Odor control question

[Jon]

I grow in a place where odor is of some concern. In both my 5x5s I have very good air circulation control for both intake air and exhaust air, plenty of power, and a high-quality 6" carbon filter. This proved to work just fine for my first grow (only one 5x5 growing Surfr Seeds Pineapple Upside Down Cake, not too stinky while growing). I had zero odor issues.

This grow starting next week is going to be the following strains, all from seed:

Humboldt Seed Company Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Blueberry
Hulkberry
Dutch Passion Cinderella Jack auto
Barney's Farms Gorilla Zkittlez auto

This is my second grow, and my first time running two tents. Obviously I have never grown any of the above mentioned strains. So I have a little concern that there may be some stinky awaiting me that far exceeds that of the first grow. I understand that it is not uncommon for stinky strains to overwhelm a 6" carbon filter.

SO...my question is, can I just add a second carbon filter to a tent and effectively "double" my smell removal capabilities? It would be simple enough and inexpensive enough to grab an extra filter and cheap exhaust fan, and my tents have the unused round duct ports. That's where my logic takes me.

I would very much appreciate any commentary/feedback on this, and/or if anyone has grown any of those strains and could comment on the stinky factor of them, and if there are any other easy/inexpensive ways to control odor. Thanks in advance!

 

[Backlipslide]

Barney's Farms Gorilla Zkittlez auto

I haven’t grown any of the seeds you labeled off but this one is a common strain to see around here...

Now, I gotta go back up and take a better read at this and see if I can come up with a better answer

 

[Backlipslide]

Welcome to 420 mag btw!!

 

[Listersmeghead]

Simply, yes you can 2 filters/exhaust, it will change the temps/circulation in the tent, but can be dialled back in.

Having 2 exhausts may overwhelm your intake fan, I'd possibly change to passive intake. That will also free up your intake fan to become the second exhaust fan.

 

[Backlipslide]

So... the best thing I could think of, I’d have the two tents vented together, with a fresh air intake entering into both.

how tall are you’re tents?

I would say, buy another online fan, and carbon air filter. Hang the first one inside the first tent. Going to the second tent, where a second carbon air filter and in-line fan is set up (maybe the one inline fan you have will be enough I’m not sure)

the second carbon filter will pull from the second tent, and out the extraction point.
Now there is other ways you could set it up, I.e. both tent vented together with the in-line fan and carbon air filter/filters sitting outside the tent. You can get as creative as you feel. Assess the situation and add as necessary.

you may need one or two of the 6” ducting T connectors. It’s absolutely doable though!

 

[Backlipslide]

Simply, yes you can 2 filters/exhaust, it will change the temps/circulation in the tent, but can be dialled back in.

Having 2 exhausts may overwhelm your intake fan, I'd possibly change to passive intake. That will also free up your intake fan to become the second exhaust fan.

Great answer!

 

[VetSmoke85]

Also I'd add that if you had two with the fans dialled down on a controller it will make the filters more efficient. Slower air movement through the filter will absorb more of the smell.

 

[Backlipslide]

Also I'd add that if you had two with the fans dialled down on a controller it will make the filters more efficient. Slower air movement through the filter will absorb more of the smell.

I agree to a certain extent, because as long as you have the proper CFM circulating through the tent, it shouldn’t matter at what speed it’s being pulled out at, because if the proper CFM is calculated and you have a fan or fans that exceed that CFM number then it should only be extracting at the speed given to properly maintain the proper CFM for his two tents.

if he’s under the CFM then it will be pulling out at a slower pace, but now you’re not getting the proper cubic feet per minute extracted from the tent... then a person will run into heat issues... it’s a slippery slope lol

 

[Jon]

Welcome to 420 mag btw!!

Thank you!

 

[Jon]

Simply, yes you can 2 filters/exhaust, it will change the temps/circulation in the tent, but can be dialled back in.

Having 2 exhausts may overwhelm your intake fan, I'd possibly change to passive intake. That will also free up your intake fan to become the second exhaust fan.

I get that, and thanks. I guess I can't mention my brands, but my upper level exhaust is 420 cfm and has an eight speed variable adjustment, and my intake fan (which I don't even use when I can get away with it) is lower than that in cfm but not by much, and is also variable. Meaning I was thinking that since I would have variability on each exhaust as well as on the intake, I should be able to maintain negative pressure without the problem you mention becoming an issue. Does that make sense? All I'm trying to do is maintain negative pressure, right?

 

[Jon]

So... the best thing I could think of, I’d have the two tents vented together, with a fresh air intake entering into both.

how tall are you’re tents?

I would say, buy another online fan, and carbon air filter. Hang the first one inside the first tent. Going to the second tent, where a second carbon air filter and in-line fan is set up (maybe the one inline fan you have will be enough I’m not sure)

the second carbon filter will pull from the second tent, and out the extraction point.
Now there is other ways you could set it up, I.e. both tent vented together with the in-line fan and carbon air filter/filters sitting outside the tent. You can get as creative as you feel. Assess the situation and add as necessary.

you may need one or two of the 6” ducting T connectors. It’s absolutely doable though!

