there you go!

I might guess that an enterprising individual with a filter to large to fit in an oven could find a way to remove and replace the carbon from inside a filter! Same for if you didn't want to put the metal can in a wash situation.
Thus he/you could simply treat the carbon as above....

Click to expand...

+rep..i was just thinking about having to buy new the other day..RIU at its best..so thank you again!!!!

PS..how many times can you do this?

NB

After deciding the used filter was dead I connected a bran new 8" Carb Filter
(A budget model from FANTRONIX)
I repeated the same test and my friend could STILL smell WHEN
I sprayed near the filter (in another room) and he could also tell, approx. WHAT I was spraying or the smell of SMOKE.

This has left me a little bemused.

The used Carb Filter is an 8" one with the extra length
It is being used with an 8"RvK Fan and 8" Ducting.

I have a 6"RUCK (150mm 420m3/h)
and 6"RHINO Carb Filter -
(bought new and being used in my 4 x 4 tent -
there's 9 plants on their 2nd week of flower and there is never the slightest hint of a whiff of them).

I also have a 8"RvK (200mmE1A1 - 750m3/h)
and a 12"RvK (315mmE1A1 - 1300m3/h)
Brand new FANTRONIX budget model 6" and 8" Carb Filters and
THE USED 8" MENTIONED ABOVE (from the build quality and very pleasing appearance I think it's a PHRESH model...?).

I also have a 200 to 150mm spigot reducer, to allow 8" and 6" pieces of equipment to be connected together.
(I considered using an 8"fillter with my 6" fan).

Today I ordered
315mm-200mm (12" - 8") spigot reducer and
Dimmer switch (fan speed dial).

I can attack the 12" fan to 8" ducting/filter
and dial it RIGHT down with the dimmer switch.

schuylaar said:

+rep..i was just thinking about having to buy new the other day..RIU at its best..so thank you again!!!!

PS..how many times can you do this?

Click to expand...

As far as I can tell, forever! The labs at my wife's work (A major drug company) Have been "refreshing" their carbon (removable from the filter system) for over 8 years!

P.S. One of my wife's coworkers who actually does the refreshing say's that, just heating the carbon will help. But, in-time the open pore's of the carbon grains begin to fill with molecular solids and that's why the soapy wash is used to break them down and remove them. She said to agitate the carbon piece's when washing and when rinsing as much as you can -gently so as to not break them into smaller piece's.....soak in wash 3 min then agitate for 2-3 and rinse 3 times with RO or distilled water, soaking the first rinse for 3 min. - They use deionized water. But the RO or distilled will work just as good!

Dr. Who do you have to scrub with a brillo pad or just hand wash?

NightRiderCO said:

Dr. Who do you have to scrub with a brillo pad or just hand wash?

Click to expand...

Generally I take a shower every day so I just hand wash.

If you mean the can? With the carbon in it? Just hand wash with the soapy water and rinse. The Lab tech said you might make enough wash water in a container to simply put the can into it and swish it around for 3 min. Then rinse the same way the first rinse and just pour through the next 2...

The important part is to bake it! That removes any left over scent contaminate from the soap or otherwise left from the wash.
Not to mention it drys the carbon and the can out!

Large amounts of loose carbon should be spread out on half sheet baking tray's (cookie sheet's) and be sure it's completely dry before returning it to the can....The lab tech said that longer baking times WILL NOT HURT the carbon and say's 50 min is what she use's!

good info...rep+++++

It's hard for me to tell from your last post NoE. I think I see the problem though? The filter is rated at 420 m3/h. If your fan is moving air any faster than this the filter will cease to work effectively. Also their effectiveness is reduced when filter air with over 60% humidity. I'm a beginner myself but this is the way it was explained to me at the hydro store.

Hope this helps.

After a cpl of requests. I am in the process of making a tutorial, complete with pics on how to refresh your carbon, inside and outside the can!
look for it in the DIY thread in a few days!!!!

Thanks for your support!