Air Scrubbing

[DaDuck]

I am in the 6th week of flowering on my first grow. I live in a one bedroom apartment and the smell is getting pretty strong. The plants are in a walk in closet in my bedroom, but it's to the point now where I can smell them all the way over by the front door. I like the smell, but I doubt the apartment people would. If the maitenance guys came in here for some reason I'd be fucked. I have a small grow tent, but my plants got too big for it. I don't really want to buy a bigger tent though. I am trying to find a way to eliminate the smell. I've googled it and researched it a bit and obviously I need a carbon filter. I want some sort of open air filtration system though. I don't want one of those little inline filters you use for a cabinet or a tent since it's unlikely I'll buy a bigger tent. I looked through some different units, but I have no idea which ones would work better than others. Do any of you have any experience with this kind of thing? I need somebody to suggest a particular open air filtration system or a certain brand. Anything to point me in the right direction would be very helpful. thanks

[Charbud]

You should buy a small ozone generator. They dont cover up smells they turn oxygen into ozone, in the process all odour and bacteria is eliminated. You can buy small units which simply plug into the wall and look like a small air freshener. The ozone smells like air after a thunder storm, quite hard to explain but if you get one you will know what i mean ! Units are around $50 and work great in small areas and are very safe. If i were you i would leave it near the entrance and it will freshen all the air leaving your apartment

Charbud

[redtails]

Check out Ona products, cheap solution to smell. Ionizers and ozone generators work well for open air systems as well.

[DaDuck]

Can any of you guys tell me which one I need to get. I linked three of them I looked at. The first one is small. I can't imagine that being enough to completely eliminate the smell even if I put it in the closet with the plants. I only have four plants, but they are putting off quite a bit of stank right now. The second two units are a little bigger. I would think they could handle the job.
I have a couple questions about how these work too. All of them seem to have timers. Don't you want one that is going to pretty much stay on continously? Are all of them the same at filtering odors or are some going to work better than others? I know some of the use different methods of removing the smell than others. Here are the links to a few I looked at.

CAP OZN-JR Ozone Generator Odor Control Hydroponics HPS - eBay (item 280210964781 end time Apr-10-10 05:42:04 PDT) (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280210964781&rvr_id=&crlp=1_263602_263622&UA=WVI8&GUID=55103b971240a026538542a5ff556208&itemid=280210964781&ff4=263602_263622)


Hydroempire, Organic Hydroponic Nutrients, Indoor Grow Lights and Supplies - Uvonair Ozone Generator - 1000 cu.ft [AACOUV1000] - $179.95 (http://www.hydroempire.com/store/product_info.php/products_id/94)

NEW COMMERCIAL OZONE GENERATOR MACHINE AIR PURIFIER - eBay (item 260578338377 end time Apr-01-10 06:08:41 PDT) (http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-COMMERCIAL-OZONE-GENERATOR-MACHINE-AIR-PURIFIER_W0QQitemZ260578338377QQcmdZViewItemQQptZL H_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3cabade649)

[stra8outtaWeed]

hey duck...the second one is what i have and use it when i need to clean out the odors form my house....which i s only if the kids are coming over...other wise it is my favorite air freshener and i enjoy the odor of freshly trimmed OG SFV Kush in the house....hmmmmmm tastey!

i got mine at Aqua Serene in Ashland...not sure where you are in Oregon but they hsve store in Eugene also:thumbsup:

[bigtopsfinn]

You can always get some of those odor-killing CFL's for everywhere outside the growroomhttp://boards.cannabis.com/growroom-setup/81080-odor-neutralizing-cfls-work.html

For the bedroom/closet you can make a DIY carbon filter. Just buy a few pounds of active carbon and make a box with a shelf (for the carbon) and a few computer fans so that the air is circulating through the box and through the carbon. Intake hole(s) on the bottom, carbon shelf in the middle, and computer fans on the top pulling air out the box. It'll cut down your smell without having to buy expensive pre-manufactured filters and inline fans :twocents:

[DaDuck]

I'm still searching for the best way to rid my apartment of the blatant marijuana smell coming from the plants in my closet. I ordered a fan and carbon filter setup the other day that should be here wednesday, but I don't know if that will be enough. I have been looking at ozone generators a lot and noticed that a lot of people say that they aren't safe. Especially if you use a bigger unit in a small area like an apartment. Is that true? I don't want to be like those jackasses that run a generator in the house and kill everybody. I'm sure that an ozone generator wouldn't kill me, but why do they say it isn't healthy.

