It's time to add another carbon filter, curently I have a 6" vivosun, but it's time is almost up. Probably get another, but wondering if there are better choices? Either 6" or 8". I have to flange a 6" as my fans are 8" but I can do that. Duct tape is a wonderful thing!
Looking for recommendations 6" or 8" carbon filter
- Thread starter Phytoplankton
- Start date
If you use a fan controller, RVK runs smooth with a Rhino filter
- Thread starter
- #3
Old school, no controller. Unless you mean a timer, that I have.
Vegan4life
Well-Known Member
Last year I bought a "Can-Lite Mini Carbon Filter 8 Inch x 25 Inch, 800 CFM". It was a little pricey, I paid $165 USD + tax and shipping. It is holding up so far, it works well. I have it connected to AC Infinity 8" exhaust fan (with temp/humidity controller). I had a AC infinity filter prior to this one and it did not last... Before that one I had was "Hydro crunch" that I bought at Home Depot website. The Hydro Crunch filter was actually better than the AC Infinity filter.
Happy Shopping...
Happy Shopping...
Vegan4life
Well-Known Member
I have a Vivosun carbon filter, too, well, a 4" anyway. It's worked well to manage the dank for several crops in my little closet and did double duty as a warm air exhaust. It came in a very convenient kit with variable speed inline fan, 4" hose and clamps at a good price.
German made industrial fans which last for yearsWhat is "RVK"?
RVK Fan | Global Air Supplies
The RVK fan is an industry staple. Ideal for use as an extractor or intake fan. Suitable to ventilate wet or damp rooms. Available at Global Air Supplies.
www.globalairsupplies.co.uk
Mountain Air is the best carb I've bought, hands down.
Little pricey but has 3yr warranty
Little pricey but has 3yr warranty
Whatever you get, make sure that the filter's rated capacity is greater than your exhaust fan's maximum rated airflow. Which usually means not running a 6" filter with an 8" fan, lol.
AC Infinity is a pretty well known brand, but a lot of their products, especially their newer stuff, appears to be manufactured in the PRC and on par with other Chinese products. In fact, I was looking at one of their fans (newer "Lite" line 6" fan with integrated temperature sensor / speed controller) and a Mars Hydro one, and about the only difference I saw was that the plate in the middle section of one had "AC Infinity" on it, and the plate on in the middle section of the other had "Mars Hydro" on it. I asked MH if they were the company that manufactured ACI's fans for it, but all I heard back was... crickets. So IDK. Close your eyes and pick one, I guess
. With that having been "said," I do like that the AC Infinity fan can be programmed to have a maximum speed/airflow, and that it will monitor temperature and speed up the fan as necessary, but not go above your set maximum. <SHRUGS> Which I assume the MH one can also do
.I've read that RVK fans are pretty decent.
Dayton blowers used to last decades in people's forced air furnaces, even without getting the few drops of oil per year that the company recommended. IDK whether that's still true, though. But "old junk furnaces" were once a good way to score a free HD fan that merely needed a good cleaning and lubrication.
pay attention to this if you need to be stealth.
i've got a 15yr old 6 inch snail that we took down to 5 for the exhaust piping. it's not adjustable and it pulls way too much through my filter. it was meant for a much larger area.
Doctor Trevor
Well-Known Member
Have you tried cleaning the filter?
Recently, while cleaning my pre-filter, I noticed that my filter was covered in white substance. It was definitely causing the fan to work harder. Someone, here, suggesting cleaning it with a plastic brush. I did it and that substance came off quickly.
Recently, while cleaning my pre-filter, I noticed that my filter was covered in white substance. It was definitely causing the fan to work harder. Someone, here, suggesting cleaning it with a plastic brush. I did it and that substance came off quickly.
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
I like my large can-Filters, mainly because I can open them up and clean and re-activate the 16lbs of carbon in there, reseal it up and use it for another year. I own 2 of them and have been using them for about 10 years.
i kept a couple can filters around for that reason. you can also do an h202 soak and bake them to clear and reactivate the original charcoal. you'll get a couple more years before you need to open them up and replace it.
if you meant me, there's nothing that lands on the filter the snail won't suck through and expel ... dust and tiny insects don't stand a chance
at this point i might just run it open. we're legal and i barely care. my flower room is at my folks place, my mom keeps the flower room door open a bunch of the time cause she likes the smell in the house.
the veg room extractor and filter is a lot more sane. it's where i live and i like my neighbours lol
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
I don't know about the h202 soak. What I do is pour the carbon pellets into a 10 gallon bucket, way away from view and preferably at night. With the garden hose, I start adding water. Dirty carbon violently expels impurities when it is mixed with water. This creates a violent bubbling, lots of heat and a very thick yellow acrid smoke. If neighbors see it, they will say wtf. Downwind folks will definitely smell it. I keep adding water while stirring with a 2x4x5' wooden stick. This will carry on for quite a while... especially after using the filter for a year or more. Keep stirring and adding water until the reaction stops.
Congratulations, you now have clean, but unactivated carbon.
The next step requires a gas bbq grill with a lid. Cook the carbon pellets in a turkey pan in the grill at 500° for 15-20 minutes, until the edges start turning to ash. The carbon is now water free and activated, ready to filter for another year. In all the moving and cooking you will lose about 3-5% of the original mass of the pellets. Buy a small bag, it is cheap, and refill your filter, being sure to shake it down to eliminate voids as you refill your filter. It costs me less than $10/year to keep my filters going at tip top efficiency.
what i do is fairly close to the same ... and you are right the soak and bake literally release everything it held. the smoke and smell is like everything you've done up to that point released at once ..
choose day no one's around or just go for it ... i've done the bake part before in an oven in an apt building when everyone was at work ...
it only flies cause no one can find the actual source if you are careful ..
The70’s
Well-Known Member
I started with dual 4” infinity’s (one input one output). I dropped the carbon filter and chose to vent outside w/out a filter (it cut down on resistance). Im growing in a 4x4 and feel like i do about amplifiers in my HT rig, go big, let them loaf along and be judicious. My next upgrade will be bluetooth to wifi (infinity controller) and 4” to 8”. For now the dual 4” are ok, one input one output both on controllers.
Nothing better than having a control dial that goes 1 to 10 and only using 2-3. I like over engineering, as long as budget is ok
Nothing better than having a control dial that goes 1 to 10 and only using 2-3. I like over engineering, as long as budget is ok
Probably be ahead to get a decent quality exhaust fan (one designed to work against restriction instead of merely to move air volume) instead of using a second (intake) fan as a crutch.
Although if you have a legal grow, and aren't worried about thieves passing through your neighborhood (or that someone in your neighborhood might know one, and mention the odors of a cannabis grow flowing proudly from your house, I suppose) enough to run a filter, then I guess your fan isn't forced to fight against a restriction now, come to think of it.
Thieves suck - and they don't always do you the favor of being dumb enough to come through the door when you happen to be home to deal with them.
Although if you have a legal grow, and aren't worried about thieves passing through your neighborhood (or that someone in your neighborhood might know one, and mention the odors of a cannabis grow flowing proudly from your house, I suppose) enough to run a filter, then I guess your fan isn't forced to fight against a restriction now, come to think of it.
Thieves suck - and they don't always do you the favor of being dumb enough to come through the door when you happen to be home to deal with them.
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- #19
Not really worried about theives, and I'm in a legal state, BUT, my county is very picky about the smell, if someone smells it and complains, I'll have issues with the Building Inspector. I picked up a 6" mars hydo filter to go with the vivosun I have. The Mars will handle 400 cu ft./minute, my fan (8") puts out 300 cu ft./min. so no worries.