If you are making your own, I bet shining the UV light on the side of the filter that stops the germs would be best. Kill them as they are slowed showing their ID. Like catching WuFlu in the TSA line at an airport.
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Combat Mold Issues With HEPA: The Inexpensive DIY Solution
- Thread starter Douglas.Curtis
- Start date
Yes I think that's your strategy right there.
I'm contemplating that myself... the seedling compartment where the intake enters through the hepa filter is not used anyways, so I could put a UV light in there right behind the filter.
What's the intensitiy of those bulbs? not too high I hope ?
CC
I'm contemplating that myself... the seedling compartment where the intake enters through the hepa filter is not used anyways, so I could put a UV light in there right behind the filter.
What's the intensitiy of those bulbs? not too high I hope ?
CC
Douglas.Curtis
Autistic Diplomat in Training
Hadn't thought of UV inside the box, but that's one excellent idea. 
My main concerns would be the damaging effects of UV, and how they would effect the materials of the box. Is metal inert and free of stray molecules under extended UV? I'd think about using it or something else which will stay intact as a target. If your materials will break down, I believe the best place would be in front of the filter. No?
My main concerns would be the damaging effects of UV, and how they would effect the materials of the box. Is metal inert and free of stray molecules under extended UV? I'd think about using it or something else which will stay intact as a target. If your materials will break down, I believe the best place would be in front of the filter. No?
Buddistrose
New member
Having had the HEPA filter in place for a while now I can say this:
- It does not affect airflow much, these filters are super permeable for air
- I had ZERO issues with mold or any other fungus in the meantime. I use blumats so the soil never dries out which lead to some fungi growing under my plants in the past, not any more!
- The filter is best cleaned from the outside with a vacuum as that's where the dust deposits. After all this time I'm now thinking it does not need replacing at all when sucking off the deposits on the outside regularly every 6 months or so (I have premanent airflow of course).
Haven't progressed on the UV, as i feel the HEPA filter pretty much keeps everything outside already!
CC
- It does not affect airflow much, these filters are super permeable for air
- I had ZERO issues with mold or any other fungus in the meantime. I use blumats so the soil never dries out which lead to some fungi growing under my plants in the past, not any more!
- The filter is best cleaned from the outside with a vacuum as that's where the dust deposits. After all this time I'm now thinking it does not need replacing at all when sucking off the deposits on the outside regularly every 6 months or so (I have premanent airflow of course).
Haven't progressed on the UV, as i feel the HEPA filter pretty much keeps everything outside already!
CC
Douglas.Curtis
Autistic Diplomat in Training
Make sure you change the filter. Vacuuming will help, but it will not remove a lot of the dust which gets trapped. Over time it will not only reduce airflow, some particles will eventually work through the filter material.
Three Berries
Active member
I a made up a filter box that also has my egg mister in it. Just experimental but all it is is a back an yellow tote cut up and sealed against the wall intake. The filter could use a better mount but then again tape is good enough. Cover needed trimmed to fit on the bottom but I believe it seals up pretty good. Going to let it run and see if i can pick up any dust patterns.
BTW most of that fine dust is dander.
BTW most of that fine dust is dander.
Forced filtered air is the way to go with a tent. Cardboard box, 6" fan inside with the duct hose attached and running from inside the box to inside the tent. HEPA element taped to the box opening. I monitor the lung room temp/humidity at the filter, so I know what is going in the tent. Inside the tent I dump the hose air into a 5 gallon bucket through the lid, and have holes around the side to distribute the air.
The basket is getting dry warm air from the dehuey, and the lung room air, sucked past the filter. I'm drying a sample of NL Haze grown with this set-up.
The air duct dumps into a 5 gallon bucket. I cut the top off another bucket and drilled holes around the top, and stacked them. The air comes out the side holes, plus the hole on top with the ribbon flapping.
Forced filtered air and bottom watering don't get any simpler than this.
Next I am going to tape closed all the openings in the tent, including the screened air vents which are closed with forced air. I think that is where SMs have come in from behind the tent, where it is up against the wall.
The basket is getting dry warm air from the dehuey, and the lung room air, sucked past the filter. I'm drying a sample of NL Haze grown with this set-up.
The air duct dumps into a 5 gallon bucket. I cut the top off another bucket and drilled holes around the top, and stacked them. The air comes out the side holes, plus the hole on top with the ribbon flapping.
Forced filtered air and bottom watering don't get any simpler than this.
Next I am going to tape closed all the openings in the tent, including the screened air vents which are closed with forced air. I think that is where SMs have come in from behind the tent, where it is up against the wall.
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Sanuvox residential UV air purification systems remove harmful particles that cause allergies, respiratory illnesses and more from the air in your home.
sanuvox.com
Douglas.Curtis
Autistic Diplomat in Training
When you change the filter next... pick up a (less than $5) aluminum corner channeling for drywall. Cut to fit your filter and silicone the channeling to your lid. Place your filter in the new frame and aluminum tape them together to seal. Also makes other tapes much easier to seal airtight.
Douglas.Curtis
Autistic Diplomat in Training
Love it
I always leave an airgap of at least 10 cm when installing a tent. better be sure it's vented all around than be sorry or have doubts later!
acespicoli
Well-known member
He strikes again with a awesome thread From STS to this, had considered building a custom laminar flow air hood.
Thinking weather stripping as in for exterior doors, the "rubber trim" the filter frame seats against would be a nice touch.
Corners and cracks hit with silicone and maybe the box formed from exterior grade AZEK uv treatments (PVC poly vinyl chloride, plywood and trim boards made from plastic- no mold-) from the hardware store.
Easy wipe down with bleach solution
Also is the need for no seeum mesh (keep out smallest gnats)
of course nematodes and lady bugs permitted entry
and some DIY carbon filters with reload-able pre-rinsed virgin coconut charcoal cartridges
since im wishing/dreaming and enjoying a little morning
https://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Category:Cleanroom_technology
Me entering my bio area, a tent inside of a tent provides a DECON area
Always a pleasure reading your works Douglas.Curtis
From STS to this, had considered building a custom laminar flow air hood.Thinking weather stripping as in for exterior doors, the "rubber trim" the filter frame seats against would be a nice touch.
Corners and cracks hit with silicone and maybe the box formed from exterior grade AZEK uv treatments (PVC poly vinyl chloride, plywood and trim boards made from plastic- no mold-) from the hardware store.
Easy wipe down with bleach solution
Also is the need for no seeum mesh (keep out smallest gnats)
of course nematodes and lady bugs permitted entry
and some DIY carbon filters with reload-able pre-rinsed virgin coconut charcoal cartridges
since im wishing/dreaming
and enjoying a little morning https://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Category:Cleanroom_technology
Me entering my bio area, a tent inside of a tent provides a DECON area
Always a pleasure reading your works Douglas.Curtis
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Douglas.Curtis
Autistic Diplomat in Training
lol, Thanks, I love the hazmat images!
You'll find the aluminum tape seals to the filter very well, so I ditched the fancy foam seat for the filters in my later builds.
While I still care about particulates on my cannabis, I do not care about pests as much as before. Not since I started using rabbit manure tea and foliars.
You'll find the aluminum tape seals to the filter very well, so I ditched the fancy foam seat for the filters in my later builds.
While I still care about particulates on my cannabis, I do not care about pests as much as before. Not since I started using rabbit manure tea and foliars.
Three Berries
Active member
I was reading that a foliar spray of potassium bicarbonate kills and inhibits mold due to raising the leaf surface pH.
