AC venting?

Hey guys, I set up a 4000w grow and due to high temps installed an AC, I thought all was well until It slapped me in face one day while driving, you need to vent these ACs out of the room which I did out the roof but what happens to odor control when I flip to flower? Is my filter now 100% obsolete? How the hell do you filter the air being shot out by the AC? I understand they make ACs that are closed loop but I also understand the majority of people don't use those so WTF? Hopefully someone can help without telling me I need to completely reconfigure my setup! What do all you do? Mid summer temps are near...

I'm assuming you installed a window unit which is venting outside?I would remove that unit from the window, build a 2x4 rig to mount it on out of sight, then wrap up the exhaust end with ducting that will direct the airflow inline with a filter or your existing exhaust system.

Portable a/c or window unit? I gave some advice awhile back on this topic pertaining to a portable unit..I will post it here below:

I have a single hose unit that I run into my attic, and here is how I covered my bases:

1) Have an oversized cfm fan/carbon filter inside the flower room. My space only requires 125cfm, but I went with 400cfm. This takes care of the majority of the odor inside the room. (Flower chamber is a DIY room I built inside a room, sealed the best I could).

There is still a small but noticeable amount of odor at this point..

2) Where ever you duct the exhaust hose into the attic, use a small (I use 12 inch by 12 inch) air filter. These are the same filters for your home a/c unit, but smaller. Duct tape this over the exhaust hole onto the sheetrock. I spray mine thoroughly with lavender scented air freshener before installing. You can also put a Stanley blower fan close by, pointing toward the roof, ideally at an exit vent. This not only moves some of the heat out of your attic caused by the a/c exhaust, but concentrates the direction of the air for a favorable air exit. If you have a less occupied area (home wise in the neighborhood) in the direction of an air vent, blow it in that direction. This will also help if your filter temporarily runs out of smell-goods (need to re-apply about once a week), the smell will not be wafting through your attic and smelling up your home.

3) Since my a/c sits inside the room itself and not the flower room, it gets fresh air from the home central a/c. Make sure you are using good quality air filters and also put scented strips (can be found at any store that sells air filters; Wal Mart, Home Depot, etc) on the filter itself so the air that blows into the room smells good.

That is the way things have worked on my end so I hope some of the same things can be applicable to you. I might have missed something, but I have no odor coming out of my roof, so I believe I have done it right

If I can be of any further help please don't hesitate. Best of luck.

Hot air not good fo scrubba . Trying to push that much hot air through the filter will slow down the flow and heat up the compresser(I would think). You would need to pull the ac exhaust thru the filter. This I'm not sure how to do though. been thinking about this one too. I have a portable AC vented to the outside. When the time comes if needed I'm going to tape some carbon fiber mesh or ac/heater filter over the intakes. If that does not help or work I might fill up like first 8" of the end fiiting going out the wall with carbon. ?

When I did not have enough intake the 6" 465 cfm would suck the air away from the AC intakes and turn off the compressor. It would just stop blowing cold. I'm hoping that the scubber will clean the room air before/enough before the AC intakes get it. We have 4" x 18" of passive intake and it still sucks a piece of papper tp the vent holes top and bottom.


If one has a window Ac I agree with the other poster you could box in the back with as much room as you could between the box and AC and put a 8" duct hole and line and find something to do with that. Maybe put some more carbon filter over your intakes .

Taping carbon on the outside of the intake will not do anything but restrict air flow to the unit (where the important air actually comes from). The exhaust of the unit is the heat off of the compressor, and has very little scent coming out of it. I said "air filter", not carbon scrubber. An air filter is so thin that it could not slow down the flow of a fart out of my ass...

Not trying to be rude, but this method works for the application. You are speaking on speculation ("if that does not work I might...."), and I am speaking from experience. I have had several successful grows and you could go into my attic and it would smell like a bouquet of flowers.

Also, you said "hot air not good fo scrubba", but then you immediately said "I might fill up the first 8" of the end fitting going out of the wall with carbon".????? That fitting is still emitting hot air correct?

Idk TWS...I don't feel like your post contributed anything..Sorry.

Forums are full of people like you, that go out of thier to to take stabbs at people. For why I don't no. I was in the middle of posting while you posred and did not read your post or try to condradict you.

For the record you proably do have more grows than me and a heck of alot more knowledge but really doesn't give you a right to come about being a azz. I would of been more than happy to hear your suggestions and how I'm wrong. I'm only hear to learn and meet friends.

I've read the methods I mentioned on here as I mention "when My time Comes this is what I might try" as in maybe I'm still in the learning curve. I serious doubt that a carbon mesh filter would slow down the intake, but you might be right.

Putting a DYI filter or filling up the end fitting with carbon is a lot different then running it thru my exspensive scrubber that I will count on during flowering. Just saying.



no wonder your so lonley.

I wasn't trying to take a stab at anyone, but I don't like when people pass on bad information that is solely based on speculation. It just seemed to me like you were trying to be condescending, but there was a miscommunication I suppose. For that I apologize.

Anyways, you are right, carbon does deplete quicker under heat which is why it would not work. You do not however, need to use carbon at the end of the exhaust. A simple air filter will work fine since there is very little noticeable scent coming out of it. Since ozone (the hot air coming out of the back of the unit) is a natural air scrubber, it will take care of most of the issue.

No hard feelings here.

I am lonely by choice, but excellent rebuttal lol.

Take it easy.

none taken .

Yeah its a portable AC being vented out of a detached garage so don't get that extra buffer of an attic, but think Ill try pushing that exhaust air through a makeshift filter, kinda like the old days of highschool blowing smoke through toilet paper rolls filled with dryer sheets haha! You know you did it! Thanks everyone for the advice

You could simply run the a/c outside the grow room and duct the cool air in. You may need to upgrade you exhaust fan to maintain negative pressure in ya grow room as a/c's can really kick air out. If ya do it right, you could get better temps this way as the a/c unit is not dropping hot air into your grow room.

So your blasting all the hot air into the attic? If you have roof vents, could you put carbon filters and blower fans to "pull" the warm smelly air out of the attic?