Does anyone run a carbon filter without exhaust out

DrDoob said:
Do you use a Co2 tank to supplement Co2 like they do in that video? I bet since you have a tent and it’s not really “sealed” and airtight, plus the fact you open it daily adds enough fresh air exchange to keep your plants growing. They sure do look good in the photos, so whatever you’re doing keep it up!

As for the carbon filter, if stinky air is flowing through it, it’s filtering. People run them like that in rooms to cutdown on the smell of smoking so I can’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work inside a tent. Although I could see it not being as effective in a closed loop like that.

:passitleft:
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Thanks for the encouragement @DrDoob. I don’t supplement with CO2, I don’t think that’s a limiting factor. As you say, this isn’t sealed tight, it’s a leaky cheap tent. You’re right about the carbon filter, it works fine like this. The air coming out is very clean and you can’t smell the plants without putting your nose in. If my life depended on it being undetectable there’s a few things to change.
 
So I'm gonna Chuck my two cents in here. I usually stay outta public discussions but oh well. First things first I'm a big fan of airflow, you have to keep the air immediately surrounding the plants constantly circulating, no way around it, stale air is bad.

I haven't read every comment but I have monitored this thread on and off since it was posted and it seems to be sliding off the rails.

There's a lot of "if it's not vented it won't work". Well that's not accurate. Sealed room systems are great they just take a lot more than "put the fan through the wall with a filter on the end."

You can absolutely run a recirulating carbon filter setup without odor. It's done in numerous industrial applications so the office types don't have to smell any work being done. As long as the air in the space cycles through the filter faster than it can leak it out it all good. Most tents run hotter than the room they are in which creates positive pressure, that's why you see everyone saying you have to have negative pressure. A recirculating system can actually use a smaller filter size because it doesn't have to remove all the odor on the first pass. A sealed tent leaks very little in terms of air changes per minute even if your filter only cycled the air twice before it leaks out it's still more effective than a single pass setup.
You can also grow plants in a room with less than "x" air exchanges per minute. I've seen two different reasons for air exchanges in here one being the plants need fresh air. Which they do to a degree. The other was in regards to removing heat based on the type of lighting you use. These are two vastly different reasons for moving air though a tent. The amount of fresh air needed for plants is much less than what's needed to maintain temps with an open system so your plants fresh air needs are covered if you run an exhaust fan to cool your lights/tent. If your not moving air through the tent to cool things down then yes enough plants in a small enough environment will deplete the available co2 just like enough people standing in a sealed room would eventually use all the O2 and suffocate. Most tents leak too much especially if a person is in there once or twice a day. And you can grow in a sealed room without mold. But it requires a way to remove the humidity the plants breathe out or a large enough dry enough air Mass to avoid condensation. The best systems are sealed room systems they just take more equipment.

TLDR:
So yes if you can cycle the air through the filter before it reaches a nose, keep the humidity down, the air movement up, and allow enough new air on a regular basis the plants and you will be fine.
 
So if anyone lost the narrative thread about this,tempest in a teapot here’s a good diagram from another site called hydro builder.

It shows the closed, recirculating system without venting to the exterior tent, and the,open system which has exhaust.

When my grow room gets cold I pull in the exhaust to maintain temp and rh. I’ve never had any problems except on small one. A bit of carbon dust. So I put a rag over it.

Some growers express dismay and are vehemently opposed to this configuration and consider it dangerous. I disagree.

Anyway here’s a picture. It’s simple.
52ACEBFB-FD2C-4614-9104-53EE60444FC5.png

52ACEBFB-FD2C-4614-9104-53EE60444FC5.png

  • Media owner Boatshoe
  • Date added
Grow room configurations
 
Boatshoe said:
So if anyone lost the narrative thread about this,tempest in a teapot here’s a good diagram from another site called hydro builder.

It shows the closed, recirculating system without venting to the exterior tent, and the,open system which has exhaust.

When my grow room gets cold I pull in the exhaust to maintain temp and rh. I’ve never had any problems except on small one. A bit of carbon dust. So I put a rag over it.

Some growers express dismay and are vehemently opposed to this configuration and consider it dangerous. I disagree.

Anyway here’s a picture. It’s simple.
52ACEBFB-FD2C-4614-9104-53EE60444FC5.png

52ACEBFB-FD2C-4614-9104-53EE60444FC5.png

  • Media owner Boatshoe
  • Date added
Grow room configurations
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On that same page they also say:
Closed loop systems use Co2 gas to provide the ‘fresh’ air within the grow room and do not rely on ‘intake’ systems in the same way an ‘open loop’ grow room would.
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Every single photo (except the one you posted) of a closed loop system that I see on that site includes Co2 additions. I’ve actually looked quite a bit and haven’t found a single site that recommends a closed system without adding Co2. It’s obviously working well enough for you without additional Co2, so I wouldn’t change a thing. I personally wouldn’t try to replicate your system either as I doubt your success with it would translate to my environment.

