The Netpot Carbon Filter

[StoopheadFred]

THIS IDEA NEEDS WORK! Basically if you wanted to use this design you would have to figure out a way to link up a few of these filters to decrease the static pressure and allow your fan to more easily pull through the thick layers of carbon.

*shoutout to sugabear_II for the idea to use netpots! This is basically just a slightly scaled up version of his design*

Wassup! Today I am going to show you how to make a super simple and very inexpensive carbon scrubber / filter. This is definitely better suited for small growers, but I'm sure someone could figure out how to scale it up for larger use as well. The fan I'll be making this filter for is a CanFan 4" HO.

Supplies:
1 - 6" netpot ($.85)
1 - 5" netpot ($.51)
2 - pairs of pantyhose from walgreens (2 for $1)
1 - joint
1 - polyfil, got this at a craft store $3
And some activated carbon. I got 10 pounds on ebay for like $35. PM me if you want any. Or you can go to an pet store with aquarium stuff and get carbon there.

Step 1: Take joint and place to mouth. Apply flame while inhaling. Be sure to smoke the whole thing before continuing to step 2

Step 2: Pull pantyhose over both netpots, make sure you pull them up tight or carbon will gather in the loose parts! Then pull the stockings back down over the lip of the 6" netpot

Step 3: Put some carbon in the bottom of the 6" netpot. You'll want enough carbon that when you put the inner netpot in the highest holes on both netpots line up.

Step 4: Put 5" netpot inside 6" netpot, then pour carbon around the edges. Make sure you've got the 5" netpot centered in the 6" or you'll have an uneven layer of carbon. Fill the gap a little ways above the top holes on the 5" netpot, but leave enough room for the polyfil in step 5

Step 5: Push polyfill into the gap then pull stocking back over the 6" netpot

 

[StoopheadFred]

Step 6: Marvel at your new carbon filter!
http://www.nwgt.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=8671&d=1340944715

Step 7: Put filter on fan
http://www.nwgt.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=8676&d=1340944751http://www.nwgt.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=8677&d=1340944762

Yep. Super easy and effective. I haven't used this through a flowering cycle yet, but I am confident that it will hold up.

 

[TonyGreenHand]

Perfect timing posting this! thank you very much!

 

[StoopheadFred]

Wow I am so hyped. Going off this netpot carbon filter design, I took a little left over polyfill and put it inside another 5" netpot. I then put that over the exhaust side of my 4" HO Can Fan with the fan pulling through the carbon filter. Noise was reduced seriously ATLEAST 50%!

It now seems almost possible to use this fan at full power in a semi-stealth situation.

 

[Capt.Ahab]

Haps posted something similar in 2006.
I followed his method using large green scrubby pads for the inside liner. I used my home-made scrubber for about a year. Worked great.
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=39506

 

[StoopheadFred]

Hah I should have figured someone had already done this! Well in all my reading on this site somehow I missed it, but that's great to know you've had positive experiences with a very similar design!

 

[avant gardener]

you'd very definitely only want to pull air through this design unless you were trying to paint your room a dusty shade of gray.

 

[StoopheadFred]

Uh... what makes you say that?

I tried both ways. Didn't have any such problems.

With normal carbon filters you don't want to push air in them because there's no prefilter on the inner core. So when you push dirty air through it you get a clogged filter in much less time than you would if you pulled through it.With this design there is 2 layers of prefilter on the inner core and 4 layers on the outer shell, and all the layers are easily replaceable so you can feel free to pull or push through it.

So... yea. Try building one first then let me know if you have any problems.

 

[repuk]

sounds great, but something happend to the pics!

 

[StoopheadFred]

Ack I was afraid that would happen, I linked them from another site. I'll get it fixed in the next day or so.

Also I'm designing a version that will use multiple filters so that this will work with larger fans. I'll throw pics up when it's all together.

 

[avant gardener]

Uh... what makes you say that?

I tried both ways. Didn't have any such problems.

