Anyone using inline carbon filters?

I have thought to myself more times than I can count that I cannot believe that this isn't a more popular thing. It would really open up so many opportunities for gaining headroom in tents. I'm curious to see if anybody has one and how it actually works. I'm skeptical when stuff is half price. Makes me think that they didn't work and sell as well as they had hoped.
 
iggy097 said:
I'm thinking of switching my carbon filters to inline to get the fan and filter out of the tent and reclaiming 15-20" of head space. I vent outside - and while I'm in a legal state, I use a scrubber to not broadcast my grow to neighbors.
Only options I see are active-air - Active Air Inline Filter 6" x 24" (Freight or Local Pickup) (growgreenmi.com)
Anyone used these before?
Click to expand...
Yepper. I had to go inline cause of my short ceilings. The active air works well and is a beast! It was the only one I could find but does a good job. I had to get a 4" for a 2x4 setup also but couldnt find anything. Ended finding one designed for a septic stack and it works good as well. I'll see if I can find a link..

20230702_074028.jpg20230702_074004.jpg
 
I don’t use an inline carbon filter but I have both mounted outside my tents. Connect the inline fan’s outlet to push air into the filter while pulling from inside the tent
Air gets pulled in the tent, moves around in the tent and is pulled out through the duct (back out of the tent) work by the inline fan that then pushes it out through the carbon filter.
I ran it in the reverse direction (into tent>filter >fan>outside tent) last grow. I think having the filter inside the tent reduces smell compared to having the filter mounted outside
 
tree beard said:
Yepper. I had to go inline cause of my short ceilings. The active air works well and is a beast! It was the only one I could find but does a good job. I had to get a 4" for a 2x4 setup also but couldnt find anything. Ended finding one designed for a septic stack and it works good as well. I'll see if I can find a link..

View attachment 5304383View attachment 5304384
Click to expand...
Thanks. I have two tents so I'll end up with a 6" one for the 4x4 and a 8" for the 4x8. Hoping my local shop can order them because shipping is crazy. Going to cost like 500 bucks for two filters.
 
tree beard said:
Yepper. I had to go inline cause of my short ceilings. The active air works well and is a beast! It was the only one I could find but does a good job. I had to get a 4" for a 2x4 setup also but couldnt find anything. Ended finding one designed for a septic stack and it works good as well. I'll see if I can find a link..

View attachment 5304383View attachment 5304384
Click to expand...

Am I reading correctly that you have the active air one and the pvc one? Notice any difference between the 2 as far as function?
 
TCH said:
So, these are basically just pvc with a vent at each end and filled with carbon?. Hmmmm, that seems like it may not be a bad diy project.
Click to expand...
Yep, after purchasing it I thought, hell I can make this.. There is an access port to replace the charcoal, but again, its all just pvc parts and glue
 
  • Like
Reactions: TCH
TCH said:
Am I reading correctly that you have the active air one and the pvc one? Notice any difference between the 2 as far as function?
Click to expand...
I didnt really notice any difference as far as function. The active air is big and pretty, the 4 inch just looks like pvc. Come to think of it, they could probably both be made pretty easily
 
  • Like
Reactions: TCH
tree beard said:
Yep, after purchasing it I thought, hell I can make this.. There is an access port to replace the charcoal, but again, its all just pvc parts and glue
Click to expand...
Nice!! I've got a bucket of carbon laying around and refilling a 6" filter sucks so bad. This would be much easier to do and it will be inline so I can put it all outside the tent.
 
So, to collectively brainstorm here - how would you go about making a DIY PVC version of this? I know PVC pipe - I assume for an 8" ducting I would need 10" or so PVC piping or 12" and taper it down to 8"?
If you look at the active air versions - they have a different design - like a hollow inside.
Tree Beard - could you refill those active air ones like you can with the regular ones? How to Refill the Activated Carbon in a Duct Carbon Filter - YouTube
 
iggy097 said:
So, to collectively brainstorm here - how would you go about making a DIY PVC version of this? I know PVC pipe - I assume for an 8" ducting I would need 10" or so PVC piping or 12" and taper it down to 8"?
If you look at the active air versions - they have a different design - like a hollow inside.
Tree Beard - could you refill those active air ones like you can with the regular ones? How to Refill the Activated Carbon in a Duct Carbon Filter - YouTube
Click to expand...

