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GrowFAQ : Odor
control

How to build an inexpensive carbon air
scrubber?

Added by:
10k  Last edited by:
~shabang~  Viewed: 422 times

Rated by 12 users:
9.58/10

Contributed by: GeeO

Building a carbon scrubber for de-odorizing
stinky grows.

The design is such that there
is no back pressure on the grow box exhaust fan, and
there is maximum surface area for the exhaust air to
contact the carbon.

The basic parts list:

2"x2"s and 1/4" plywood sheets, cut to the size of
the furnace filters being used
4 furnace filters

4 to 5 lbs. of activated carbon
A set of four
casters (wheels)
Duck tape, screws and four *hanger
bolts 2" long by 1/4-20 with wingnuts and washers to
fasten one removable side for filter servicing.

*Hanger bolts are machine threaded on one end and
wood screw threads on the other end.

It
starts with the frame construction:

In this
example, the measurements of the box, furnace/fibre
filters etc...
the scrubber is ~ 17" x 26" x 48"
tall... the furnace filters are 16" x 25" x 1", though
they are really only 3/4" thick. But again, your design
dimensions will depend on the furnace filter size you
choose based on the design criteria.

Wheels for mobility, and a wire screen on
the bottom to hold the weight
of the de-odorizing
filter without the filter buckling.

Using 4 furnace filters and 4 1/2 lbs. of
activated carbon to make
a dual layer de-odorizing
filter. 2 furnace filters on the bottom,
then a
layer of carbon, another furnace filter, another layer
of carbon,
and a furnace filter on top.

Carbon layer number one.

Carbon layer number two.

Tape up the carbon/screen layers, and then tape
to the base,
creating a completely sealed bottom.

Add the walls and top.

Precut the input air opening before attaching
the sides,
and add appropriate interface hardware.

Tape up the box seams with duct tape (the
metal tape is best),
and it's ready for action.

Design criteria and further comments

The design is solid and works well at eliminating
that smell
as long as the following criteria is
observed:
For every one (1) cubic feet of exhaust
air to scrub:
Have a minimum of 1.25 ounces of
activated carbon.
Have at least 8 square inches of
filter surface area.

The concept has been tested
for several months with multiple grows of the smelliest
stuff available. not only does it work well during the
grow, but the same technology has been used successfully
in drying chambers to eliminate the odor of drying bud
(sometimes far worse than the grow itself).

Ionizers are a waste of money to ganja growers.
I did try the design with an ionizer inside the
enclosure, no difference.
I have also used ozone and
found it to be very effective in conjunction
with
carbon for larger grows where the design criteria could
not be met (too much air flow for the filters used), but
the ozone is after the carbon and not before, since
carbon absorbs ozone, and i want the carbon to saturate
as much as possible with bud stink, then the ozone to
clean up the rest.

The carbon is changed every
three (3) months or so, and so far, it has not reached
saturation within that time period.

Some Q
& A about the carbon air scrubber

Why is
the box so big?
To eliminate back pressure on the
exhaust fan to maximize air movement through the grow
box. I am sure the overall dimensions can be scaled
down, though I am not sure to what dimensions.

Could you do this to a regular grow box?

Yes, although you want all of the workings in the
top of the box. Exhaust fan, carbon filter, etc.,
venting out of the top of the enclosure.

Where
did you purchase the carbon?
The neighborhood
fish/aquarium store has the pricey stuff, at around $10+
per 2.25 lbs. It comes alot cheaper, though you might
have to change it out more often. Mail-order fish supply
places over the net are the way to go when purchasing
bulk activated carbon/charcoal.

Last modified: 06:26 - Nov 23,
2001

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faq:1152 "How to build an inexpensive carbon air
scrubber?"