Carbon filter failing during lights off

[Rustybiff]

Now then, I recently bought a Phresh carbon filter thinking that my Red Scorpion one had packed in. Turns out neither filter had a problem, must be my environment as the same thing is occuring. Smells sweet and slightly weedy during lights off and then not a whiff during lights on.

 

I extract out of the bottom of the tent to use the heat from the light, but is this the problem? With the filter being near the pots I wonder if it's getting too humid and effecting the charcoal? 

 

Lights off is sitting around 18 celsius. I know it's less than ideal but I really can't afford to generate any more heat in this tent. Just thought I'd add that statistic to help suss out what the problem is.

 

If anyone's ran into this problem I'd love to hear about it, cheers folks!

[zen-ken]

Humidity or a leak  

[Rustybiff]

Yeah I feel that @zen-ken I'm leaning away from a leak cause it would be there 24/7 

[GSZZ]

27 minutes ago, Rustybiff said:

I'm leaning away from a leak cause it would be there 24/7 

 

Not necessarily. Do you use a fan controller?

[DutchFox]

whats the hunidity when light is off ?

 

and water when lights go on?....

 

 

[cypher79]

Carbon filters stop working when humidity gets too high, sounds like that's the problem. 

 

[Exhale]

If you're using a fan controller check it's not set too low on the minimum speed, you need a certain amount of air pulled through for it to work effectively.

[Rustybiff]

Sorry guys I should have given more info in the original post.. so the tent is 60x90x160 and I use a 6" ac infinity with the speed always set to 2, so it's never changing according to the environment @GSZZ. This seems to give a good balance of keeping the heat in while still extracting. Lights on is 24C, 53% humidity, off is 18/19C 60%. The probe is at the top of the canopy though, so I'm sure humidity is a fair bit higher at pot level.

 

@DutchFox I'm using blumats at the mo so water is at a steady level.

 

 @Exhale thing is I've had it turned up to 4 and it still smells, but just seems too high for the size of tent and rinses all the heat... 

 

Cheers for the responses fellas

 

 

 

[Exhale]

Your fan is too big, get a bigger tent or a smaller fan and match the filter appropriately, you're pulling too slow to scrub the air effectively.

 

 

[Rustybiff]

@Exhale that does sound about right to be fair, was sort of starting to wonder about that... I only bought it because the tent's in our bedroom and I read that an effective way to keep the noise down was to oversize the fan. Hmm, I guess I'll have to wait it out until it breaks now and buy a 4" next time 

 

I wondered about gaffa taping around the carbon filter to reduce the space the air can flow through thus speeding up the air flow through the reduced space?

[Exhale]

@Rustybiff the EC fans are incredibly quiet and shift a lot of air, I have a 4" RVK connected to my 1m tent and while it is audible it's not unbearable but the AC inifity 4" I also have is more quiet and shifts more air.

 

Tape might work like that, though I'm not sure how the filter will be afftected with having a portion of it covered, use a tape you can get off easy to test it.

[Shumroom]

2 hours ago, Rustybiff said:

 

I wondered about gaffa taping around the carbon filter to reduce the space the air can flow through thus speeding up the air flow through the reduced space?

Might be advisable to get a 6" to 4" reducer to go in between the fan and filter,

replace 6" filter with a 4" .

 

That way you get higher air speed through the filter,

if temps ever become too much then switch back to the 6" (height of summer).

 

Just thinking out loud.

 

Atb

 

 

 

[BilgePump]

Reducers all the way, I'm with @Shumroom just get a smaller filter and appropriate connections, if yer only ever running the s6 on 2 reducing to 4in shouldn't stress the fan overly. Heck I used to reduce a 6in sileo to 4in both ends and ran that full pelt for years.

 

[Arthur Mix]

Running a much smaller filter could maybe restrict the fans motor a bit and cause some issues maybe. Down to a five inch prob ok but four inch I wouldn’t do that . 

[badbillybob]

1 hour ago, Arthur Mix said:

Running a much smaller filter could maybe restrict the fans motor a bit and cause some issues maybe. Down to a five inch prob ok but four inch I wouldn’t do that . 

neither would i.  id go 5 if youi must, but first id check for leaks. if its the insulated ducting make sure the inner sleeve is attached to the filter as well, as smell can leak if they arent