Help - What went wrong? Setup equipment or user error?

[hoosier daddy]

Quick background; did my first grow (in 15yrs) a while back and had issues with venting my setup. Originally, I was setup in a room down in the basement and venting straight into the attic. That was until my wife had some work done on our satellite dish unbeknownst to me and the cable dude made some wise comment to me about the "peculiar" smell in the attic. Well that's all it took; the entire setup was out by 6am the next morning.
Didn't want to become a statistic.
After a post to this forum and reading extensively on this forum and others, a carbon filter seemed be the answer to my problem. Subsequently, I purchased the following items:
2x 6" 450CFM Hydroponic Air Carbon Filter Odor Control Scrubber for Inline Exhaust
6" flange SIZE:20" Long & 1.25" Thickness of coconut shell activated carbon. Brand name: Yescom (not sure why I purchased 2, old habit)
2x VenTech 6" Inline Duct Booster Blower Fan of 190 440 720 CFM (1 fan is for backup)
Apollo Horticulture 48"x48"x80" Mylar Hydroponic Grow Tent
3x 10" Elbow ducts with dampers
2x 6" Flexible ducts x 25'
6" Insulated flexible duct x 25' (used insulated to cut down on the noise)
6" Aluminum flexible duct x 8'
Shitload of duct tape

With the possibility of going to jail, no expense was spared.

SET UP
Inside the tent were 2 small oscillating fans and a 600 watt, MH/HPS enclosed hood with 2 x 6" flanges front & back. The back vent was left open and the front vent was connected to the aluminum flexible duct. The aluminum duct exited the tent through a side porthole. The aluminum flexible duct was then connected with a coupling to the insulated flexible duct. Used about 10 feet of the insulated duct to connect to the inline fan. The inline fan was enclosed inside a cheap ottoman I purchased from Wally World. The exit side of the inline fan was connected to another 10-foot-long piece of the insulated duct and that connected directly to the carbon filter. I used a lot of duct tape at all connections.
Air was supplied to the tent by 2 x 10" elbow duct with dampers that set on each side of the tent and 2 x 6" flexible ducts that entered through 2 portholes on the roof. Tent and filter were all enclosed in a separate room in the basement.
GROW
1 x BlimBum Sour Diesel, 1 x Delicious Sugar Black Rose and 2 freebies from Herbies, Afghan Kush & Chronic Haze. Props to Herbies and their freebies, the Chronic Haze was amazing. Free too.
Hydro setup nothing special.
Everything was going as planned with the new setup. I did have some issues with the reverse air pressure in the tent, but eventually it was all good.
Once I flipped the girls to the bloom cycle though, all bets were off. It smelled like a "shelter for homeless skunks" or the men's restroom at a truck stop. A mix between the smell of shit and diesel fuel. LOL. My wife kept accusing our poor old dog of "messing" in our house. Too funny.
About 25 days into flowering I replaced the filter with the other filter I had for backup and I started to leave the inline fan running 24/7 and still no help.
Ended up pulling the Afghan Kush at day 45 of flowering because I simple ran out of room.
Finally pulled everything on day 74 of flowering and used the tent to dry the girls. My dumbass thought if I stopped the grow and pulled everything, the smell would diminish. Wrong. It only intensified!!
I had removed everything from the tent except the 3 girls and the 2 fans. Pulled the insulated duct through the side porthole, when I removed the light. Inline fan was running 24/7. Still smellin like a shelter for skunks and/or the men's restroom.
I attempted to be as through as possible, not to try and bore everyone to death, but to try and get more suggestions than questions.
If I can't get the smell knocked down, it's curtains for my growing days at the crib.
Peace,

 

[bignugz420]

