Are bigger carbon filters better at removing smell?

[sealab]

Hello everyone. Prepping for my first grow, and I would like to minimize smells as much as possible, especially during late flower.

Are bigger carbon filters better?

I am looking at probably acquiring a 2x4 Gorilla Grow Tent, and I've heard great things about phresh filters. Would it be better to use a 6 by 16 inch Phresh filter or a 4 by 12 inch? The 6x16 looks a lot bigger/heavier, so my thinking is that would scrub smells better, so I can vent into another room instead of outdoors. I would much prefer going overboard in this circumstance, and would buy the appropriately rated AC Infinity Cloudline to fit it with.

 

[tobh]

Hello everyone. Prepping for my first grow, and I would like to minimize smells as much as possible, especially during late flower.

Are bigger carbon filters better?

I am looking at probably acquiring a 2x4 Gorilla Grow Tent, and I've heard great things about phresh filters. Would it be better to use a 6 by 16 inch Phresh filter or a 4 by 12 inch? The 6x16 looks a lot bigger/heavier, so my thinking is that would scrub smells better, so I can vent into another room instead of outdoors. I would much prefer going overboard in this circumstance, and would buy the appropriately rated AC Infinity Cloudline to fit it with.

Full disclosure, I don't use filters. Never have. That being said, filters work based on exposed surface area. More surface area = more smell absorbing capacity. So long the fan used is rated for the size of filter, you theoretically should be able to scrub more smell. Obviously past a point, you have diminishing returns in the sense that it's wasted money going oversized, but at the end of the day if you're looking to not let the whole house/neighborhood know what's going on, consider it as an insurance policy.

 

[Madmax]

Basically they go by a cfm rating .you calculate the cfm of the room and add something like 25% to that then select the cfm of fan .you always go bigger cfm for carbon filter as to make it easier on the fan .if you go under it will b harder to suck air through it..i have a 6"fresh hyper fan in veg room 3x5 is rated at 315cfm and carbon filter im purchasing is 350cfm rated.the one im looking at is 6x 450mm .you can get longer but i need a smaller length in my room

Edit: you can get short ones too.. 6'x350mm ...

 

[gorillaglueaaron]

It might just be me but my carbon filter doesn't do much other than slow the air down. It still smells a lot.

 

[AndyBoi]

I have no knowledge to address your questions. However, I do have some advice. I am a first time grower. Once i got all my equipment for my grow, I set it up, carbon filter and everything. Now realizing that no suspicious smells were produced until part way through the flowering stage. So I increases resistance for my fan, and used up lifetime of the carbon filter for no reason.

 

[Madmax]

Its probably too small for your fan or inferior carbon used in filter..rc-48 carbon is good shit

 

[gorillaglueaaron]

Since we're on the topic of carbon filters, does anyone know how to put the dust filter on the inside? I was told to fold it and just shove it in but I don't think it's doing anything.

 

[AndyBoi]

Since we're on the topic of carbon filters, does anyone know how to put the dust filter on the inside? I was told to fold it and just shove it in but I don't think it's doing anything.

I think the best bet would be to cut the filter. Its made to slide on the outside. So if you cut it and reduce its length, with experimentation you can find the correct size. My best guess.

 

[Mr.GreenthumbOG]

Since we're on the topic of carbon filters, does anyone know how to put the dust filter on the inside? I was told to fold it and just shove it in but I don't think it's doing anything.

It depends if your pulling or pushing the air through the filter. Prefilters are mostly used around the exterior of the filter.

 

[gorillaglueaaron]

It depends if your pulling or pushing the air through the filter. Prefilters are mostly used around the exterior of the filter.

Pushing, it's on the outside of my tent.

 

[Mr.GreenthumbOG]

Keep the prefilter tucked inside the carbon filter. Clean it as needed.
Mr. G

 

[Mr.GreenthumbOG]

Pushing, it's on the outside of my tent.

If the air coming out of the filter smells clean then the carbon is good. Filters last a year or more if prefilters are kept clean.

Mr. G

 

[Grownsince95]

Hello everyone. Prepping for my first grow, and I would like to minimize smells as much as possible, especially during late flower.

Are bigger carbon filters better?

