Flushing...........a cabon filter??

[FlaDankster]

My scrubber could use some sping cleanin.

Anyone tried this with success?Lookin to get some of the dust that has built up in my filter and flushing water through it is the only way i can come up with.

FD

 

[dtfsux]

Rinse it out, dry it, then find a garbage can and put the filter in it.

You ever hear how high RH can damage a filter? Imagine running a hose over it.

The carbon will absorb the water and wont be able to hold odor. The carbon will never dry out.


Thats what I remember in a nutshell.


The filter should have a prefilter. Change that or remove it and vacuum it. Personally the filter is to remove odor and if that is working I would just leave it alone.

 

[Bud Bug]

You could take it apart and bake the charcoal at high temps (in an oven) to burn off the humidity and particles inside the charcoal .Then repack.

Or if its not working jut buy a new one.

 

[FreezerBoy]

Reactivating carbon takes 1500ºF.

While I wouldn't try to wash used carbon (see above) a DIY filter should always see it's carbon heavily rinsed and air dried before use.

 

[Bud Bug]

Not from me but has been around for a while. And yes it can stink, I known a few people over the years that did this and they said it stunk up the house good.

It is not unusual for amateur distillers in some countries to heat recycle their activated carbon. The description is taken away
It is done as follows:

Note: the carbon contains mostly fusel oils whose highest boiling point is 138°C. Fusel oils are higher alcohols like amyl, butyl and propyl alcohols and their vapor is flammable.

1. Begin by pouring the carbon into a sieve and rinsing it with hot water from the tap. If the carbon grains are 0.4-0.85 mm, they will go right through an ordinary kitchen sieve when rinsed, so you must get a sieve with a finer mesh or omit this step entirely.

2. Then, boil the carbon in water for 10-15 minutes, to dissolve some of the higher alcohols (already it has a 15-20% regeneration). Boil as long as it smells. Repeat if needed.

3. The carbon is then dried in a deep baking dish or roasting tray. When the carbon has dried, it is placed in an electric oven. Note: keep the kitchen fan on and the window partly open, as the vapor can be flammable.

4. Turn the oven on to 140°C or 150°C and heat up the carbon for 2-3 hours.

5. Turn the oven off and let the carbon cool down - now it is ready to be used again.carbonized.


Remember that the impurities leaving the carbon when it is heated have a very bad smell. Also note that the danger of recycling carbon in the oven is that it can ignite. Carbon made from wood or peat ignites at approx. 200°C and stone carbon at approx. 400°C. Stone carbon can sometimes be recycled in the oven at 300-350°C if one wants to do so.

 

[dtfsux]

...

I suggest you read the following link.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activated_carbon#Thermal_regeneration


You can follow all the little tidbits on the internet and if you feel comfortable putting your biggest security device on the line, then hey go ahead.


I can not see for any good reason you would want to "wash" your filter" Go buy a new one

 

[Cannarado]

My filter costs me $100. If it lasts me one year... im happy, and will just buy another. The one i bought has specific carbon you cant easily find (RC-45 vs RC-60) and that would be a PITA to deal with dumping out and refilling... Even tho i have a "Refill hole". $100 a year for security and safety... Thats a small price to pay. I DO NOT suggest cheaping out or DIY'in in odor elimination. I only suggest that for small scale. (Pc case, 2x2x2 room, stuff like that.)

If you understand the way carbon scrubbers work, the inside should never get dirty... it should just stop removing odors. The outside should be a washable pre-filter. Also, i personally would rather have a machine packed and vibrated down filter then one i hand pack because well, im not willing to risk it. One small gap is all it takes. Ever traced an electrical ground? Try doing that for air leaks in a filter... GOOD LUCK.

Trying to re-activate your carbon is not smart. This isnt perlite we're talking about.

Also, the ONLY reason you are able to wash the carbon most people use is that its WATER PHASE ( and suggested sometimes buy manufacturer) and air scrubbers require AIR PHASE. When air phase are exposed to humidity, or worse yet, a stream of water - you just ruined it. Period.

You will not be able to reactivate carbon in your own home. Im sorry, But I dont trust wiki. Its a good read, but to much crap on it, not regulated well enough. However, i found a bit more credible source... http://www.water.siemens.com/en/services/media/Pages/westates_reactivation_service.aspx, "

"After inspection and acceptance, the spent carbon is heated to 1600° F to ensure proper reactivation." - This is for both air and liquid phase.

