Carbon Filter Inside Box "Vacuum room"

[SELFHEMPLOYED]

i haven't seen any threads on this design, if I missed them could someone point me in the right direction.?

Basically I have built a wood box around my carbon filter (can66). I built the box so that there is 4 inches of clearance on each of the four sides. I sealed/caulked the box so no air leaks at all and then mounted an 8in sunleaves fan on top of the carbon filter so that it exhausts straight up. I mounted an 8in flange on both sides of the top piece of the box and connected 8in ducting from top of fan to ceiling of box (about 5 inches) and then connected 8in ducting from the top of the box to my exhaust exit.

At this point you have a carbon filter sucking from a very very small area (only 4in all the way around and a few inches on top of airspace).

I then cut 2 8in holes on two sides of the box for a total of 4 8in holes. Because of such a small space to pull air from, the holes create extreme suction. I put 8in flanges on each of the holes and connected the exhaust ducting coming off of each of my two tents: 5x5dr and 4x8dr. (two holes per tent one for aircooled hoods, one for ambient exhaust).

Does this make sense? I know it's hard without a picture I'll try and post one soon.

I went from 4 exhaust fans....to one. Also now all of my air from my room is being scrubbed so I can dry in there. Before, my aircooled hood exhaust was pulling air from inside the room and not getting scrubbbed.


Anyone using this design?

 

[waltwalt]

I'm by no means an expert at anything, but it seems to me that with only one fan for two tents you would need to have the openings sized very exactly to keep the airflow balanced between the two tents.
If you had a hole double the size of the hole in the other tent, the tent with the larger hole would draw more air in allowing the air in the opposite tent to build up temperature and so on.
If the fan was way oversized for both tents combined it probably won't make too much of a difference though.

My thoughts on the matter.

-ww

 

[SELFHEMPLOYED]

I'm by no means an expert at anything, but it seems to me that with only one fan for two tents you would need to have the openings sized very exactly to keep the airflow balanced between the two tents.
If you had a hole double the size of the hole in the other tent, the tent with the larger hole would draw more air in allowing the air in the opposite tent to build up temperature and so on.
If the fan was way oversized for both tents combined it probably won't make too much of a difference though.

My thoughts on the matter.

-ww

Good observation. This is very true. The holes connected to my 5x5 run a much longer length than the ones in the 4x8 therefore making the cfm noticeably lower in the 5x5. But it actually works great though because there is only 1k in the 5x5 and 2k in the 4x8 so I don't need as much cfm.

I'm averaging 7 degrees above ambient room temperature in both tents. fwiw.

 

[NiteTiger]

When I used one fan for multiple rooms, I used dampers on each side so I could control airflow.

Also, I'm curious as to why you built this whole box thing instead of just putting a Y on the carbon scrubber?

 

[solarz]

yeah that...^^^ seems like a lot of hard work??

solarz

 

[SELFHEMPLOYED]

I vent into m crawl space ad would have had to put te carbon filter inside the crawl space. Also if I were to put a y before it I'd be pushing rather than pulling. I actually tried that, it didn't work because the duct lengths are different so one side was pulling hard and tenother not so much.

A lot of work?? Nah all I had to do was glue a box together and put flanges on it. Not saying it's for everyone but a can filter rep was at my local grow store and told methat can fan is going to produce a similar design. He was already knowledgeable about it an said that the filter an fan perform well with this design

 

[solarz]

So are you pushing into or pulling from the filter?

 

[NiteTiger]

You can get a damper from Home Depot like I mentioned above to control that airflow. I still think you'd be better off y'ing it with a damper, and pushing through.

 

[SELFHEMPLOYED]

I pull through the filter. Think of a carbon filter inside of a room that is vented directly out the ceiling. No intake at all, a sealed room. The negative pressure would be crazy. Now think if you opened a window in the room it would suck air furiously because the window is the only source. That is the same concept it's just a mini version of that. I'll post a picture it will make more sense.

As far as the y goes, carbon filters are more efficient when air is pulled through, not pushed out. This box sits in the corner and completely silenced my grow room. It really is a simple design I don't see any reason to change. My temps are 7 degrees above ambient, it's silent, I'm cooling 3k with one 8in fan an everything is scrubbed.

