vortex before or after cooltube?

[Bluestar]

I've seen it here before, and for the life of me can't find it now.

Can someone please tell me the proper sequence for venting a cooltube?

I have a cooltube (obviously), 4" vortex, and a carbon filter.

I prefer to have the filter on the outside of my cab due to room issues.

Thanks in advance

 

[HeadyPete]

It should go filter, cool tube and fan last, sucking through the filter and cooltube.

I don't get how the filter will work if it is outside the cab. Maybe need to build on a compartment that will hold the filter and be exposed to the air inside the cab. The filter must draw the stinky air from around the plants.

 

[bluebottle]

You could also do Cooltube -> Fan -> Filter.

The fan will pull the cold air through the cooltube and push air into the filter which is outside of cab.

 

[HeadyPete]

That is not an efficient setup. Filters work best when air is pulled through, not blown through. Besides, any air leak in the cab and you will have stink air in the surrounding area. This is not an inline filter, correct? it has the outer dust filter and carbon inside? Air needs to go through the mesh and through the carbon, then up the middle core and out.

You want negative pressure inside the cab so no smell escapes the filter, like a vacuum cleaner sucking it up inside the cab. If smell is not an issue, ditch the filter altogether and hook up like bluebottle says.

 

[PharmaCan]

The filter can go on either end of the system, it makes no difference which end it is on or if it is inside/outside the cab. The fan can also go on either side of the cool tube and inside or outside the cab. I have several cabs, several cool tubes and several fans and I have hooked them all up various different ways and they have always worked fine.

PC

 

[eLiguL]

The filter can go on either end of the system, it makes no difference which end it is on or if it is inside/outside the cab. The fan can also go on either side of the cool tube and inside or outside the cab. I have several cabs, several cool tubes and several fans and I have hooked them all up various different ways and they have always worked fine.

PC

Pushing air is half as efficient as pulling it. Check an HVAC site for more info.

 

[Bluestar]

thanks for the replies guys, I really appreciate it. I was hoping to blow through the carbon filter (attached to outside of cab) due to small size. Guess I'll have to figure out how to make it all fit. Again, many thanks.

 

[Siddartha]

^^^ shit, me too, thanks for stopping me tho!

 

[PharmaCan]

Pushing air is half as efficient as pulling it. Check an HVAC site for more info.

Perhaps this is correct, but I doubt it. 50% efficiency loss from pulling to pushing seems a tad on the exaggerated side. You may be correct about pushing vs. pulling, it's the 50% efficiency loss I would question.

Nevertheless, with a cabinet, with short runs of ducting, it's not going to make any difference at all if the air is pushed or pulled or if the filter is on the intake or exhaust end. They will all work!!! If one wanted to go for maximum efficiency of the vent system, pushing vs pulling might be an issue. However, since the intent here is to maximize yields, not to design super-efficient ventilation systems, space inside the cab is more important than if the fan/filter are working at their peak efficiency.

I have one cab right now where the buds got f'ing huge and about two weeks into flower I could see there was going to be a space problem so I took the fan and filter out of the cab. Now the fan is outside the cab, pulling air from the cab thru the cool tubes then blowing it thru the filter, which is sitting on top of the fan.

PC

 

[ripOG]

Also, most can filters are designed to pull air from the outside through the mesh first.

 

[petemoss]

You can use the Can as a scrubber to push air through. The pre-filter is removed and stuffed inside the central cylinder, so it still acts as a pre-filter.

 

[bounty29]

When you have the fan at the end of the chain the only air being pushed is already cleaned and outside the cabinet. If you have any leaks anywhere and you're pushing through ducting, air will be escaping there, meaning you're losing pressure and possibly hurting the negative pressure in the cabinet.

 

[PharmaCan]

Bluestar - you should pm a mod and ask him/her to combine your two threads on this same subject.

Hook your system up any way you want - there honest to god is no right way or wrong way - then test it without any plants in the cab. If the temps stay down, you're good to go. The filter will work regardless of if the air is pushed or pulled thru it.

