Refilling carbon filters

[distracted]

I thought carbon was charcole. If so instead of buying it why can't we jus burn a load of wood and break it down to dust. Or jus buy a bag of charcole. Obviously I'm new to carbon filters never needed 1 till now so I'm sorry if this seems like a stupid question. And props to billius good info man. Stay keen keep it green

Hi sir smoke allot, it is charcoal but manufactured so it has loads of surface area and smell molecules in air stick to it...

To source the loose air quality pellets you need to google "Activated Carbon" there are plenty of links, activated carbon trading is one site that will accept on line orders

[pronstar]

nice tutorial, just like to add. if i may :wink: my tips. place your filter in a garden tray and place paper/card into the centre mesh. rather than the outside, this way any overspill goes in the tray and not into the centre of the filter. bashing the filter on the floor at variuos stages will help with the settling of the carbon. the pop rivets can be replaced with self tapping screws, for easier dissasembly next time round

Edited January 19, 2010 by pronstar

[The Villan]

Excellent, will try this next tiome I need to renew mine.

Do you all wash the filter stocking out on a regular basis ??

Cheers V

[Randalizer]

Excellent post distracted!

I thought carbon was charcole. If so instead of buying it why can't we jus burn a load of wood and break it down to dust. Or jus buy a bag of charcole. Obviously I'm new to carbon filters never needed 1 till now so I'm sorry if this seems like a stupid question. And props to distracted good info man. Stay keen keep it green

Hi sir smoke allot, it is charcoal but manufactured so it has loads of surface area and smell molecules in air stick to it...

To my understanding, the activated charcoal that is used is heated to a very high temperature in order to create the high amount of surface area needed to absorb a fair amount of odor.

Edited October 10, 2012 by distracted

[turbo toker]

nice post distracted

i was due to buy a new filter soon and after checking out online prices of activated carbon i can refill mine for 1/3 of the price of a new filter

Edited October 10, 2012 by distracted

[groovelick]

To my understanding, the activated charcoal that is used is heated to a very high temperature in order to create the high amount of surface area needed to absorb a fair amount of odor.

If you powdered some charcoal brickettes and put them in your trainers they would not eat the smell like odour eaters do as the charcoal is'nt activated you would still end up with black sock's thou.

Edited October 10, 2012 by distracted

[Lotofago]

Nice post! very useful.

[Bhang Buddie]

Thought I'd just add this on making Activated Charcoal, however you might be best buying it ;

Activated charcoal is used as an antidote for many types of poisons. When mixed into a slurry and ingested, it bonds with the poisonous material, rendering it inert. The body then stops absorbing the poison, which allows it to pass through the digestive system. Activated charcoal can be made at home provided you possess the proper equipment. Coconut shells make a good source of activated charcoal because of its absorbent properties, but you can use any nontoxic forms of wood and achieve similar results.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You'll Need: Burning sink, Oven Pail, Ziploc bags, Hammer or Blender, Draining tray CaCl2 or ZnCl2 25% chemical solution Coconut shells Purified water.

Instructions.

Step 1

Strip a number of coconut shells free of any remaining meat or fiber. Wash them and let them dry completely to remove any dirt.

Step 2

Place the coconut shells in a burning sink and burn them at a temperature of 575 to 900 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow them to burn for at least 4 hours, until they are complete ash.

Step 3

Remove the ash from the sink and place it in a clean plastic pail. Add enough CaCl2 or ZnCl2 25% chemical solution to completely soak the ash.

Step 4

Allow the ash to soak in the chemical solution for one full day. That will transform it into activated charcoal.

Step 5

Remove the charcoal from the pail and place it on a draining tray. Wash and rinse it thoroughly with clean, distilled water to remove all traces of the chemical solution. Allow the water to drain away for an hour or so.

Step 6

Place the charcoal in an oven heated to 215 degrees Fahrenheit, and allow it to bake for 3 hours.

Step 7

Remove the charcoal and crush it into powder form using a hammer or an industrial blender. The grains should be as small as you can make them.

Step 8

Store the activated charcoal in Ziploc bags until you need it.

When treating poisons, mix 1/3 of a cup with 1 cup of water, then have the victim drink it. It also can be effective for alcohol and drug overdoses.

[distracted]

Thought I'd just add this on making Activated Charcoal,

It's not really suitable for carbon filters though carbon dust Bhang Buddie activated or not, it's granules you need so that the air can pass through, carbon dust would have too much resistance and be almost impossible to keep in the filter

[Randalizer]

Hey folks,

I hope you don't mind if I drop a couple of pics here? I'm currently emptying my 10" dia, 31" long, Mountain Air cf. The interesting thing is that the activated carbon is crushed, so there is a bit of powder. It's also in a mesh bag. This filter will be cleaned (it's been in constant use for 3 years now) then stored once I empty it. I'll fill it when I need to which is not right now.

Edited October 10, 2012 by distracted

[Randalizer]

So my activated carbon came out really messy. I had to take it into the flower room where there was some decent ventilation. Huge clouds of dust. Anyway, it's empty and I'm washing the components now. Bottom left is the outside screen. The center is the inner metal screen with the nylon bags inner side attached to it. The outer part of the bag is that wad of netting on top. Beyond that is my tub filled with activated carbon.

[Randalizer]

So here are the newly cleaned (not spotless I must admit) components, ready to be stored until I can get them filled. Might have this one go into my veg room (Drobe II). The outside screen just slips in and out (with some convincing) the bottom plate collar. I want to put removable fasteners in there, but haven't decided what yet. There is a fair amount of corrosion going on so I have to take that into account.

The nylon sack has not be restored as of yet.

Edited December 19, 2010 by Randalizer

[trimma]

anyone know the best way to dispose of used carbon pellets ? is burning on a wood burner an option ? anyone tried ? ta in adv

[Randalizer]

I just put a bit in my compost bin (which is big) and make sure it is well mixed with yard and kitchen debris. Continue doing until you've gotten rid of it all. Another option is to bury it.

Edited December 19, 2010 by Randalizer

[distracted]

anyone know the best way to dispose of used carbon pellets ? is burning on a wood burner an option ? anyone tried ? ta in adv

it should burn I'd have thought as it's charcoal, maybe not unaided but fed into a hot fire with open vents then why not?