Have Fun!
:passitleft:
 
That is a valid concern about co2. That picture there doesn’t have co2 ??
I don’t use co2 because it’s not really sealed. It’s pretty leaky. And the tent only stays closed up like that as necessary. I don’t think I could starve the plant from co2. How much do you think they need?

I’ve grown in the tent without any filter or exhaust and I’m sure a lot of people have. Like I say I’m not trying to sell this idea, it’s just how I run when it’s cold. They won’t grow if they go below 60, no matter how much fresh air.
 
Here’s a company, super closet.com that makes closed systems, no co2. They recommend their add-on but claim the unit has enough ventilation.
Here’s another, uponics, they have a whole line of sealed units without co2.

That’s just glancing around so I thought maybe someone was using one and had some experience to share.
 
Yerba428 said:
I’m not claiming to be king of fire lol just have a good understanding of what this plant needs and if you want to progress you should listen to us and move the effing air through your room lol
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But Yerba428, He can't , because It's 48f in the room his tent is in. And who ever said it has to be filtered to outside or it will stink up house, is wrong. I exhaust into an adjoining room and no smell at all, as long as the filter is doing it's job. Took me some time to understand what you was asking help for, Mr. Boatshoe. Yerba428 is right about how you would be better off with more air circulation, but he don't see that you can't afford to heat the room. And I know these folks had the very best intentions of helping you with sound advise, but somehow they didn't have understanding of what you was asking !! If I had your conditions, I'd probably not bother growing at all. So props to you Bro !!
 
Boatshoe said:
Thanks. I meant that I run it in the tent without venting it outside of the tent, not outside of my house, if you see what I mean.
The unconditioned room that my tents are in is chilly, and humid, inside the tent it’s right. So I just run the scrubber inside the closed tent.
I have considered getting a tent with hot lights and venting the warm air into a small spare room that’s inside the house. I like that idea.
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You need fresh air running threw for your girls they need co2 to live and the only way to supply them with it is threw fresh air and or a co2 injection system which are exspensive but doing how you are wont hurt anything just they wont grow as normal without the beneficial co2.. plus running a chance for stagnant air and a problem for fungus.. but yes how you got it will scrub the air in the tent but you will still smell weed regardless bc the plant is constantly putting off a aroma the carbon air filters are food for pumping that air outside to scrub it for no one outside to smell the weed growing
 
Boatshoe said:
Just because you haven’t seen it done this way doesn’t make it wrong. Are you trying to help? I read the top 10 hits on google about carbon filter, they all mention this configuration. Where’s your 5x air exchange reference? I cannot find any rationale... “everyone knows” is not adequate. And your tone is very patronizing, my friend.
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Ummm:hmmmm::reading420magazine:iv read threw the posts in have read what emilya had suggested and she is right on this and she gave you a good explanation on the problem and you flipped out over it for nothing...iv had my ups and downs with her myself but she just threw a link up to help you out on something that is going to be a problem for your grow!! Idk where the reporting come is on this part but she didnt do anything wrong towards you but give he best advice to your answer and the problems that will lay ahead of you in your grow..

Emilya said:
sorry, just trying to help. I hope you gleaned from the various answers that hardly anyone does it that way... and that our answers were just trying to explain to you why. Believe what you will my friend... not my job to try to convince someone who has his mind made up. Good luck with your experiment.
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You are correct idk where he flipped out on this but i have to give you a hand up on this one.. all you did was give him some good pointers to what will be a problem for later on.. so idk what reporting he can do but owell you tryed...
 
Ganjagrowergu said:
Bearings went on my old inline fan a couple months back. I ordered a new one but was forced to seal my tent at lights out with only a box fan circulating the air in the tent. 3 days, went from a potentially awesome harvest to an early mold induced harvest resulting in hundreds of immature seeds.
DDA#1

DDA#1


Moldy buds

Moldy buds


Moldy buds

Moldy buds


Moldy buds

Moldy buds


Just my experience, not a professional by any means. Just answering the original post.
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Yikes that sucks i hope to never incounter mold like that
 
I think why this thread went astray is because there are actually 2 issues at hand, first, about airflow and what is benificial or not benificial scenarios for air flow and plant health, and second, whether or not the carbon filter will reduce or eliminate the smell or not in a recirculated situation.

I think if these 2 issues were addressed separately, there may be a better outcome of the advice offered to you.

I personally am actually venting my 8 foot tent directly into my grow room area, since it is very low humidity here in the winter, and it keeps my room warmer than if I vented it outside, without making it too humid inside. This seems to be working thus far.

I've got a 40" carbon filter, and an 8" 750cfm fan, and I'm not smelling anything at all in my grow room.

Keep the moisture in check, and all is healthy and happy, mold is not your friend :)
 
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