Quick background; did my first grow (in 15yrs) a while back and had issues with venting my setup. Originally, I was setup in a room down in the basement and venting straight into the attic. That was until my wife had some work done on our satellite dish unbeknownst to me and the cable dude made some wise comment to me about the "peculiar" smell in the attic. Well that's all it took; the entire setup was out by 6am the next morning.
Didn't want to become a statistic.
After a post to this forum and reading extensively on this forum and others, a carbon filter seemed be the answer to my problem. Subsequently, I purchased the following items:
2x 6" 450CFM Hydroponic Air Carbon Filter Odor Control Scrubber for Inline Exhaust
6" flange SIZE:20" Long & 1.25" Thickness of coconut shell activated carbon. Brand name: Yescom (not sure why I purchased 2, old habit)
2x VenTech 6" Inline Duct Booster Blower Fan of 190 440 720 CFM (1 fan is for backup)
Apollo Horticulture 48"x48"x80" Mylar Hydroponic Grow Tent
3x 10" Elbow ducts with dampers
2x 6" Flexible ducts x 25'
6" Insulated flexible duct x 25' (used insulated to cut down on the noise)
6" Aluminum flexible duct x 8'
Shitload of duct tape

With the possibility of going to jail, no expense was spared.

SET UP
Inside the tent were 2 small oscillating fans and a 600 watt, MH/HPS enclosed hood with 2 x 6" flanges front & back. The back vent was left open and the front vent was connected to the aluminum flexible duct. The aluminum duct exited the tent through a side porthole. The aluminum flexible duct was then connected with a coupling to the insulated flexible duct. Used about 10 feet of the insulated duct to connect to the inline fan. The inline fan was enclosed inside a cheap ottoman I purchased from Wally World. The exit side of the inline fan was connected to another 10-foot-long piece of the insulated duct and that connected directly to the carbon filter. I used a lot of duct tape at all connections.
Air was supplied to the tent by 2 x 10" elbow duct with dampers that set on each side of the tent and 2 x 6" flexible ducts that entered through 2 portholes on the roof. Tent and filter were all enclosed in a separate room in the basement.
GROW
1 x BlimBum Sour Diesel, 1 x Delicious Sugar Black Rose and 2 freebies from Herbies, Afghan Kush & Chronic Haze. Props to Herbies and their freebies, the Chronic Haze was amazing. Free too.
Hydro setup nothing special.
Everything was going as planned with the new setup. I did have some issues with the reverse air pressure in the tent, but eventually it was all good.
Once I flipped the girls to the bloom cycle though, all bets were off. It smelled like a "shelter for homeless skunks" or the men's restroom at a truck stop. A mix between the smell of shit and diesel fuel. LOL. My wife kept accusing our poor old dog of "messing" in our house. Too funny.
About 25 days into flowering I replaced the filter with the other filter I had for backup and I started to leave the inline fan running 24/7 and still no help.
Ended up pulling the Afghan Kush at day 45 of flowering because I simple ran out of room.
Finally pulled everything on day 74 of flowering and used the tent to dry the girls. My dumbass thought if I stopped the grow and pulled everything, the smell would diminish. Wrong. It only intensified!!
I had removed everything from the tent except the 3 girls and the 2 fans. Pulled the insulated duct through the side porthole, when I removed the light. Inline fan was running 24/7. Still smellin like a shelter for skunks and/or the men's restroom.
I attempted to be as through as possible, not to try and bore everyone to death, but to try and get more suggestions than questions.
If I can't get the smell knocked down, it's curtains for my growing days at the crib.
Peace,

I hate using them but ozone generators. I own a uvnoir 5000 and it kills smells mold spores and anything else you csn think of

 

[bignugz420]

I have the same one. They work great, but at a cost. Keep at a distance from garden as it can kill plants. Also run on a timer of 15 on every hour. No more than that. Also don't be in the same room as it's running. Phat Farm carbon filter are the best but are expensive. I have 2 in one tent and one in another tent. I like to use one suspend Incorporated into light and cool it down. Other is a scrubber to clean room from the floor. You give up space but to me it's worth it. The only time it smells is when the tent opens. Also get a speed controller so you can dial it in for perfect noise. They are LOUD. HOPE THIS HELPS

my new dwc Afghan Kush run and flowering mothers

 

[Dwight Monk]

Idea I never would have thought of that I found wandering around the Forums, no idea how well it works but seems plausible:

How Can I Vent Through The Sewer?

Wouldn't work probably in an apartment/multi dwelling unit, but might in a single unit house.

