Trash Can - Carbon Air Filter

[emilya]

Conclusions:
I could not believe the difference in here in the first 15 minutes. I decided that I was just used to the fragrance and that I should leave for a while so I could come back and smell the house after I came back home. When I walked in the door 2 hours later, I could not believe how fresh and clean it smelled. No trace of the previous problem could be discerned. I can have friends over again! :thumbsup:

lol... I wrote that a bit early I think. I should have waited another 6 hours. Thats when the smell started leaking out again... but I told myself... no, its not too bad.
At about 5 days and a total repacking of the trashcan filter and I realized that it was time to go commercial...

A carbon filter is the LAST thing to be tightass with!!
Just buy one. saves getting jacked or arrested!
Good on you for effort tho!

Thanks johneg... you ended up being totally correct about this. Let me explain what I learned. First and most impressive... did you know that there is 16 lbs of charcoal in a medium sized filter?
I was trying to do it at first with 3 thin "carbonized" sheets. Then in my enthusiasm I thought adding 1lb of activated carbon to it would help.

What I now know:
There is a lot of science in these filters. It turns out that rocket science is exactly what it is! The trick to a good carbon air scrubber is to slow the air flow down enough to let it come in contact with the carbon for a tick or two. This is not exactly what was happening in that trash can wind tunnel I had designed. Maybe if I added 16 Lbs of charcoal to it it would block the air flow enough... But wait... blocking is not what is needed... air flow is what is needed... yet slower ... much slower.

So for not a whole lot more than I would have had invested in 16LBS of charcoal, and certainly with more engineering pride than I had put into my trashcan-duct tape filter, I came home with a nice filter.

End of problem. Lasts 1 year. Rinse, Repeat. Another lesson learned.

Emmie