Also I have four total exhaust ducts so I would need three y's. One for each tent and the. One to connect both y's to the filter. Wouldn't make sense. I know I'm not the only one using this. Anyone else want to chime in.

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[BorkBorkBork]

I'm going to be doing something very similar ASAP. I may try using the insulated foam material that is used by AC dudes to build boxes out of, which would cut down a lot on weight vs. wood. Since the filters are so heavy themselves, this could make a big difference.

I'm currently exhausting one tent into the intake on the other, which is then exhausting through carbon, and it's incredibly inefficient.

Can't wait to get my box built.

Oh, and Can already has that filter on the market, and it's ridiculously expensive. I forget what it's called, but I want to say "incline" for some reason. Anyways, I think it was ~$300!

 

[SELFHEMPLOYED]

I knew I wasnt the only one using this! can you give me a link to the can brand one?

I wa just at a buddies who is cooling two 8x16ft rooms with 6k vertical in each one with one twelve inch fan! no problems at all.

The reason I posted this thread was to have someone help me figure out how much cfm if any I'm losing having the filter inside the box rather than out in the open. Anyone care to try?

 

[NiteTiger]

As far as the y goes, carbon filters are more efficient when air is pulled through, not pushed out.

Where did you get this info?

I do understand what you're doing, I've done something similar before. You're basically making a carbon scrubber plenum space. I ended up scrapping that in favor of Ying after a few months though.

 

[BorkBorkBork]

Here's some links.


My thread on the subject

The Can-Filter official page for the Can-Filter 66 Inline

Google shopping results for the Can-Filter 66 inline ($382 worms way, $306 horticulturesource)

Another "box" type carbon filter someone else found

 

[SELFHEMPLOYED]

Here's some links.


My thread on the subject

The Can-Filter official page for the Can-Filter 66 Inline

Google shopping results for the Can-Filter 66 inline ($382 worms way, $306 horticulturesource)

Another "box" type carbon filter someone else found

Thanks for the links but this is not at all what I'm talking about. I've drawn a very crude picture of how it works and looks like.

Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[choch]

The only reason I'm not using something like this at my buddy's place is I've been too lazy to build it. lol

I'm glad to hear how well it works for you. There is a fellow who uses a large rubbermaid garbage can to put a can 75 inside, then runs a 8" duct to his 4x8 tent. He just uses the one duct through his cool tube to cool the light and vent the tent though.

 

[SELFHEMPLOYED]

The trash can is an interesting idea. That would be much lighter and wouldn't have any construction involved. My only concern would be getting flanges to fit flush on a curved surface. Link to the thread??

NiteTiger.. What made you switch away from this? I found that info on here and on cans website. They are designed to be pulled through and even though pushing works, without the pre filter dustabd other debris interferes with the carbons ability to effectively scrub. Do you know how much this box I have cutsdown on cfm? If at all?


I'm designing a new stadium room with three open bulb 1ks and trying to decide whether I should go with the box so I coul run hard ducting along the row of bulbs with ts spaced and angled towards the bulbs to pull heat off of them and also have another 8in ambient coming out of the box, or just mout the exposed filter on the ceiling at the end of my room..

Any othe rsuggestions for cooling an 8x8 room with 3k open bulb with no ac?

Thanks for the help

 

[EddieShoestring]

hey selfhemployed

one of my crew has done almost exactly what you have-he's put a 10"filter with an 8"fan in a box-the exhaust ducted out up a chimney-then made two 6"holes in the box and run run ducting from these to his two small (ish) grow boxes. He did it to avoid having big filters in his small spaces. It runs v quietly and works well

eddieS

 

[BorkBorkBork]

Thanks for the links but this is not at all what I'm talking about. I've drawn a very crude picture of how it works and looks like.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Agreed, it's not the exact same design, but put a 4-way Y-split on it, and it accomplishes the same goal. Same thing with the other "box' type filter.

Still, it's much cheaper to DIY per your design, with a regular filter. But it will take up more space.

 

[choch]

No link, was likely from a growtent thread such as the icmag darkroom thread, but I'm not sure. He didn't post pics just described it, using a stick on flange he found at lowes that worked great. I think that must have been for roofing.

 

[SELFHEMPLOYED]

cool, thanks for the tips.

Do you guys think that box is reducing my cfms quite a bit? Since it only has very limited space to pull from?