The first and most pressing sign you require a carbon filter is if you are trying to get rid of smells in the air. In some cases, you only need to filter out odorless chemicals, but other times, smells need to go too. So, if you are trying to remove odors from a space, then yes, you need a carbon filter.
The answer to that question is a resounding yes! Carbon filters are the best option for keeping the smell from your growing area out of your house and away from your neighbors. More importantly, they're the best way to make sure even the freshest air is used by your plants to grow.
Activated carbon has special properties that allow it to remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs), odors, and other gaseous pollutants from the air. It accomplishes this in a way that is different from other air purifiers like HEPA that only filter particle pollution from the air.
Most growers don't use carbon filters in their veg tent. However, if the smell is overly irritating, you can set it up. Additionally, you don't need to set up a carbon filter if you have a carbon filter for your flower tent separately. Just making a connection between both tents will do the job.
Used together, activated carbon and HEPA filters can trap 99.97% of small particles 0.3 microns and higher as well as most larger particles, especially spores. Activated carbon filters can particularly benefit people who suffer allergies or aggravation from impure air, including second hand smoke.
Carbon filters remove contaminants through adsorption. Adsorption means that contaminants are attracted to the surface of the activated carbon and held to it, much the same way a magnet attracts and holds iron filings. Carbon filters also act as a catalyst to change the chemical composition of some contaminants.
What is the Difference between an Activated Carbon Filter and a Charcoal Filter? The primary difference between a water filter that uses activated carbon and one that uses charcoal is in the filtering materials themselves. Both are hard, porous substances that capture contaminants.
Activated carbon filters are widely used to reduce odors and control emissions from grow tents and grow rooms. Typically attached to the inline duct fan or tail end of ducting, the carbon filter cleans the air circulating through. The result is fresher air that is clear of odor, spores, and other allergens.
In ideal growing environments, plants use up the CO2 surrounding their leaves every 20 or 30 minutes. So, you need to keep the airflow going to let the plants breathe. And fans are the only tool in rescue.
Particulate filters are very successful at cleaning cabin air, but activated charcoal filters do even more. Not only do activated charcoal filters trap dust and debris, they also absorb fumes and odors. The charcoal found in cabin filters isn't what you'd throw on a BBQ pit.
In fact, the filter is capable of not only removing smells, but may also remove other impurities from the air. The main thing to be aware of when setting up a carbon filter is that the smell must run through it in order to eliminate the odor.
Alternative Materials
For example, you can use zeolite instead of carbon. Zeolite absorbs organic waste and can be recharged with saltwater several times before it must be discarded. You can also use peat, which softens and acidifies water.
We recommend installing your carbon filter at the beginning of your ducting route. That is, placing it inside of your grow tent where your ductwork begins.
It isn't necessary to have the air being pulled through the carbon filter exhausted outside your growing area; depending on your setup it may even work better to have the filtered air returned immediately to the growing area.
The short answer is, yes, you should get a carbon filter for your water softener.
Ideally, your extractor fan system should replace the air in your grow room every minute, or at least every three to five minutes. This means that you need to choose the right size fan for the job.
A lack of airflow creates several problems such as wet or damp foliage, spores settling on leaves and unnaturally stiff stems on seedlings. Provide a slight breeze, perhaps a small fan in your seedling area.
HEPA filters mostly capture particulates or solid air contaminants while activated carbon filters focus on odor and chemical compounds elimination. These filters are typically used in industrial air cleaning systems and standalone units for home use.
Thanks to their larger surface area, carbon block filters have a better contaminant removal capacity than GAC filters. A major advantage of carbon block filters is that they allow for water to be in contact with carbon for a longer period, which leads to a better rate of contaminant removal.
In theory, yes, you can use charcoal instead of activated charcoal. However, regular charcoal won't be anywhere near as effective. You also could expose yourself to chemical additives or impurities.
Activated carbon can be effective in reducing hundreds of substances including contaminants and other chemicals from the tap water. However, the most cited studies by EPA and NSF claim effective removal of between 60-80 chemicals, effective reduction of another 30 and moderate reduction for 22.
For example, the Brita water filter pitcher uses a coconut-based activated carbon filter that removes chlorine, zinc, copper, cadmium and mercury.
Carbon filters can harbor bacteria, according to NSF International. Carbon filters trap some contaminants while other bacteria adhere to the surface of the charcoal. If the carbon filter is not replaced often enough, bacteria build up on the surface of the carbon and fill the entire surface.
The simple answer to this question is no, grow tents are not smell proof. Before the room classifies as smell-proof, the grow tent might have to conceal the scent of your flowering plants. While grow tents are unique for various reasons, you have to be cautious if you want to conceal the smell.