With liquid phase you can SOOO get away with much less heat because its much larger particles, and not as important to not have superb carbon in a aquarium vs your garden. No aquarium is illegal (ok, if you have an endangered specie or something but we're not nit picking here.)

So Even with my oven on MAX (500), im 1100 degrees away from standard reactivation. You willing to trust a 1/3 (on the high side) reactivated working carbon scrubber? Im not.

 

[FreezerBoy]

No calling out other members. Civility is not an option.

Oven bake carbon at your peril. It may buy you a couple extra days, but that's it. Now if you have a 2000ºF kiln, that's another matter.

 

[FlaDankster]

Thanks for the input guys

The scrubber is still doin its job.I removed it and temps went back to normal.

I noticed my temps movin up to 80-81 when they usually run 72-73 and noticed i forgot all about purchasing another prefilter(scrubber can't be seen so many jays later it skipped my brain)after the mutt got ahold of it while it was dryin out.It has been about a month and i have been pretty active in there so i am fairly sure the filter is clogged some.

After my op i checked on things and saw that my "flushing" idea was...well DUMB!!

Guess my only sensible option would to do as someone mentioned to me, "don't use water,use an air hose".

 

[FlaDankster]

No calling out other members. Civility is not an option.

Oven bake carbon at your peril. It may buy you a couple extra days, but that's it. Now if you have a 2000ºF kiln, that's another matter.

I bet if i get my olelady to blow some of that hot ass air she is always spewin from her mouf it'll work!!!

 

[Bud Bug]

Really for the cost its not worth it spending hours up hours trying to mickey mouse it. If you are on a budget just buy some bulk charcoal from an aquarium/terrarium store and refill you current filter. Won't be as good packed as a machine packed unit but with time you can get it close.

If you wanna check for leaks just get a CFL bulb or any bulb and insert it into the can filter. If you see light leaking through you know you didn't pack it properly.

 

[OrganicOzarks]

Clean the prefilter. I just bought new carbon filters after only using them for 6 months. I had too take the pre-filter off of one of them becuse of how much dust it had in it. It raised my temps about 5 degrees. I did a lot of construction so both of them were extra dirty. They still worked, but they restricted air flow. There was even dust on the carbon in the filter. So putting a new pre-filter on would not have worked. I just got my new ones for $70 each delivered. They are 6" x 24". Check out Ebay. They don't get any cheaper. I have always had good luck with them as well. They completly take the stink ot of the air.

 

[FlaDankster]

Thanks for the input guys

The scrubber is still doin its job.I removed it and temps went back to normal.

I noticed my temps movin up to 80-81 when they usually run 72-73 and noticed i forgot all about purchasing another prefilter(scrubber can't be seen so many jays later it skipped my brain)after the mutt got ahold of it while it was dryin out.It has been about a month and i have been pretty active in there so i am fairly sure the filter is clogged some.

After my op i checked on things and saw that my "flushing" idea was...well DUMB!!

Guess my only sensible option would to do as someone mentioned to me, "don't use water,use an air hose".

All i am lookin to do is get some of the dust out of a working scrubber.

If it was any thing else other than that i would purchase a new filter.This filter works.....just clogged up a bit restricting air flow putting temps to i'm not happy with.

 

[FlaDankster]

Clean the prefilter. I just bought new carbon filters after only using them for 6 months. I had too take the pre-filter off of one of them becuse of how much dust it had in it. It raised my temps about 5 degrees. I did a lot of construction so both of them were extra dirty. They still worked, but they restricted air flow. There was even dust on the carbon in the filter. So putting a new pre-filter on would not have worked. I just got my new ones for $70 each delivered. They are 6" x 24". Check out Ebay. They don't get any cheaper. I have always had good luck with them as well. They completly take the stink ot of the air.

6"x24".........so they around the 200 cfm mark?????

Did you try and blow those filters out or any thing or just went ahead and purchased new ones?

They are worth every penny but before i go spendin i want to try fixing the situation myself first.

 

[Cannarado]

If you're just trying to get the dust out and stuff... why not just suck air threw it?! I assume your blowing air out? Or otherwise blow air out if you suck air threw. Prefilters can go inside and out, so you can protect both.

 

[Throwgar]

I suggest you read the following link.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activated_carbon#Thermal_regeneration


You can follow all the little tidbits on the internet and if you feel comfortable putting your biggest security device on the line, then hey go ahead.


I can not see for any good reason you would want to "wash" your filter" Go buy a new one

I never suggested to re-activate the carbon for re-use. I just said that you COULD do it. They're cheap enough to buy new ones when they get old. I agree with you.