[redtails]

It's because ozone (O3) isn't all that stable compared to oxygen, that's how it can attatch to odor particles easily and cause them to drop to the floor. I'd assume that high concentrations would lead to lack of O2, just like added CO2 or any other gas really, and prolonged exposure to this could result in cancer to Californians or something ;).

[bigsby]

Hi DaDuck,

I'm not sure if this will help but let me walk you through my situation and how I am going to tackle it. Odor is of particular concern to me. Note that in my situation it is going to be quite difficult for me to vent externally. In this regards I believe our situations are similar. I'm willing to spend a little money on this if needed. However, my grow room will be enclosed such that I will be able to vent and scrub which is different than your situation.

My solution involves redundancy and dual technologies - I will cap the 6" intake duct with a carbon scrubber and I will deploy an ozonator in the vent room to deal with anything that gets past the carbon filter. I'm going to start with the carbon scrubber. If it is not able to keep pace with the odor then I'll deploy the ozonator. Thoughts appreciated. Will the carbon scrubber alone do the job? Are there better options?

I've looked at the odor boxes (ONA and that stuff) but seems to me that that is just a mask and nor really applicable to my situation except as perhaps triple redundancy. I want the odor killed. DaDuck, you many want to also look at an odor mask like the ONA stuff. You could situate it close to the front of the house thereby providing a first line of defense. There are a bunch of DIY kits you can pull together yourself.

[Bongojaz]

i vent my hood out of the grow area, but i scrub the air in my room. i just put an in-line fan on top of my carbon filter and put it on a repeat cycle timer. it blows up to the ceiling, i.e. scrubber, and also helps a bit in circulating air around the plants.

[DaDuck]

Well I bought a carbon filter with a fan attached to it and I swear the god damn thing doesn't work. I only have three plants left, but when I open the door to my apartment it is blatantly obvious I am growing weed. It reeks. I just got my seeds in yesterday for my next grow. This one I am finishing was my first btw. Now I'm debating how to best spend my money on equipment for this next grow. The smell problem has got to be solved. That is the most likely way for me to get caught. I am trying to decide if I should get a bigger tent and try to contain the smell in there and hook my carbon filter up to one of the vents on it. I'm sure that will minimize the smell. My plants outgrew the tent I have them in now so they are out in the open in my closet. I'm sure that's a big part of why the smell is spreading freely through the apartment. The other thing I am considering getting is an ozone generator. If you were in my situation would you go with the ozone generator or the larger tent for your next purchase? Both will help, but I can't make up my mind.

[bigsby]

I don't have enough indoor experience to guide you. I did a few outdoor grows but obviously smell was not the concern.

I am gearing up for an indoor setup and have been researching this issue, as odor is my number one concern. From everything I've read the carbon scrubber should do the trick. If your plants are in the open then there is no way to control airflow unless you have a big enough fan. If you are able to contain the grow then you should be OK with a scrubber.

I am wondering if I should just pop for an inline ozone generator. The carbon filter is going to set me back at ~$100 / year and the the 1000 c.s.f. ozonator another ~$200. I can get an inline ozone light for $350. But that does need replacement bulbs every 2 years at $60 / bulb which is still cheaper than the replacement cost of the carbon filter so setup and running costs of the inline ozonator is slightly less.

I don't think you need a bigger tent unless you want to grow more/bigger plants. Just do a better job estimating the grow cycle. How long did you veg and how tall where they when you switched to flower? You might consider a scrog setup as this will contain the height. Even if they grow out of control you will have maintained most of the overgrowth on the screen.

