Carbon filter slows down extractor immensely?

[hazeluv69]

Hi all, straight to it; my carbon filter which I have been using for well over a year now slows down my extractor fan quiet a bit, I first thought it was the fan so I bought a new one. My temperature with the carbon filter attached (lights on) would now be anywhere from 30-35 degrees Celsius . Took off the carbon filter and guess what the temps were and are lovely mid 20s lights on. My issue and question is, should I buy a new carbon filter or is it going to give me the same problem as the filter I am using where it is slowing my fan speed down so much my temperatures are rising like crazy! Any input would be helpful!

set up: 1.2x2m tent , 4inch fan 4inch extractor. Currently in veg

 

[Bill284]

Hi all, straight to it; my carbon filter which I have been using for well over a year now slows down my extractor fan quiet a bit, I first thought it was the fan so I bought a new one. My temperature with the carbon filter attached (lights on) would now be anywhere from 30-35 degrees Celsius . Took off the carbon filter and guess what the temps were and are lovely mid 20s lights on. My issue and question is, should I buy a new carbon filter or is it going to give me the same problem as the filter I am using where it is slowing my fan speed down so much my temperatures are rising like crazy! Any input would be helpful!

set up: 1.2x2m tent , 4inch fan 4inch extractor. Currently in veg

Hey @hazeluv69 how are you my friend.
My 6" carbon filter came with a sock that acts as a pre filter.
The only time I turn it off is to clean the cover. If I ran the filter bare it would have plugged up and I'd be stuck.
If you get a filter bigger than your fan it will improve your air flow immensely.
6" fan-8" filter. 4" fan -6" filter. Try and improve air flow into tent.
Bill

 

[VetSmoke85]

Seen some people have had issues with filters clogging up with calcium deposits from running humidifiers. Not sure if you're running one or not. Most filters tend to last 12-18 months.

 

[bobrown14]

You can clean out your filter.

If you have a grill outside - put it in there on the lowest setting and cook it for an hour.

Let it cool, run a hose water thru it for a minute or 2 and let it dry. Shake and put back into service.

Carbon is an element - all it will do is get dirty. You can cook off the dirt, the carbon since its an element wont change with under 350F. It can change at much higher temps but not at low setting in a grill. All you're doing is cooking off the dirt.

 

[1ne eye]

Mine was plugging up dew to the humidifier, legal to grow here so i removed the filter and just put some window sceen over the end of the fan, what a diff, smell never gets to bad, but if your worried about smell you will need the filter. Also i ended up not using the humidifier seems to leave a film on everything, RO low in the beginning 25 RO but as the plants start to get bigger seems they make there own which stays around 40-45 RO, they always seem to be happy.

 

[bobrown14]

not too worried about the police cause I'm white, but steelers another worry.

 

[hazeluv69]

Hmm thanks for all the info guys , still thinking about all of this most probably will buy a new filter but hope it does not slow my fan down immensely, & in addition I can run a 4inch fan and a 6inch filter how does that work? I should be fine as I have a 4 inch rhino fan, can I use any brand 4inch carbon?

 

[hazeluv69]

You can clean out your filter.

If you have a grill outside - put it in there on the lowest setting and cook it for an hour.

Let it cool, run a hose water thru it for a minute or 2 and let it dry. Shake and put back into service.

Carbon is an element - all it will do is get dirty. You can cook off the dirt, the carbon since its an element wont change with under 350F. It can change at much higher temps but not at low setting in a grill. All you're doing is cooking off the dirt.

I do not have an outdoor grill is there another way to do this? I previously cleaned the carbon filter sock with water and so much black stuff came out but I never have cleaned the actual filter itself

 

[Skunksta]

a good start before u cook buy a new sock , and blow it out i use my wet hoover i use in grow room. I was
so shocked at how much dust came out. Also i tend to run my flitter external now and use a sock on the end
of my ducting in my tent much easier to remove clean use a new one.Also my air flow defo went up 10/15%.

 

[Emilya Green]

After a good years worth of use it is a good bet that your carbon has gathered up all that it can and now instead of allowing air to flow through, it is acting more like it is clogged up. Just heat is not going to clean your carbon filter. Sorry. Cleaning and reactivating your carbon is easy to do, but there is a process that needs to be followed and shortcuts or low heat do not work.

empty your filter and put the dirty carbon in a 5 or 10 gallon bucket. Using the garden hose and a stick, apply water and stir, making sure to stay out of the nasty thick yellow smoke that erupts out of the bucket. The water will get very hot, but keep applying it and stirring, for a good 5 or 10 minutes until all of the stored gasses and trapped contaminants are released and the water stops boiling.

Now you have clean, non activated carbon. To activate it again (to open the pores), put it in a big pan in your BBQ grill on high heat, 500° or more, and cook it until it starts to turn grey on the edges. Low heat will not be adequate for this job. This opens up the pores again, and reactivates the carbon. You will lose about 2-5% of your carbon in this process, but it is cheap to add back more... much cheaper than a new filter.

 

[423]

Hmm thanks for all the info guys , still thinking about all of this most probably will buy a new filter but hope it does not slow my fan down immensely, & in addition I can run a 4inch fan and a 6inch filter how does that work? I should be fine as I have a 4 inch rhino fan, can I use any brand 4inch carbon?

I used a common plumbing fitting +duct tape to do that. It was close and I used some foam weatherstripping to make up the difference.
It was 4" clay TO 4" plastic, ruber with a wormclamp on both ends.

Less vibrations too.

 

[013]

hardware stores carry a 4 to 6 inch duct adapter but 423 is spot on rubber plumbing adapter to reduce vibration.