 

[CookieMan]

I think you are using the wrong fans. you said you're using booster fans. Those don't have the power you need to scrub the smell. You need a centrifugal fan and then use a booster fan if you have a lot of ducting.

 

[Rider509]

You have a couple of things working against you.

1. Airflow resistance through miles of ducting. Each elbow adds more resistance to flow.
2. Fans work much better when pulling air through a system than when pushing.
3. Total airflow is limited by the most restrictive point. That may be the 450CFM filter.
4. Those particular Yescom filters are very poorly rated on Amazon.

Filter(s) - fan, or filter(s) - light - fan. In a tent that size you shouldn't need to vent though single 600W MH/HPS to keep heat down.
Run your setup with the filter(s) right before the light if you chose to vent it. I'd recommend you don't. You have two filters. Use them both with a Y-connector. Eliminate as many elbows and miles of ducting as possible.

Running both filters will give you the potential of 900CFM. Your fan at max is 720 and likely sounds like a turboprop taking off. A higher capacity fan will allow you to vent the grow room effectively at lower fan speeds if noise is a problem. I assume it is since the fan is buried in an ottoman.

Seriously consider a new charcoal filter. Read the ratings and comments on Amazon even if you aren't planning on purchasing there.
Good luck!

 

[bignugz420]

You have a couple of things working against you.

1. Airflow resistance through miles of ducting. Each elbow adds more resistance to flow.
2. Fans work much better when pulling air through a system than when pushing.
3. Total airflow is limited by the most restrictive point. That may be the 450CFM filter.
4. Those particular Yescom filters are very poorly rated on Amazon.

Filter(s) - fan, or filter(s) - light - fan. In a tent that size you shouldn't need to vent though single 600W MH/HPS to keep heat down.
Run your setup with the filter(s) right before the light if you chose to vent it. I'd recommend you don't. You have two filters. Use them both with a Y-connector. Eliminate as many elbows and miles of ducting as possible.

Running both filters will give you the potential of 900CFM. Your fan at max is 720 and likely sounds like a turboprop taking off. A higher capacity fan will allow you to vent the grow room effectively at lower fan speeds if noise is a problem. I assume it is since the fan is buried in an ottoman.

Seriously consider a new charcoal filter. Read the ratings and comments on Amazon even if you aren't planning on purchasing there.
Good luck!

Check out hydropharm phat Farm carbon filter. I have 3 of them. In a 4*4*7 tent I run 2 of them for flowering, in my other tent just one as a scrubber. All of them are 4" by 12" long. That is enough to kill all odor UNTIL tent gets opened. But I walk in my home no odor. I walk in room with tents slight odor but minimal. So I will always recommend these

they are light so easy to suspend and work amazing only problem is price which where I go is 100.00 buck per filter not include fan. My inline fans are 440cfm and I use speed dialer to get the best room airv exchange. Hope this helps. Just remember never skimp on odor or light two most important thing in my room's in my opinion

my new dwc Afghan Kush run and flowering mothers

 

[hoosier daddy]

An ozone generator is an option, but shit, I don't want to die or kill my pets. Maybe I'll try a different brand name carbon filter first, although Amazon did rate the "Yescom" filter a four plus. Both filters are riveted together, so I might disassemble and fill with a different carbon.
As far as my duct runs to and from, I have no elbow or turns in the duct except the turn in the aluminum flexible duct coming from the hood.

I'm no expert, but the Ventech seems more then powerful enough for the task at hand.

The sewer is an excellent idea, but too much duct work to get to the sewer pipe. Its crossed my mind more than once.

So I need to run two filters? Puttin one filter on the hood and the other filter on the Ventech's exit?

Enjoy the weekend,

 

[Rider509]

I'd venture to say that your filter isn't up to the task of really stinky weed then! I misunderstood your use of the elbow on the inlet side. I hope you get it sorted before the wife gets rid of the dog. LOL

 

[hawtway]

How Can I Vent Through The Sewer?
Yeesh, venting through sewer. You could Tee in to the sewer stack but you are compromising a sealed system. The stack vents out above the roofline to carry away poison sewer gas that is coming from you and your neighbour's effluent. Sewer gas can and will kill people and animals.

