yo bro.
When I owned a hydro store i used to get large bags (25 lbs, I beleive) of Can filter refill charcoal wholesale and would refill filters here/there...mostly for grower friends.
Here's a source.... not sure what i paid for the stuff.... but I bought a big bag before I closed up shop and just used the last of it a few months ago....filling 3-4 filters with the one bag.
Can filter charcoal looks like black rabbit food pellets. Phat/Phresh/any filter uses Australian RC-47 or whateverspec/name they call it carbon that is irregular/angular/smaller peices....thus their filters weight less and IMO, filter as well or better.
if you have a good hydro shop/guy you might ask him if he can do ya a deal..or if he refills em. Some of the manufacturers tell stories about how you can't repack e as good as they do and how they 'vibrate the charcoal" and fill all the gaps...leaving no airspaces/blahblahblah... but if you do this once you'll see that they probably whack it a few times with a rubber mallet just to SAY they vibrate em...and they you can repack one just as well if you take a bit of time and make sure it's truly full.
Another thought is to check yer fan speed. Too fast..yer gonna shorten the life of the filter and lessen the chances that all the stink is removed. A year is too fast, IMO. Should last you a couple unless you live in a very dirty area or a super humid place.... and even then I think it should last more than a year.
good luck
s h