With normal carbon filters you don't want to push air in them because there's no prefilter on the inner core. So when you push dirty air through it you get a clogged filter in much less time than you would if you pulled through it.With this design there is 2 layers of prefilter on the inner core and 4 layers on the outer shell, and all the layers are easily replaceable so you can feel free to pull or push through it.

So... yea. Try building one first then let me know if you have any problems.

cuz i rigged one up and did it and it made a huge mess.

then again, i was probably doing it wrong.
blowing things ain't really my strong suit.

 

[jm420]

Charcoal dosnt get packed tite enough.
I dont want to have that crap possibly going threw my 100$ fan
Dust as mentioned
Time Involved
Theres a whole thread here about the same thing.
It basically boils down to if you want a cheap filter they can be found for cheaper than it cost to make a cheap one.

 

[StoopheadFred]

cuz i rigged one up and did it and it made a huge mess.

then again, i was probably doing it wrong.
blowing things ain't really my strong suit.

But you've got sucking down? Hehe

Weird man, how many layers of pantyhose did you use? I've built 3 of these now and haven't ran into that problem. Could have to do with the carbon you're using too?

Charcoal dosnt get packed tite enough.
I dont want to have that crap possibly going threw my 100$ fan
Dust as mentioned
Time Involved
Theres a whole thread here about the same thing.
It basically boils down to if you want a cheap filter they can be found for cheaper than it cost to make a cheap one.

Thanks for your opinion. If you're worried about this filter ruining your fan, don't use it. Why are you even in this thread taking the time to respond if you're only interested in telling me why my filter is inferior to a storebought? Well I'd sure as shit hope it is since you're spending atleast 5x what it cost to build mine.

I'm sure there's a million threads about how to build DIY carbon filters, and this is just my version of one. I like it because it's simple (takes about 15 minutes to make), cheap (costs less than $15 for the supplies), easily rebuildable, and effective. I didn't want to spend $70+ on a store bought carbon filter, and I never will again now that I know that my design works.

And really? You can find a carbon filter for less than what it costs to make this one? Prove it. Show me where I can buy a carbon filter ready to use for less than $15. You can't. So keep buying your filters from the store and throwing away money you don't need to and I'll keep building my filters and spending the extra cash I've saved on strippers and crack.

Cheers

 

[jm420]

Dont be asshole, I have every right to post my opinion on an open forum .Call it constructive criticism
BTW you said yourself 35 for activated carbon so where does 15 dollars come into play<or should I buy 35$ worth and ask people if they need it?
What somthing like this?http://www.ebay.com/itm/Active-Air-...652?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item439f9139a4

Thats just one of many that i found in about 2 seconds .So tell me where I'm wrong.BTW I'm a DIY person my self But why waste money and posbly damage equipment ..
I,m not a dick but a realist and the hobby is expensive enough.

 

[jm420]

Strippers and crack ?What a way to make a statement, I personally spend mine on my wife and kids and whats left over goes to the bay for genetics wich you'll probably never see.
BTW add an air stone and drop it in a fish tank its about a good a filter as you'll get.
Now I'm being a dick

 

[jm420]

Here i just saved you 5 buckshttp://www.ebay.com/itm/Activated-Carbon-10-Charcoal-Air-Water-Odor-Filtration-/310423364687?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4846aca44f

 

[hempfield]

The pics on your first two posts can't be seen anymore - the host site require authentication.

Maybe you can fix those posts (by uploading pics on ICMAG).

 

[StoopheadFred]

Whoops, got lazy with uploading pics. I'll have some working pictures up soon.

Also to update this thread, this filter worked but it restricted airflow too much for my 4" canfan to cool my 2x3x5' tent with a cooltubed 400w hps. Need to figure out a simple way to integrate 2 or 3 of these into a box design. Just built a new micro box that has yet to be filtered so I'll think something up.

 

[StoopheadFred]

Also around week 6 flower the filter was over powered. I believe with more filters you could run the fan at lower speeds and have the air distributed over a larger surface area of carbon which should increase the useful life of these filters. I will report back as this grow progresses.

 

[GP73LPC]

still can't see the pics, but i am going to do something similar...