What is the best way to get rid of the unwanted smell in your grow room?
This best carbon filter for grow room guide has got you covered! There are hundreds of options that are available, but this does not mean that you can settle with just any other option. Keep on reading and learn from the things that I will be sharing in the rest of this post.
What is a Carbon Filter and How Does it Work?
A carbon filter has the primary function of removing impurities in the external environment, which is vital when it comes to odor management. It can exist in various forms, such as a carbon block water filter. Those that are mentioned in this post, on the other hand, exists in the form of carbon air filters.
When you are growing indoor plants, including cannabis, you will use fertilizers, nutrients, and pesticides, among other things. While it can indeed bring some benefits, it can also lead to a foul odor. The unpleasant smell can be strong and can reach even outside the grow tent. This is the reason why you need to invest in the best carbon filter for grow tent.
More than odor management, a carbon filter will help in the elimination of compounds that can cause diseases in plants. Through the ventilation that it provides, air-borne pathogens can be kept out of the grow room, promoting the best state of health of your plants.
Carbon filters can exist in two main forms. The first one is solely a carbon filter. The second one is more versatile – a carbon filter fan combo. In the case of the latter, the carbon filter can also function as an inline and exhaust fan.
Often in a cylindrical form, a carbon filter makes use of active carbon or simply a carbon that has been oxygen-treated. It is equipped with a highly-porous charcoal where air would pass through. As it passes through, the odor is also trapped, and hence, there is no foul smell that could escape. This is important when growing cannabis in a discrete manner.
How to Choose the Right Size of Carbon Filter
As you try to narrow down the choices, one of the first things that you need to take into consideration is the size of the carbon filter. If it is too small for the grow room, it might be unable to deliver effective performance.
To choose the size appropriate for the grow room, look at the dimensions. Multiply the length and the width of the grow tent, which will give you the calculation of the area. Once the area is computed, multiply it with the height of the grow room. After this, you will have the total volume or cubic feet. The result is the CFM.
What are the Other ways to Get Rid of Odor in a Grow Room?
While the use of a carbon filter is one of the most effective odor management solutions, there are other things that can be equally promising, including those that will be briefly mentioned below.
- If you are growing cannabis, one of the best solutions that you might want to consider is the use of odor absorbing gels. The unwanted odor will be attached to the gel, and in turn, it will be replaced with a more pleasant smell.
- Check for leaks in the exhaust. If there are leaks, odor will be able to escape easily from the grow tent.
- You can also consider the installation of odor neutralizers. However, if you are growing marijuana, do not use odor neutralizers during the flowering stage as they can negatively impact the quality of the buds.
How to Take Care of your Carbon Filter
To keep the carbon filter in its peak condition and to make it last longer, here are some of the most important things that you have to keep in mind:
- To clean the filter, all that you have to do is to remove it from the grow room. Take it to an open space where you can clean it easily. Shake it vigorously to remove any trapped dirt or dust. Spray water. Submerge it in a water with mild soap for about 15 minutes. Rinse and allow it to dry completely before putting back in the grow tent.
- You have to dry the activated carbon under the heat of the sun to make it last longer.
- Before using the filter, it is also necessary to have it vacuumed first. This is important to remove the excess carbon prior to its use.
- After reaching the maximum capacity, do not try to have it spared. Using it beyond its lifespan will compromise its performance.
How to Set-up Carbon Filter in a Grow Room
To make sure of the best performance of the carbon filter, here are the things that you need to do:
- Take off the carbon filter from the packaging and get ready for its installation. Place it on the exhaust, making sure that it is securely attached.
- When installing the filter, make sure to connect it to the intake side of the exhaust.
- An air-tight seal should be created between the fan and the filter. If there are gaps, it won’t do an effective job in filtration.
- Provide support to the filter to make sure that it won’t fall. One of the best ways to do this is to use a rope. Choose the desired height and see to it that it is not too close or too far from the plants.
How to Choose the Best Carbon Filter for Grow Room
With the tons of the options that are available, here are some of the most important factors to consider to make sure that you will end up with the right decision:
- Material: The main material that is used in the construction of the carbon filter is important not only in terms of durability but also performance. Premium materials can be more expensive, but they are sure to be worth your money.
- Versatility: If you want the best value for the money, choose one that is multifunctional. With this, you might benefit from choosing a product that acts not only as a carbon filter, but also as an inline or exhaust fan.