PC

 

[Jebfx]

filter - cooltube - fan

 

[l33t]

Quick question guys ,

if you use Filter > CoolTube > Fan

how do you make sure that the tiny carbon particles (and carbon dust) that are smaller than the filters' internal metallic mesh holes , don't enter the cooltube and hit the bulb?

 

[OgreSeeker]

Bluestar - you should pm a mod and ask him/her to combine your two threads on this same subject.

Hook your system up any way you want - there honest to god is no right way or wrong way - then test it without any plants in the cab. If the temps stay down, you're good to go. The filter will work regardless of if the air is pushed or pulled thru it.

PC

Pharma I hate to disagree but it really should be - FILTER : COOLTUBE : FAN -
There are several reasons for this that have already been listed (filters made to pull air from outside, efficiency etc.)
There IS a right way and wrong way to do it. The right way means your utilizing the filter / fan combo most efficiently.

And always run your fan for a lil while before hooking it up to your light so most of the carbon dust/particles can be blown out and settle. You will probably still need to clean your tube once in a while even if your glass doesn't look dirty .

 

[l33t]

And always run your fan for a lil while before hooking it up to your light so most of the carbon dust/particles can be blown out and settle. You will probably still need to clean your tube once in a while even if your glass doesn't look dirty .

Thanks for the reply. I ve been reading about some new Filters that dont have these small loose particles/dust but I got a cheap one and its full of dust/loose particles..

I agree there is a 'right' and 'wrong' way ..like you say the 'right' being the most efficient.

I 've read though that its more efficient if you 'blow' into cooltubes than if you 'suck'. Dont know if thats true but doesnt make much sence. I would expect things would be the same in both cases.

On the other hand 'sucking air vs blowing air' through carbon filters *must* have a difference due to the tubular design of these Filters..but I may be well wrong..
If they were 'flat' I guess there wouldn't be a difference as the 'intake surface' would be equal to the 'outake' surface of the filter. Just thinking out loud here..

 

[yamaha_1fan]

Pharma I hate to disagree but it really should be - FILTER : COOLTUBE : FAN -
There are several reasons for this that have already been listed (filters made to pull air from outside, efficiency etc.)
There IS a right way and wrong way to do it. The right way means your utilizing the filter / fan combo most efficiently.

And always run your fan for a lil while before hooking it up to your light so most of the carbon dust/particles can be blown out and settle. You will probably still need to clean your tube once in a while even if your glass doesn't look dirty .

Actually Can Filters can be used either way and they tell you that. There is a video somewhere from a trade show where a rep from CanFan says exactly that. Simply take the prefilter and put it over the fan before the air goes into the filter. Any other filters, I dont know but I imagine the same would apply.

I would try to put the filter at the end. By putting the filter first, then pulling, you are prone to any leaks along the way. Any air that is pulled through these leaks will not be filtered.

I have heard over and over that pulling is more efficient than pushing. But I think that is more appropiate to a longer run of multiple lights, not 3 feet in a cabinet. BTW I push air through my hoods so I dont pull up any stank air.

 

[l33t]

Actually Can Filters can be used either way and they tell you that. There is a video somewhere from a trade show where a rep from CanFan says exactly that.

I dont think that anyone would say they dont work , of course they will work ..
the question is 'is there any difference in efficiency?'

I have heard over and over that pulling is more efficient than pushing. But I think that is more appropiate to a longer run of multiple lights, not 3 feet in a cabinet. BTW I push air through my hoods so I dont pull up any stank air.

I think I agree with you on what you say , that the difference might be more evident in long ducts/multiple lights.Personally I have 2x 600w cooltubes in a 2.4m x 1.2m x 2m tent and I 've placed the fan inbetween the 2 lights.I think this way I get the air to hit both bulbs with max force. One thing that bothers me though is that the fan (which is placed after the first cooltube) is working with hot air. Air expansion due to heat plays a role so I m confused a bit..

Would love to hear what people believe to be the best choice in this case with 2 cooltubes and 1 fan. Before the tubes , after , or inbetween?

 

[nano]

My fan is pushing thru my filter. Sure it's not the most effective way, but for a cab (usually small grows) it works ok.