How can you tell when your carbon filter needs replaced?

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NewGrower2011

Well-Known Member
So I bought a filter day #1... I've used it a fair bit, but not constantly and there were 'gaps' of time where it sat idle... So it's around 1 to 1.25 years old now...So, if you become acustomed to odors over time (as happens in living quaters) where YOU can't smell things but someone else comes over who doesn't live there... and they CAN smell things...I began to wonder, how do you really know to replace your carbon filter without the above being the only tell tale sign... I'd rather be PROACTIVE than REACTIVE in maintaining my filter.... Know whut I mean? ;-)Generally speaking, how long sound a filter last (i.e. # of days @ 24/7 use)... Something I can break down and figure out into 'runtime hours' or something along those lines... Mine is a 6" Phresh filter - the bigger of the 2 (IIRC) they offer...
 
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brimck325

Well-Known Member
when the popo comes a knockin/ jk. i switch mine out after bout 1 1/2 years, never had 1 go bad, just makes more sense to me to be proactive. i bet its a lot cheaper too...peace
 
beuffer420

beuffer420

Well-Known Member
Well not sure about exact days but mine been scrubbing for about two years now and still does the job. I have a four footer though, hooked up to an eight inch fan. when you open my flower door u get smashed with the sweet smells of skunk when it's closed don't smell much at all maybe more of a green smell than damn your house reeks like skunk. There's a different kind of scrubber too one that uses an ionizer to clean air. You need 15 feet of ducting after the ionizer part so it works right but I have a buddy who's wife would go to work and they used to tell her she smelled like skunk. Once they bought ionizer the comments stopped.
 
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NewGrower2011

Well-Known Member
Also considering whether to attempt refilling it with new charcoal. Looks like I'd just have to drill out some pop rivets and replace with some sheet metal pan-heads or similar...Anyone done the refill approach?
 
devolv

devolv

Active Member
replace/refill(if possible) when that shit starts smelling again. won't really be able to tell else wise.
 
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cyrax42o

Active Member
i suggest every grower buy an extra carbon filter when you can and just have it stored away somewhere incase you suddenly find your house reeking of bud, you can change it right away. mine last 12 months according to the label.
 
Trousers

Trousers

Well-Known Member
When my brother in law tells me my house smells.My mother in law thought it was a skunk. I ran mine for nearly 3 years.
 
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NewGrower2011

Well-Known Member
The more I think about it, pinching pennies here is silly... I should just replace it... I'm uncertain if I can properly "repack" the carbon (seen where some people have made their own vibratory plates/etc to help settle the carbon) and therefore that leaves it's ability to scrub the air in question... So the only real 'safe' course of action seems to be to replace it if at all questionable... I was expecting 1 to 1.5 years to be the common thinking so maybe I'll get another 6 mo. out of mine and call it time...So now here's another question on the same line of thinking... How do you safely/securely dispose of an old filter? Don't really want one of those sitting poking out of the top of your trash can on trash day... right? ;-)Anyone have safe/clever ideas or suggestions?
 
ru4r34l

ru4r34l

Well-Known Member
NewGrower2011 said:
So I bought a filter day #1... I've used it a fair bit, but not constantly and there were 'gaps' of time where it sat idle... So it's around 1 to 1.25 years old now...So, if you become acustomed to odors over time (as happens in living quaters) where YOU can't smell things but someone else comes over who doesn't live there... and they CAN smell things...I began to wonder, how do you really know to replace your carbon filter without the above being the only tell tale sign... I'd rather be PROACTIVE than REACTIVE in maintaining my filter.... Know whut I mean? ;-)Generally speaking, how long sound a filter last (i.e. # of days @ 24/7 use)... Something I can break down and figure out into 'runtime hours' or something along those lines... Mine is a 6" Phresh filter - the bigger of the 2 (IIRC) they offer...
Click to expand...
Leave your house for an hour and then come back home, if you smell skunk change your filter. For secure anonymous disposal - Place filter in garbage bag and place out at roadside or place garbage bag inside trash bin at curb. :D

regards,
 
er0senin

er0senin

Well-Known Member
cyrax42o said:
i suggest every grower buy an extra carbon filter when you can and just have it stored away somewhere incase you suddenly find your house reeking of bud, you can change it right away. mine last 12 months according to the label.
Click to expand...
Exactly! +rep!
 
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scarylarry

Member
Replace mine about every 1 1/2 years. But that's running almost all the time. And its cheaper in MOST cases to just by a new filter, then repack it. Some reason the stuff they sell to repack it, is more then the cost of a new filter....I've never been able to understand that.
 
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