Noob setup questions

[TheCave]

hi guys,

I live in a flat/apartment in a heavily populated and built up area in the UK. After a fair amount of reading and watching grow vids/images and not much being said on the matter, I wondered if you guys could tell me how effective the carbon filters are at dealing with the smell during flowering? is it just a case of the larger the filter the less invasive the smell?

My neighbours know I smoke weed and are cool (as they've smelt it), but I wondered how much worse its going to get if I start a grow? (not a subject I fancy asking they'd be cool with).

• Either going to use a tent in my living area OR make a "room" out of some insulated plasterboard (Kingspan) in the loft space I have. (all opinions considered)
• Planning on using LED lights (many, many helicopters flying overhead)
• no more than 6 plants to start
• growing from seedlings
• Want to use DWC method
• will be making oil with the harvest

About me

• 100% grow noob
• stoner
• cancer sufferer

Thanks!

 

[TheCave]

oh I did do a quick search but didn't see anything related to my question.

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum... noob alert!

 

[Curly Beaver]

If you can ventilate to the "outside" odor shouldn't be a problem. That will also help to control your temp and humidity.

Edit:
The carbon filters do a nice job but ventilate to the outside if possible.

 

[DRM Ranch]

Carbon filters have a finite lifespan, when they stop working it is because the carbon is no longer able to absorb odors.

Larger carbon filters can absorb more odor.

The slower air moves through the filter the more time it has to absorb the odors you want to hide.

You could also look into strains that don't smell as much in the first place.

 

[TheCave]

There's a 10inch filter by RHINO that I was looking at (wasn't sure about hotlinking so decided not to), I figured if I went big on the filter, the smell might not be so bad... maybe I will have to rethink where I put it to accommodate venting. If I use the loft space I can vent into the chimney breast (DIY).

How bad would the smell be with a filter if I couldn't vent outside?

 

[Curly Beaver]

There's a 10inch filter by RHINO that I was looking at (wasn't sure about hotlinking so decided not to), I figured if I went big on the filter, the smell might not be so bad... maybe I will have to rethink where I put it to accommodate venting. If I use the loft space I can vent into the chimney breast (DIY).

How bad would the smell be with a filter if I couldn't vent outside?

I have a good 6" carbon filter and my wife says she could still smell it when she walked in the house. As soon as I ran the duct outside it solved that problem once and for all. I just run it about 25% now.

 

[Lazarus13]

You could always opt for a low odor strain. My first time growing i didn't use a filter at all, just used a few mesh bags with dryer sheets in them hung by the door to my grow area and a few shoved under the door. There was a little detectable smell when you got close to the door during late veg and flowering but if you already smoke in the house there's already a detectable odor. Lol

 

[TheCave]

not smoking at the moment as I just stopped smoking tobacco and finding it hard on the come down not to have a cigarette!

low odour skunk does seem like an oxymoron lol, but hey, I guess I will just have to take the necessary steps to deal with it as best I can.

Can anyone recommend any strains that might fit the "low odour" description?? also are they low odour because of something specific (e.g. don't use certain nutrients etc)? or just naturally.

Northern Lights (dried) tends not to have a strong smell, thoughts?

 

[DRM Ranch]

We cull low odor plants here, but they pop up in breeding projects all the time.

Uvonair CD-800 ozone generator attacks and neutralizes odors at the source!

Combine something like this with the carbon filter for ultimate odor control.

 

[Dave Groomer]

not smoking at the moment as I just stopped smoking tobacco and finding it hard on the come down not to have a cigarette!

low odour skunk does seem like an oxymoron lol, but hey, I guess I will just have to take the necessary steps to deal with it as best I can.

Can anyone recommend any strains that might fit the "low odour" description?? also are they low odour because of something specific (e.g. don't use certain nutrients etc)? or just naturally.

Northern Lights (dried) tends not to have a strong smell, thoughts?

I think you will be fine with a good carbon filter. You should be more concerned with growing strains that are well suited to oil and you cancer. Cannabis Oilers United! - CCO - RSO - CO is a good place to start. It the very first post, you will see links to Making oil, tacking and treating cancer. Head over there and read through those threads. Ask questions of the Oilseeds there and they will tell you what has worked for them. Plenty of guys and gals that have treated their cancers and other illnesses with oil. I am currently treating my MS and my wife is treating for Lyme. Good luck.

