Push or Pull through Carbon Filter?

Inneedofbuds

Well-Known Member
Do most pull air through a carbon filter and have it exit through an exhaust fan or push it through the carbon filter and have it exit the filter on its way out?
 

blonddie07

Well-Known Member
purpose of the carbon filter is to suck in air from your grow room and exit through the filter.. any air carrying odor gets trapped in the filter. just think of it this way... the air that comes out of the grow room do you want it to smell? if not.. make that air coming out go through a filter.. kind of like when you put some pasta in a pot that has those holes.. you want to eat the pasta not the water and pasta :)
 

Ahriman

Active Member
purpose of the carbon filter is to suck in air from your grow room and exit through the filter.. any air carrying odor gets trapped in the filter. just think of it this way... the air that comes out of the grow room do you want it to smell? if not.. make that air coming out go through a filter.. kind of like when you put some pasta in a pot that has those holes.. you want to eat the pasta not the water and pasta :)
I think he means do you put the carbon filter before or after the exhaust fan. My carbon filter is going behind my fan, the exhaust fan will push air into the carbon filter. Not sure if this is the best way, but its the best for the amount of space I'm working with.
 

ThatOneDude

Well-Known Member
I think he means do you put the carbon filter before or after the exhaust fan. My carbon filter is going behind my fan, the exhaust fan will push air into the carbon filter. Not sure if this is the best way, but its the best for the amount of space I'm working with.
It will work but the filters are designed to suck air through the pre filter for larger debris and then the carbon for odor. If you push air through it, you loose the use of the pre filter and the carbon won't last as long.
 

email468

Well-Known Member
you are supposed to put them on the end of a fan and push the stinky air through it. lots of folks put the carbon filter in the grow room and suck all the air through it which makes the grow more stealthy since you won't have a big-ass carbon filter sitting outside your grow room.
 

abso1utepain

Well-Known Member
ok definetly pull air threw the filter, by pushing air threw it any leaks befor the filter will let "stinky" air out. if you pull air threw the filter any leaks or bad seals will suck air in. this will reduce any extra smells making sure any air from your grow will be filtered. if your going to filter your air suck air threw your filter otherwise you will chance having a smell anyway.

remember the air in your exhaust in pressurised and the pressure will go to the area of less resistance
 

samljer

Well-Known Member
Do most pull air through a carbon filter and have it exit through an exhaust fan or push it through the carbon filter and have it exit the filter on its way out?
Old post but ppl still read em, so ill go over what I do and why.


[] Filter
X fan
==== Tubing
> < air directions



If you do this
>>> []=====X===== >>>>
Larger particles that can get stuck in pre-filter "cotton, cloth etc" will do just that
You can litterally double the life of the carbon inside your filter.
however ive found with pushing consider your fan to have 0-10% less CFM
dependong on how cheap that fan is.
And rarely in our tests "University class" was it 0%. usually around 8%
So you need a bit more "fan" to pull that air and increase the life of your filter


if you do this

>>>> ========X=====[] >>>>
Air flow from your fan is not lost, larger particles get stuck in carbon and
it makes pre-filter useless,
you can "DIY" a scrubber and put the pre-filter first, but its not easy! and
never seen any manuals online doing it that way, but its possible.
Gaps can leak air before the filter and odor will escape, even if this occurs in the
other setup the air is cleaned already, no big deal.
The filter in this setup will have to be outside of your grow space reducing its
"stealth", if all your worried about is odor to your neighbour no big deal, but if its a cabinet in plain site you may wanna go the other route.


so in our conclusion:

No method is superior, they both work equally. however
each has its own flaw, you will need to choose one.
Filter life and more CFM required
OR
Loss of stealth and possible leaks.


We did this test 4 times.
 

nooney2205

Member
Old post but ppl still read em, so ill go over what I do and why.


[] Filter
X fan
==== Tubing
> < air directions



If you do this
>>> []=====X===== >>>>
Larger particles that can get stuck in pre-filter "cotton, cloth etc" will do just that
You can litterally double the life of the carbon inside your filter.
however ive found with pushing consider your fan to have 0-10% less CFM
dependong on how cheap that fan is.
And rarely in our tests "University class" was it 0%. usually around 8%
So you need a bit more "fan" to pull that air and increase the life of your filter


if you do this

>>>> ========X=====[] >>>>
Air flow from your fan is not lost, larger particles get stuck in carbon and
it makes pre-filter useless,
you can "DIY" a scrubber and put the pre-filter first, but its not easy! and
never seen any manuals online doing it that way, but its possible.
Gaps can leak air before the filter and odor will escape, even if this occurs in the
other setup the air is cleaned already, no big deal.
The filter in this setup will have to be outside of your grow space reducing its
"stealth", if all your worried about is odor to your neighbour no big deal, but if its a cabinet in plain site you may wanna go the other route.


so in our conclusion:

No method is superior, they both work equally. however
each has its own flaw, you will need to choose one.
Filter life and more CFM required
OR
Loss of stealth and possible leaks.


We did this test 4 times.
Sorry to bring up an old thread but i am really trying to figure this out before i start my grow;

What would the quality of the smell removal be like in a system like this >>> []=====X===== >>>> if the CFM of the fan was only 37 ? or would the >>>> ========X=====[] >>>> system be better for that fan. I am also considering installing a second one if one would not be enough.

I would greatly appreciate your reply as it will get me one more step closer to growing.

Thank you :)
 

shannonball

Well-Known Member
we push so the odor goes into the filter and out comes clean non-smelling air. again your choice. try it one way and then the other and see which you prefer.
 

kushfromage

New Member
I have a small cabinet with CFLs. No need for heat dissipation. Fan and carbon filter sit next to the cabinet. Fan sucks air out of cabinet and pushes it into the carbon filter. Smell gone.

cabinet==>==>fan>==>==filter|
 

Bwpz

Well-Known Member
I'm sure you should pull through it, not push. Only reason I'd say to push would be like the post above mine, where you wouldn't have room for the filter in the grow space. If you have room for it, you should pull through it.
 

STLbudz

Well-Known Member
What up Bwpz havnt seen you in a min since you did that spice devil and king kush grow! .............Ive always set up my carbon filter on the floor with inline connected pulling the air into ducts and out the room. Preferably you want to mount it High on the ceiling , but my carbon filter is damn heavy and to lazy to bother finding studs and anchoring it to ceiling so i just put it in the corner of the room! Pull Thru the filter
 

Bwpz

Well-Known Member
What up Bwpz havnt seen you in a min since you did that spice devil and king kush grow! .............Ive always set up my carbon filter on the floor with inline connected pulling the air into ducts and out the room. Preferably you want to mount it High on the ceiling , but my carbon filter is damn heavy and to lazy to bother finding studs and anchoring it to ceiling so i just put it in the corner of the room! Pull Thru the filter
I haven't been on here in a while, just been doing random grows tryna get the funds up for the dream grow :p Finally getting there so I figured I'd come back and post about it, should be running in a couple months :) Good to see some of the same people still hanging around :)
 

STLbudz

Well-Known Member
LMAO im lit man haha off some candycorn! i didnt even notice that , that guy with 1 post did! haha, n yea SAME here barely started growing again few months ago and taking this current grow i just started seriously so decided to share it with the homies on riu lol
 
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