Carbon filter issue.

Here is a link to my grow, https://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/559980-my-first-grow-400-watt.html

Alright so i am making thread because i am having some odor issues i have just recently noticed the smell of my vegging plants coming from my utility closet, i exhaust to my attic threw the access hatch so its pretty much impossible for me to determine at that source if i have an odor issue because access to the attic is blocked by the grow set up, but i do believe i have smell escaping my grow room. I have negative air pressure in the room and i am pretty sure i am not over working the filter because i have it on a fan speed controller at 1/3 the maximum power and the fan and filter came as a pair. I believe there are a few possible causes I'm just gonna bounce these off you guys to see what you think, possibility #1 my carbon filter was purchased 2 years ago and had not been used until last month it has always been stored in decent conditions reasonable humidity temps etc etc do you guys think its age could be causing it to not filter properly, possibility #2 i did not use duct tape on the ducting and flanges before i clamped them with the duct clamps do you guys think this could be causing the issue?

I think you're running your fan too slow.
Also, what are your humidity levels? Filters lose their effectiveness at high rh.

The RH hasn't gotten above 50% and the temps are in the mid 70s, i don't think the fan is running to slow the room is pretty small 5x2x8 and its a 450 something cfm fan, as i said i have negative air pressure the smell isn't coming from the room where the closet is located it is coming from the utility closet in the middle of my hall way, the only way i can figure that its getting there is that the smell is accumulating in the attic then seeping down threw into the utility closet.

I just checked the min/max on my hygrometer and it ranges from 24% to 41% for probably the last week or so.

Is your fan mounted directly to the filter?

No my fan is at the end of my exhaust set up and my filter is at the beginning, here is a video where you can see the set up.

[video=youtube_share;IPn0hXCEL5k]http://youtu.be/IPn0hXCEL5k[/video]

Well my first guess would have been vibration from the fan causing the activated carbon in the filter to have settled, however you did mention the filter was a couple of years old, maybe the carbon is pooped out.....

Yeah that's really the only thing i can think of a side from lack of duct tape on the seems but i dunno, i would really rather not order another filter just because it could be the problem i honestly don't know how bad the issue is like i said i cant just poke my head up there and see how bad it smells, but that utility closet does smell a lot like growing weed to me its weird though some times it smells in there some times it doesn't.

Pooped-out carbon is a good guess imo. I'd refill or replace.
The other option is to rig a ozone generator to exhaust into the attic space. It'll consume any odorants that got by the carbon, and having an ozone generator around gives you a two-pronged strategy for dealing with all manner of odor issues. cn

Yeah i had previously thought about throwing an ozone generator up in the attic but there were just so many things i didn't know about using them, i didn't want my nosy ass old neighbor to get a whiff of it and think we were cooking meth or something and i didn't want to use to much and have it seep back into our house and make us sick. I dunno though I'm probably going to pick up a new carbon filter and look in to getting an ozone generator do you guys know if i can set up the ozone generator in my room and then exhaust it threw the filter? I know that to much ozone will hurt myself and the plants but i would like to know does the carbon scrubber scrub ozone or will it continue up to the attic and continue to neutralize odors?

I would tee or inline the generator in place after the filter but before the fan ... or simply let it exhaust independently into the attic space. If you introduce the ozone before the carbon, it may react with the active sites on the carbon, "chemically polishing" it useless. Ozone smells like fresh air at low concentrations and should not alert your nosy old neighbor.

I want to use a ozone generator but it makes me nervouse from what I have read regarding health issues.

hunter22375 said:

I want to use a ozone generator but it makes me nervouse from what I have read regarding health issues.

Click to expand...

If you don't exhaust into a living space ... no issues. I use mine indoors, but in supervised pulses. When the unwanted odor has gone away, switch off. This way i get full benefit but without unreacted ozone. Jmo. cn

Yeah that's one of my major concerns as well you don't have to worry about it if you exhaust the air to the out side though, like i just went and found this ozone generator http://www.htgsupply.com/Product-Ozone-400.asp and it claims it can do 2000 cubic feet, my house is probably less than 500 sq feet and my attic is probably 1/3 the size of that.

That one doesn't look very strong at all. I have this one ... have had it for twelve years. It offsets the cost ... cn

http://www.ozone.ca/products/pro3600-1.htm

Thanks for the info cannabineer you've been quite helpful i guess i just gotta figure out what ozone generator would work best for me from here.

Cool. I will be exhausting outside. So then you use the ozone generator inside the grow room/tent.

My pleasure! Best luck. cn

hunter22375 said:

Cool. I will be exhausting outside. So then you use the ozone generator inside the grow room/tent.

Click to expand...

Its best to place the ozone generator in the exhaust ducting because the ozone can be toxic to the plants to.

psilocybindude said:

Its best to place the ozone generator in the exhaust ducting because the ozone can be toxic to the plants to.

Click to expand...

Exactly. Downstream of the filter but upstream of the exhaust fan. cn