 

[DRM Ranch]

I think you will be fine with a good carbon filter. You should be more concerned with growing strains that are well suited to oil and you cancer. Cannabis Oilers United! - CCO - RSO - CO is a good place to start. It the very first post, you will see links to Making oil, tacking and treating cancer. Head over there and read through those threads. Ask questions of the Oilseeds there and they will tell you what has worked for them. Plenty of guys and gals that have treated their cancers and other illnesses with oil. I am currently treating my MS and my wife is treating for Lyme. Good luck.

In a situation where it clearly isn't legal suggesting a carbon filter is enough is a bit reckless in my opinion.

If the OP can't risk jail time and can't go w/o meds, it will pay off in the long run to absolutely make sure odor isn't an issue. The product I mentioned above or an equivalent product available to the OP will keep the vented air odor free when used with a good carbon filter.

Granted finding a good strain that suits your needs is important, but so is staying out of the slammer so you can medicate and retain your freedoms.

Stepping up to being a grower in an area where you need to be covert about it dictates ones actions and decisions be much more careful.

Take care and best of luck to you and your growing venture.

 

[Dave Groomer]

In a situation where it clearly isn't legal suggesting a carbon filter is enough is a bit reckless in my opinion.

If the OP can't risk jail time and can't go w/o meds, it will pay off in the long run to absolutely make sure odor isn't an issue. The product I mentioned above or an equivalent product available to the OP will keep the vented air odor free when used with a good carbon filter.

Granted finding a good strain that suits your needs is important, but so is staying out of the slammer so you can medicate and retain your freedoms.

Stepping up to being a grower in an area where you need to be covert about it dictates ones actions and decisions be much more careful.

Take care and best of luck to you and your growing venture.

I am not sure how recommending a carbon filter is reckless. When I have my tents closed and my fan running, I cannot smell anything in the room.

Most of us who are growing on this site for medical or otherwise are doing it illegally. If you are going to do it, do it right. Keep the smell down with a carbon filter. Keep electric bills down with LEDs. And grow the strains that will work for your cancer. Go to the oiler thread and start asking questions. Cajun or 94xjohn may have a strain to recommend.

 

[DRM Ranch]

I am not sure how recommending a carbon filter is reckless. When I have my tents closed and my fan running, I cannot smell anything in the room.

Most of us who are growing on this site for medical or otherwise are doing it illegally. If you are going to do it, do it right. Keep the smell down with a carbon filter. Keep electric bills down with LEDs. And grow the strains that will work for your cancer. Go to the oiler thread and start asking questions. Cajun or 94xjohn may have a strain to recommend.

Carbon filters alone only do so much and their effectiveness is dependant on many factors.

There is no visible indicator as to when the filter is nearing the end of its useful life and no way at all to quantify quality of the many filters out there.

By way of example if you push the air through a filter too fast you (I should rather say, a fresh nose) can smell the cannabis odor.

My grow is not filtered at all and I don't smell anything, that doesn't mean a passerby can't though. I'm numb to the smell as I'm around it at all times. I'm legal here so it isn't an issue for me to deal with.

My point is that a filter alone is not enough security, at least my ability to take risk is not bold enough to accept that level of risk. So I advise to go a step farther and add a second layer of protection.

Densely populated areas tend to have a lot of eyes on and noses smelling. Add in your many neighbors and how one or more might attract a police interaction unrelated to your own activities and the risk is going up quickly that an officer might get even a slight wiff of your grow...not good.

It's bad enough that the neighbors know the OP uses cannabis, that's a risk in and of itself.

Carbon filtration plus ozone equals as much as anyone can do to eliminate the risk. Either alone isn't going to cut it in a densely populated area.

 

[TheCave]

thanks for the replies guys, really helpful!

you are correct, other than trying to avoid jail for the simple reason of not wanting to be in it, I can't have any kind of conviction to work for the type of company I currently work for (and other companies like it)...

Took a quick look at your link DRM and a quick google of whats available in the UK... I didn't find anything that was in such a convenient "vent" shape, but it really was only a 20 sec google, so will look more shortly!

Odour control is the one thing preventing me from beginning... perhaps I am being too cautious, but unfortunately the law in this country is forcing me into a position where I'm going to have to take risks, so I better do the maths properly


Got that thread open too, had already read cajuncelt's post which has really great info!