Hmm...cool. Thanks for the detailed response! So here's a question regarding your idea (and it would have never occurred to me to vent the tents together!): I'm growing autos in one tent and photoperiod in the other. The autos will be done way earlier, obviously. So then what? Could I just stuff the venting at the right spot with insulation or something to block off that now unnecessary intake to the T, and adjust the fans/venting etc.. in the photoperiod tent as necessary? My one tent is 6'11" tall and the other is 7'11" tall. Close enough to accommodate flexible ducting, easy.

 

[Jon]

I agree to a certain extent, because as long as you have the proper CFM circulating through the tent, it shouldn’t matter at what speed it’s being pulled out at, because if the proper CFM is calculated and you have a fan or fans that exceed that CFM number then it should only be extracting at the speed given to properly maintain the proper CFM for his two tents.

if he’s under the CFM then it will be pulling out at a slower pace, but now you’re not getting the proper cubic feet per minute extracted from the tent... then a person will run into heat issues... it’s a slippery slope lol

Isn't the whole CFM thing about a bottom line of maintaining negative pressure so that the air is replaced completely in the tent every two minutes or whatever it is? And isn't it best to try and maintain your tent using as little negative pressure as you can get away with based on heat from lights, temperature around the tent, etc? Especially if, as in my case, you're using two Exhale Co2 bags in each tent and you don't want it to just be sucked right out? That's kind of how I approached it on my first grow and it worked out perfectly. And the variability on my fans gave me the ability to crank it up when I had to, like if it was 100 degrees outside and therefore my tent in the garage got hotter or when I needed to affect the humidity or whatever.

 

[bluter]

put both tents in a common (lung) room.
both tents need to be scrubbed and exhausted in to the lung room. the lung room is then scrubbed and exhausted to outdoor.

that's how you run massive grows and not see bars in your future. i did it for years. you may have some odour indoor within the room itself.

you need three scrubbers and three fans to accomplish it.

edit: you can use smaller cheaper ones for the tents. the lung room scrubber and fan needs to have both power and capacity enough for the space.

 

[Backlipslide]

So when you build you’re ducting in between the tents, you can add another fitting, that has a lever on the side, making it assessable to turn the air flow on and off to the first tent.

you can also have an extra few feet of flexible tubing i between the T and the cond tent, then put a loop in the tubing. Once you create a corner, the light won’t pass through the tube.

 

[Jon]

put both tents in a common (lung) room.
both tents need to be scrubbed and exhausted in to the lung room. the lung room is then scrubbed and exhausted to outdoor.

that's how you run massive grows and not see bars in your future. i did it for years. you may have some odour indoor within the room itself.

you need three scrubbers and three fans to accomplish it.

Ha! Thanks for the response! Yeah, my odor control issue is not a legal concern, it's a roommates find the odor offensive to a high degree concern. Roommates from whom I rent. Lol. So our agreement is that it's all good as long as they don't have to smell it.

 

[bluter]

i don't like venting one tent to the other as it preloads the air with moisture heading in to tent 2.

Ha! Thanks for the response! Yeah, my odor control issue is not a legal concern, it's a roommates find the odor offensive to a high degree concern. Roommates from whom I rent. Lol. So our agreement is that it's all good as long as they don't have to smell it.

it's one of the best ways to control odour both indoor and outdoor. no one ever knew we had over 600 sq ft of grow going when standing in the room beside it. we set up a few professional grows for folk.

 

[Jon]

So when you build you’re ducting in between the tents, you can add another fitting, that has a lever on the side, making it assessable to turn the air flow on and off to the first tent.

you can also have an extra few feet of flexible tubing i between the T and the cond tent, then put a loop in the tubing. Once you create a corner, the light won’t pass through the tube.

Right! I hadn't considered the light leak potential, I was only thinking about airflow. Good point, thanks. Actually, damn, now that I think about it, that's a potentially lifesaving point that could be the difference between "where the hell are these hermies coming from?" and not. Lol.

 

[Backlipslide]

Right! I hadn't considered the light leak potential, I was only thinking about airflow. Good point, thanks. Actually, damn, now that I think about it, that's a potentially lifesaving point that could be the difference between "where the hell are these hermies coming from?" and not. Lol.

@bluter has a good point with venting the tents together. Also something that should be considered as well.

i don't like venting one tent to the other as it preloads the air with moisture heading in to tent 2

 

[VetSmoke85]

Not positive but could a simple solution be to upgrade to maybe an 8" filter with a 6" reducer? Just throwing out ideas. Lol.

 

[Jon]

Not positive but could a simple solution be to upgrade to maybe an 8" filter with a 6" reducer? Just throwing out ideas. Lol.

Appreciate the ideas. I think I'm just going to go with two separate and completely self contained tents and take my chances on the odor. If I need to grab another carbon filter setup or keep the garage door cracked open all the time so be it. I'll figure out the CFM differences and stabilize it if I have to go the second filter route. My photoperiod grow is going to be a Humboldt SC scrog of two Pineapple Upside Down Cakes and two Jelly Rancher. The Jelly Rancher is a new strain that flowers in the same time frame as the PUC and was recommended as a good side by side grow - but my understanding is that both strains are going to grow LOUD. Lol. So we'll see how it goes. It'll be in the grow journal.