I am looking at probably acquiring a 2x4 Gorilla Grow Tent, and I've heard great things about phresh filters. Would it be better to use a 6 by 16 inch Phresh filter or a 4 by 12 inch? The 6x16 looks a lot bigger/heavier, so my thinking is that would scrub smells better, so I can vent into another room instead of outdoors. I would much prefer going overboard in this circumstance, and would buy the appropriately rated AC Infinity Cloudline to fit it with.

Go as big as you can afford with both filters and the cloudline fans. There's no substitute for being able to move a lot of air when you need to.

Every 90° bend can take away 15-20% of the cfm of the fan. Unless you're running 6 feet in a straight line out the side of the tent, do the 6" on both.

 

[Grownsince95]

Also, if smell is of utmost importance you cannot run passive intake. AC infinity has great little 4" booster "can" fans for $25 bucks. Close the velcro panels and use the round bottom ducts. Passive will always leak some smell unless the exaust is oversized and you really fine tune it.. As long as there's negative pressure from the top....almost zero smell.

And you should be exhausting outside imo.

 

[sealab]

Thanks for the responses everyone. So I want a higher CFM on the filter than my fan is outputting?

6" AC infinity is 402 CFM, and the 6x16 phresh filter is 400 CFM

Also, if smell is of utmost importance you cannot run passive intake. AC infinity has great little 4" booster "can" fans for $25 bucks. Close the velcro panels and use the round bottom ducts. Passive will always leak some smell unless the exaust is oversized and you really fine tune it.. As long as there's negative pressure from the top....almost zero smell.

And you should be exhausting outside imo.

Thanks for the insight about negative pressure, will utilize this. My problem with venting outside is that I live in a climate where there is currently snow on the ground, so if I vent through the window it's going to be letting freezing air inside.

Maybe someone has some insight into how I could vent through the window without turning my home into an icicle?

 

[gorillaglueaaron]

Thanks for the responses everyone. So I want a higher CFM on the filter than my fan is outputting?

6" AC infinity is 402 CFM, and the 6x16 phresh filter is 400 CFM



Thanks for the insight about negative pressure, will utilize this. My problem with venting outside is that I live in a climate where there is currently snow on the ground, so if I vent through the window it's going to be letting freezing air inside.

Maybe someone has some insight into how I could vent through the window without turning my home into an icicle?

You'd need to have the carbon filter in the tent but you can do this:

 

[Grownsince95]

Thanks for the responses everyone. So I want a higher CFM on the filter than my fan is outputting?

6" AC infinity is 402 CFM, and the 6x16 phresh filter is 400 CFM



Thanks for the insight about negative pressure, will utilize this. My problem with venting outside is that I live in a climate where there is currently snow on the ground, so if I vent through the window it's going to be letting freezing air inside.

Maybe someone has some insight into how I could vent through the window without turning my home into an icicle?

Terrible pic sorry but I made mine from plywood and dryer fittings. Works great.

They make fancy ones for portable ac units that look way nicer than my ghetto shit too lol

You can also gut out a broken window ac and blow out of it from the front. Sort of how mine looks but I don't use it that way.

 

[AndyBoi]

Thanks for the responses everyone. So I want a higher CFM on the filter than my fan is outputting?

6" AC infinity is 402 CFM, and the 6x16 phresh filter is 400 CFM



Thanks for the insight about negative pressure, will utilize this. My problem with venting outside is that I live in a climate where there is currently snow on the ground, so if I vent through the window it's going to be letting freezing air inside.

Maybe someone has some insight into how I could vent through the window without turning my home into an icicle?

Im unaware of your access to tools, but i would cut a plywood or even Styrofoam to a perfect fit of the closest window. Then i would use either a circle saw on plywood or a knife on styrofoam to create a perfect fit to the ducting. I would then use a high quality tape to ensure a seal.
amazon probably has an adjustable plastic version of what I just described.

if its sealed well and the fan stays on, air should only go out, not in.

 

[sealab]

The problem I am having now, is that the window in my grow room is right next to my front door

I only plan on growing a few plants, but hopefully the phresh filters do the job, because if everyone who walks by smells the flowers that would certainly create some issues!

 

[gorillaglueaaron]

No, you'll be fine. After the carbon filter there's much less smell if any at all and then if there's any wind then the tiny bit of smell is gone. The air coming out of my filter just smells like the charcoal in it, I think the smells must just be from the passive intake even though I have negative pressure. I just ordered this thing called ona and it's supposed to neutralize smell but I won't know for a while as I only just started this grow.