Have a carbon filter still smelling

Ok guys here is the issue. I just finished my first run last month and even with the carbon filter the smell was bad. My mother pulled up in the driveway of my house and said she smelled it soon as she got out of the car and the damn plants are in my basement! It was a closet size grow room in the basement. Closet was NOT sealed just 2 sliding doors on a track. My filter is in the closet the duct is running from the carbon filter out a hole I drilled in the closet into my laundry in (also in the basement) and the duct goes into the inline fan. The back of the fan is just blowing the air out into my laundry room which is only separated from the room the grow closet is in by a door. The air is also blowing straight at the duct blower system for my air/heat which has a small opening. (maybe the smell is getting into there and blown throughout the house?) I don't see how that's possible since it's going through the filter too at the other end. So the carbon filter is at one end (in grow closet) and the inline fan at the other end. (is the set up wrong?) also the laundry room of course has the dryer vent that my dryer duct is connected to but I don't see how the smell is getting out through that. I had 3 medical plants going. I'm wanting to do another run to try and be done by july but with spring/summer coming and more foot traffic outside I don't want people walking down the sidewalk to smell it....Any suggestions???? This is what I have VenTech Hydroponic 6'' Inline Fan and Carbon Air Filter 6'' Duct Flange Combo Set for Odor Control with Floor Mount, the light is an air tube cooled system 400 watt

• Air Flow: 440 CFM
• Speed Fan: 2730 RPM
• Power: 121 W * Input Voltage: AC 110v/60Hz * Current: 1.1A
• Dimension: 8:5" x 11" x 13" Duct Size: 6"
• Filter: 6" x 20" CFM: 440

How old is the carbon filter.........many of them really don't last more than 1 or 2 grows.

The key is to create a slight negative airflow in the room. This means OVER BUYING the filter and fan size by one size larger than necessary.

You can also grow one of the less stinky strains like Northern Lights or Cantaloupe Skunk.

Usually the filters get channels through the carbon at the end closest to the ducting... Try disconnecting the filter and sort of gently thump it with that end down to redistibute the carbon a bit. Then wrap a garbage bag around about 25% of the end closest to the duct end to force the airflow over the middle and far end. Should be able to get a little more use from it if it isn't too old or the fan too strong.

Put the fan on the filter and blow through your light not suck.....if that make sense....what is happening is your light has smelly air being sucked through small gaps somewhere along the way to the fan......I used to set it up like that but kept having issues with smell.......


CArbon Filter>>>>>Inline Fan>>>>>>>Ducting>>>>>>>>>Light>>>>>>>Ducting>>>>>>>>>>>Outside

Ok cool everyone I'll check it out and the carbon filter is ONLY 4 months old it has been through one 4 month grow that's it. Hoping to get one more out of it o and my exhaust is NOT being blown outdoors lol

You have several issues. You can't scrub a room if it's not mostly sealed.. Secondly you can scrub TOO fast. You don't want your fan sucking air too quickly or it will not absorb everything.

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I've got a 6" ventec filter/440cfm fan combo. I've come to the conclusion that the filter is crap. It helps, but it's by no means a solution. It's let plenty of smell through since day one. I'm going to finish this grow with it and then get a decent reversible brand. Love the ventec fan though, I'll keep using it with the new filter.

SSHZ said:

How old is the carbon filter.........many of them really don't last more than 1 or 2 grows.

The key is to create a slight negative airflow in the room. This means OVER BUYING the filter and fan size by one size larger than necessary.

You can also grow one of the less stinky strains like Northern Lights or Cantaloupe Skunk.

Click to expand...

Guess I got lucky. Bought the cheapest one I could find, and it kept exodus cheese at bay for 3 years.

Out of curiosity, are there any tests showing if activated carbons efficiency varies with temperature?

Dude I've been using the filter in my flower room #1 for 6 years strong..............

and I don't know about how high temps affect the carbon but I do know high humidity can cause a carbon filter to not filter.....

I put my filter after the lights as my lights are not completly air tight.
Box in a fox

My fan pulls from lights
pushes to filter under the house.

Dont tell anyone.
Filter is going on 3 yrs

That works too ^^^^ I had mine like that but my light hoods kept getting dusty.........

...............and hey did you know if you wash your old carbon filter in water and peroxide it can come back to life (cleans the organic matter).......but it must fizzle when it comes out....if it doesn't it's dead aka carbon is not activated anymore.........

Check out Phresh Filters......IMO they are the best.

thanks for the options everyone I will look into them. My new round hasn't even sprouted yet so I have a little time