I sent my grow room flavours up the chimney. The roofers kept looking around the yard for a skunk. Okay, got a big-ass overkill can-fan and cam-filter. Not even the wife can smell Pepe le Peeuw now. Better than a farting dog for maintaining a stealthy operation.
Happy growing

 

[bckush]

+2 for Phat filters

I have absolutely no smell at all from mine

 

[hoosier daddy]

Was kinda looking and/or hoping for a quick fix, that would not involve another major expense or a major alteration on the homestead. Plan to put it on the market within the next two years, so cutting holes to run duct or pipe is not an option. Got one kid graduating college this year and the other kid graduates in another year and a half, so my next grow setup will be constructed in an RV. Blazing Trails. Ha.
Thought I’d be safe with a little setup, but the Holidays proved to be more trying than expected. Not sure my kids, the in-laws nor our friends were buying the “dog messes” theory my wife was pushin.

 

[hawtway]

Not sure my kids, the in-laws nor our friends were buying the "dog messes" theory my wife was pushin.
Out in the hempy province of BC, there was a time when small time growers were experimenting with a cross bred called "Cat Piss" which did smell like a dirty cat box. Plan B Get a good fan filter combo so Rover doesn't get one last trip to the vets'.
Happy growing

 

[bckush]

Ona blocks or some other absorbent....my only thoughts for cheap.

 

[hoosier daddy]

Yeah, I’m thinkin about going with a combo; 2 new “Brand Name” carbon filters & some ONA. Plus I’m debating on whether to use corex drain pipe or something similar to that for my runs, instead of the flexible duct. Corex should be air-tight for sure, lower noise & some flexibility in the pipe. Suggestion are Welcome on filter and/or pipe.
I envision my wife putting doggy diapers on my poor dog (a.k.a FallGirl) if I can’t get the smell under control. Ha.

 

[bckush]

Yeah, I'm thinkin about going with a combo; 2 new "Brand Name" carbon filters & some ONA. Plus I'm debating on whether to use corex drain pipe or something similar to that for my runs, instead of the flexible duct. Corex should be air-tight for sure, lower noise & some flexibility in the pipe. Suggestion are Welcome on filter and/or pipe.
I envision my wife putting doggy diapers on my poor dog (a.k.a FallGirl) if I can't get the smell under control. Ha.

I know that its expensive for good smell control but it's a small price to pay for peace of mind. I run an American Horticulture 4" 190 cfm fan and a 4" Phat filter...I had it mounted in the cab but moved it to the attic to free up all my space...it was quite big.

After

In the upper right you can see the exhaust port that runs through a pvc up to the attic where the fans blows through the filter. No smell...but my grow is pretty small by most standards.

This is why you have to have it

Dam that is some stinkin a$$ stuff.

In the end the money you spend now could save you from alot of extra expense later...should you need a lawyer.....just my opinion

 

[hawtway]

You say: "Brand Name" carbon filters & some ONA
Please keep that ONA far away from my girls. The only thing worse is Febreeze to give me a skull-buster headache.

My home-built carbon filter does a pretty good job before heavy flowering but the Can-Filter and Can-Fan eliminate Pepe lePeuw. I also flip on an ozone generator half an hour before opening my tent because my wife smells better than a blood-hound. Come to think of it, she smells better than a lot of things

Happy growing,

 

[hoosier daddy]

I didn’t see any filters or venting bckush?? All I saw were those pretty, pretty ladies with those nice boobs, I mean buds. Ha ha. After my run-in with the cable dude, I don’t feel the attic is an option. I do have a 45-foot-tall chimney that I could vent from, but that would require three “new” holes to get behind the fire wall and access to the chimney. The return on my investment would only be two years, not worth it to me.
I see you run one filter inside your setup, which I have not attempted. I purchased two fans, so I could run one filter inside the tent and run the other fan/filter outside the tent, venting the light.
My first thought was to connect one filter to the back of the hood light, then run the corrugated pipe out the tent onto the fan & second filter combo. Phat carbon filters seem to get some good reviews & probably my choice.