[Charbud]

Unless you plan on properly venting that ozone outside you dont really want to be using it in large quantaties. Like finn said, large generators can be harmful. Definately invest in a carbon filter as they are safer. The problem with the smell is probably because you dont have them in the tent which makes it less contained.

[Micsog]

ONA-GEL BUCKETS ARE THE SHIT MY BUDDY RUNS ONE IN HIS HYDRO STORE
CONSTANTLY AND YOU CANT EVEN SMELL THE NASTY FERTILIZER OR THE CONCENTRATED LIQUID NUTES BUT DONT BUY THEIR EXPENSIVE FAN JUST CUT A HOLE IN THE LID AND USE A PC FAN

[DaDuck]

I don't think the smell is because I have my plants out of the tent now. I have them in my closet which is about 8x6. I keep the door shut and have even lined the bottom of the door with clothes to keep any smell from getting out during the day when I got to work. I have left the filter running all day and even after I get home from work and open the door to the closet it absolutely reeks. The carbon filter is making absolutely no difference. The company even says just put the fan/filter in the room that you are having odor problems with and watch the odor disapear. Disappear my ass. It made absolutely no difference. After running for ten hours straight in an isolated closet you can even tell there was a carbon filter in there. I don't know if I just got a shitty brand or what. I got it on ebay and it was made by Foothill Filters. I made sure it was topped off with carbon and everything. This makes no sense. Something has got to give though. My plants are almost done flowering, but the smell is very obvious. I already planted the seeds for my next crop so in a month or two the smell will be back. Sooner or later somebody is going to come in my apartment that I don't want knowing about my little growing operation. I absolutely have to solve the odor problem one way or another, but I'm having a hell of a time figuring out what is the best way to solve the problem. I looked into the Ona deals, but they only last 2-3 weeks. I have been looking into negative ion generators, but I don't know how well they actually work with this sort of application. I've also looked into ozone generators, but I don't know if that is the way I want to solve the problem. I'm seriously considering an air purifer that has an ozone generator, negative ion generator and a carbon filter. The thing that bothers me is this unit that has those three things only costs $60. It is made for a small room, but still any thing that is worth a shit should cost more than that. Here is what I've been looking at NEGATIVE ION GENERATOR CARBON FILTER UV AIR PURIFIER - eBay (item 160423001280 end time May-12-10 10:00:52 PDT) (http://cgi.ebay.com/NEGATIVE-ION-GENERATOR-CARBON-FILTER-UV-AIR-PURIFIER_W0QQitemZ160423001280QQcmdZViewItemQQptZL H_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2559f4bcc0)
does anybody have any experience with something like this or ion generators?

[COWGIRL413]

Do you have your filter suspended from the ceiling? They also work better when they run 24/7.

[THContent]

You can always get some of those odor-killing CFL's for everywhere outside the growroomhttp://boards.cannabis.com/growroom-setup/81080-odor-neutralizing-cfls-work.html

For the bedroom/closet you can make a DIY carbon filter. Just buy a few pounds of active carbon and make a box with a shelf (for the carbon) and a few computer fans so that the air is circulating through the box and through the carbon. Intake hole(s) on the bottom, carbon shelf in the middle, and computer fans on the top pulling air out the box. It'll cut down your smell without having to buy expensive pre-manufactured filters and inline fans :twocents:


I personally would go with this idea. Definitely worth trying out.

[THContent]

You might wanna give the DIY carbon filter a try though, and get a cheap inline fan and some ducting, it's an investment and it is well worth it. I have a sticky somewhere on it, you should look in to it. And don't get a high CFM fan for this, 160 should do just fine, the only true way to get rid of the odor is to use a carbon filter, everything else is just masking the smell which is kinda counter productive.

Give it some thought.

Here's the link, just take a look, don't write it off until you give it a shot, you will be pleased! Charbud knows what he's talking about! :D

http://boards.cannabis.com/growroom-setup/186336-diy-carbon-air-filter-cheap-effective.html