- Price: It is tempting to end up choosing a product that comes with a cheap price. It may be easy on the wallet, but when performance is compromised, it will be useless. With this, try to find the perfect balance between quality and cost.
- Warranty: This is important if you want to have peace of mind. Within the warranty period, you can be guaranteed that it is free of defects. Otherwise, the manufacturer has got you covered, making sure of your highest level of satisfaction.
Our Top Picks for the Best Carbon Filter for Grow Room
For the best way to control odor in a grow room, here are some of the products that hold a lot of promise.
#1 iPower 4-inch Air Carbon Filter
This model comes with a 4-inch flange ducting and has a length of 12 inches. The airflow, on the other hand, is 200 CFM.
The highlight of this carbo air filter is the 1050+ IAV charcoal, which s basically the one responsible for the delivery of superior performance. It is considered as one of the most absorbent carbons in the world.
More so, as it comes with a reversible flange, you can expect it to be long-lasting. Based on the specifications from the manufacturer, the service life can be up to two years.
There is also a pre-filter included. However, the pre-filter should be replaced at least once after every ix months to maintain the peak functionality.
Lastly, it comes with 53% open area, which maximizes the airflow, making it more effective in odor management.
#2 Cool Grows 4-inch Air Carbon Filter
With a length of 6 inches, this carbon filter uses premium galvanized steel, which is the reason why it fares well when it comes to durability. It is longer-lasting compared to aluminum, which is the material of choice in the case of inferior models.
It is also impressive because of its high-efficiency. As specified by the manufacturer, it filters air flow by as much as 99.8%. the open area is also increased by as much as 53%.
#3 Amagabeli 4-inch Carbon Filter
If you are on the lookout for the best carbon filter combo, this is one option that should be on the top of the list. Its best asset is perhaps the 1050+ IAV Australian virgin charcoal, which provides it with the ability to provide as much as 99.8% filtered air flow.
The included pre-filter is also a pus. It is even made better by the fact that it is washable, which makes it reusable and economical.
It has an inner and outer mesh that is made of aluminum. With this, the open area is increased by as much as 55% to generate more air flow.
Lastly, it also offers reversible filtration. Whether as an intake or exhaust filter, this can prove to be a great product.
#4 TerraBloom 6-inch Carbon Filter
This product comes with RC-48 charcoal carbon that has been sourced exclusively from Western Australia. With a length of six inches and a thickness of 46mm, it offers as much as 15% more carbon compared to what you can expect from other products. Most of the models you can find on the market only has a thickness of 38mm.
To be user-friendly, the aluminum base and flange are already pre-assembled. There is no need to worry about their installation.
To provide you with peace of mind, the manufacturer offers 90-day warranty against defects, which shows how much they believe in its quality.
#5 Growneer 4-inch Carbon Air Filter
This is another option not to be missed in your search for the best carbon filter for growing indoor plants. It has 1050+ IAV Australian raw carbon, providing the product with the ability to deliver maximum filtration effectiveness.
It also has reversible flange and base, which is beneficial in terms of prolonging it service life. This makes it an economical choice in the long run.
Lastly, it ha a cone-shaped base, which will make it maximize the use of the air filters to yield the maximum benefits.
#6 Vivosun 4-inch Air Carbon Filter
This is another product that uses Australian virgin charcoal for the filtration mechanism. As expected, this is effective! It provides 100% of filtered air flow, which is pretty much hard to beat.
There are also two ways y which you can use it, as it is a reversible product. I loved how this is versatile, providing better value for money. It comes with a reversible flange and base. More so, the rated service life is two years.
However, take note that while it is effective, you need to pay attention to its regular cleaning to ensure its peak performance.
#7 Phresh 701005 Carbon Air Filter
The steep price of this carbon air filter can easily discourage most people. Nonetheless, I believe that the price can be justified given its features and performance.
Its effectiveness can be attributed to the 18-inch RC-48 activated charcoal filter with virgin carbon. The carbon is also carbon-packed, which means that you can expect it to have minimal movements.
Another notable feature is the Anti-Air Bypass System, which ensures the optimal air circulation to get rid of foul odor in the grow room.
Lastly, the cone shape of the filter is also impressive, making it possible to optimize the ventilation that it provides to your plants.
Wrap Up
After reading this best carbon filter for grow room, I hope that it is now easier to make the right choice! Odor in the grow room can be a big problem, affecting the quality of the plants in more ways than one. Get rid of the foul smell by using the a high-quality carbon air purifier!