I have refilled a vivosun 6" filter. It is a colossal pain in the ass. It's also messy. That said, it is and has been working as good or better than the original for a couple months now. But filling a straight pvc pipe, would be so much easier. The vivosun has a fabric (think, pantyhose) that contains all the charcoal and most of the dust inside the mesh parts of the filter. That opening is only like an I ch wide all the way around so it's really tough to fill it without making a mess, keeping the liner in place, and doing all that while keeping the inner mesh centered so the end caps will go back on correctly.

My thoughts on the inline pvc filter would be to get the diameter you need, get some couplers with a metal mesh or screen for the ends, get some sort of fine mesh bag that's as big or bigger than the pvc, put the bag in the pipe like a trash bag in a can, fill it up, tap or vibrate it to get it to settle, put caps on and voila!!

Edited to add: you could use a bung on the side like they do for filling and glue both end on or I would probably just glue one end on and press the other end on. I think this would work with the mesh bag method much better than trying to pour the charcoal into a bag through a much smaller opening. Of course, if you could get or make end caps with the fine mesh incorporated into them, you wouldn't need a bag on the inside.
 
I remember seeing an article or post about building a box around a regular carbon filter so that the intake on the filter sticks out of the box with ducting coming out of the other end of the box to exhaust the scrubbed air. Seemed like an easy diy project. A box with a hole on one side for the bottom of the filter and a hole on the other side for a duct collar.
 
iggy097 said:
So, to collectively brainstorm here - how would you go about making a DIY PVC version of this? I know PVC pipe - I assume for an 8" ducting I would need 10" or so PVC piping or 12" and taper it down to 8"?
If you look at the active air versions - they have a different design - like a hollow inside.
Tree Beard - could you refill those active air ones like you can with the regular ones? How to Refill the Activated Carbon in a Duct Carbon Filter - YouTube
Click to expand...
After watching that vid and taking a close look at the active air, I dont see why not. Both end caps are riveted on, but it certainly seems dooable. I think youre on the right track as far as a pvc build. Just need the right size couplers at the ends so your flex pipe can slide in the ends and be seeled up with tape.

I had to get the whole inline filter thing figured out before I even began my room build, my ceilings are low and needed every inch of tent space. Now I think the next round of filters will be DIY..
 
  • Like
Reactions: TCH
tree beard said:
After watching that vid and taking a close look at the active air, I dont see why not. Both end caps are riveted on, but it certainly seems dooable. I think youre on the right track as far as a pvc build. Just need the right size couplers at the ends so your flex pipe can slide in the ends and be seeled up with tape.

I had to get the whole inline filter thing figured out before I even began my room build, my ceilings are low and needed every inch of tent space. Now I think the next round of filters will be DIY..
Click to expand...
Thinking DIY - would you - get the T part of the PVC for the middle, add on length to either side of it? Seems like just using the T portion isn't enough carbon - looking at the active air - its, what 24" long for the 6" version so you'd need to add length on either side.
I'll have to go to Home Depot and see what they have there and see what makes sense.
Would you need a pantyhose/sock material to hold the carbon? Or some kind of mesh filters on the end caps?
 
iggy097 said:
Thinking DIY - would you - get the T part of the PVC for the middle, add on length to either side of it? Seems like just using the T portion isn't enough carbon - looking at the active air - its, what 24" long for the 6" version so you'd need to add length on either side.
I'll have to go to Home Depot and see what they have there and see what makes sense.
Would you need a pantyhose/sock material to hold the carbon? Or some kind of mesh filters on the end caps?
Click to expand...
Im still on my first cup of bean so the wheels arent up to speed yet lol.. I think I would try and just use a strait run of pipe. It would be nice to have one end threaded prior to the coupler, so you can just take off the flex pipe, unscrew the whole end and replace carbon as needed. Mesh screens on both ends and pack the carbon into some kind of pantyhose type material. Think grain sacks for making beer?
 
  • Like
Reactions: TCH
8" PVC pipe is ridiculously expensive I'm finding. Probably easier just to go with the active air solution and refill when needed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top