Can Carbon Filter Question

[hawkeye1]

Im starting a 4000w 30 plant grow and I am trying to determine if I need a Can Filter for odor control and if I do what size. The room is in the basement and is 6x14 with a 7 foot ceiling. Im going to be running a completely sealed grow with supplemented c02 for fresh air. There are only two possible leak areas and those are the door and the AC unit(which is through the wall but not venting to outside, it just vents to the other larger area of the basement). Its not a big deal if some smell leaks into the other basement rooms because they are only used for storage.

So my questions are
1. Do I need to run a carbon scrubber? Will the air in the room become stagnant/negatively affect plants if it is not scrubbed.

2. If I do need a filter, what size would you suggest

 

[twrex]

I think a grow of that size will put out more than a little smell especially if you're running some of the more dank strains. I mean, SOME air needs to come out of the room. If that air is full of stank then it could potentially leak through your whole house or even out into the neighborhood depending on how well your basement is sealed off. Unless you're a legal grower I'd say you'd best start getting a little more paranoid about security.

 

[hawkeye1]

My closest neighbor is about a mile away, but I would like to keep a majority of the smell inside the basement in the event that anyone does come creeping around my house. I am pretty paranoid about security, but I am just wondering if I would be buying something I don't need.

 

[twrex]

Lets assume it is unnecessary and you have it, what are you out? a couple hundred bucks.

Now lets assume it is necessary and you don't have it, what are you out? potentially years of your life in prison and/or tens thousands of dollars in fines and lawyer fees.

If you're putting all the time, effort, and money into this, what does an extra couple hundred bucks mean in the long run? I think the better question to ask is "why be stingy about THIS of all things?"

 

[Ras Mason]

buy Vortex blower 8 inch exhaust with pro filter 100
and a 6 inch intake with backdraft damper.
Always keep negative pressure, scrubbing does not really work for our purposes....

 

[hawkeye1]

buy Vortex blower 8 inch exhaust with pro filter 100
and a 6 inch intake with backdraft damper.
Always keep negative pressure, scrubbing does not really work for our purposes....

I was looking to only scrub and not vent out of the room to preserve co2 levels in the room. Does placing the filter in the room with a vortex on top to scrub the air of odor not work? I plan on covering every inch of the room in panda plastic and the only leaks will be through the AC and when the plastic door is opened. If I do have to vent to keep negative pressure I guess I will just do it at lights off and rig the CO2 unit to turn off during that time.

@twrex You make an extremely valid point and that is the reason why I am asking first here on the forum instead of going with or without it first. Im looking for some input of people experienced with a sealed room of this size and their odor control strategy. From the response I've gotten so far I will probably purchase one.

 

[T-type]

If you are saying that you built a room inside of your basement, you could just throw a ozone generator outside your "tent"
Cheaper...
Very effective at removing smell.

 

[Lloyd_Christmas]

A grow that size or bigger it's always better to be safer than sorry... filters really aren't expensive at all anyway. No reason not to use one.

Spend a little money on a can100 and have the peace of mind.

 

[twrex]

I was looking to only scrub and not vent out of the room to preserve co2 levels in the room. Does placing the filter in the room with a vortex on top to scrub the air of odor not work?

I'm fairly certain I've seen something like that before, I can't imagine why it WOULDN'T work, the air is passing over the charcoal so anything in it would be scrubbed out just as if it were leaving the room.

 

[Lloyd_Christmas]

^I missed that.

In the past I've put a fan on top of a filter and just let it run, recirculating air... it works just fine

 

[kaskar]

Lloyd is right all you need .

 

[TicalionStalion]

I got the same question basically, I just posted a thread asking for help. my grow is much much smaller...but I need to kill the smell without ducting it out somewhere. was thinking about scrubbing with a bigger than needed can fan and filter. maybe even a small ozone generator right outside of the room...that works too? Im a total noob as far as odor control is concerned. I really need to get it together over here, it stinks LOL.

 

[Ras Mason]

so, buddy, trust me, strictly scrubbing does not work, you need to couple it with at least a minimal negative pressure.

SO in your case, get the 8 inch with 100 can to scrub, and have a small 4 inch with a 50 can to exhaust and create a small negative pressure. This can even be put on a dimmer, but it has to be there, if not the small pressure caused by your air movement will let some smell leak out of the room and get you caught.

DO not worry about loss of co2, simply insure that your scrubbing can has a tube attached to the blower and that it re circulates the air all along the room, not just a blower standing on the can...

Good air movement with regular ventilators will also mix your air better and enable you to better use your co2.

 

[Teeg420]

Recirculating scrubbing works you just have to use a higher rated fan in order to achieve the results your looking for.

 

[Ras Mason]

just try it and see.....

I am referring to larger rooms and extremely exotic genetics.

Maybe you can pull it off.

(but always remember what i told you,....at least minimal negative pressure.)

 

[Green lung]

I would for sure! its worth a measley few hundred bucks

 

[Teeg420]

What is considered a larger room?

 

[Ras Mason]

more than 4 kw.
peace

 

[T-type]

just try it and see.....

I am referring to larger rooms and extremely exotic genetics.

Maybe you can pull it off.

(but always remember what i told you,....at least minimal negative pressure.)

I couldn't pull it off. I had 2 6 inch carbon scrubbers and my neighbors thought there was a skunk in the neighborhood. Quickly went to negative pressure and the skunk seems to have moved on.

 

[ganjaments]

SO in your case, get the 8 inch with 100 can to scrub, and have a small 4 inch with a 50 can to exhaust and create a small negative pressure. This can even be put on a dimmer

Please don't use a dimmer to control the speed of a vortex. It's dangerous. Use an appropriate speed controller (I'm a huge fan of Variacs - $65 shipped on ebay)