Fix bent carbon filter? - Think Crucial 10x40 carbon air filter

Philip-O

Philip-O

Well-Known Member
Hello there! Having seen how many resourceful people there is around here, I wanted to ask if this air filter would work or can be fixed at least. Purchased it from the manufacturer through Ebay, and while it looks solid (and the price was very good for this heavy monster) it arrived bent in several places .

I already wrote to the seller, but shipping back should cost quite a bit, and I still don´t know what they will reply (the filter was delivered the past thursday, but I only get to it now), so I wanted to ask you whether you think the filter would still be useful (I´m only going to use it for a 4x4 tent, but not being accustomed to the imperial system I did not have a clue this was going to be so big) or how should one go about to fix it.

If any one can guide me with this, I would appreciate it much. Would not want to wait until flowering to find out if this works.
 

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Creature1969

Creature1969

Well-Known Member
It will still work as it should.

I know your pain. My 6x24" phresh filter isn't quite as bad as yours on the sides but the 6" opening was majorly mangled. Took some bending and a lot of aluminum tape to secure the duct.
 
Philip-O

Philip-O

Well-Known Member
Creature1969 said:
It will still work as it should.

I know your pain. My 6x24" phresh filter isn't quite as bad as yours on the sides but the 6" opening was majorly mangled. Took some bending and a lot of aluminum tape to secure the duct.
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Thanks, man. I was thinking of putting it outside of the tent, as this thing is big, but with the dents it has I´m not too sure. will try to "seal" the dented parts with duct tape and try to blow air through it, since now that I´ve received it this seem like way too much to fit inside a 4x4 tent. If advised not to, or if I feel any odor, I will move it to the inside and have the fan (Can Fan Pro Series 6 - 420 CFM) suck through it.
 
Philip-O

Philip-O

Well-Known Member
The seller replied, and offered to send a new one without the need to send back this one (I asked for a smaller one, since this is waaaay too much for a tent grow). Very good customer service, and the filter seems solid (at least packed with a lot carbon :hump:). I´ll post a review when I try these filters with my skunky girls. :fire:
 
redzi

redzi

Well-Known Member
Who was the shipper?..I bet it was UPS. That looks like the model I bought from Amazon. The rim for the intake was dented but looked like it was manufactured like that. They all seem to claim that they are made from some special Australian coal.
 
Philip-O

Philip-O

Well-Known Member
USPS, they all suck man. Mine was clearly dented from striking something, issues do not come from factory. These guys do not make special claims in regard to their coal (probably thats why I found this to be a good deal in terms of price / CFM rating, at least from what I found).
 
hillbill

hillbill

Well-Known Member
Creature1969 said:
It will still work as it should.

I know your pain. My 6x24" phresh filter isn't quite as bad as yours on the sides but the 6" opening was majorly mangled. Took some bending and a lot of aluminum tape to secure the duct.
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Gorilla tape will stick and seal any leaks. If carbon don't fall out and outflow area is sealed up you are good to go! I also have been refilling filters for years and they perform at 100%.
 
Philip-O

Philip-O

Well-Known Member
Thanks, HB. What do you mean with the "outflow area being sealed up"?

hillbill said:
Gorilla tape will stick and seal any leaks. If carbon don't fall out and outflow area is sealed up you are good to go! I also have been refilling filters for years and they perform at 100%.
Click to expand...
 
hillbill

hillbill

Well-Known Member
Philip-O said:
Thanks, HB. What do you mean with the "outflow area being sealed up"?
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Anywhere actually but especially around the flange and it looks like you will have no trouble. Any air leaks diminish efficiency and suction and suck unfiltered air through the fan to stink up your house.
 
Philip-O

Philip-O

Well-Known Member
hillbill said:
Anywhere actually but especially around the flange and it looks like you will have no trouble. Any air leaks diminish efficiency and suction and suck unfiltered air through the fan to stink up your house.
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Thanks! If you ever find time for it, a thread showing how to refill a filter (I´ve seen several threads with DIY filters, but so far not a single picture of a rebuild). These are crucial pieces of equipment for many of us, and it is a waste to throw away and replace perfectly good enclosures every year or so.
 
haze010

haze010

Well-Known Member
All that is required for an effective filter is sealed airflow through activated carbon (readily available in bulk at most pet stores in the fish/aquarium section). If your filter is dead and you want to attempt to refill it then you have nothing to lose if you fail anyway. I have made numerous DIy filters but never refilled one but all i would do is crack that puppy open, empty out the used up carbon and weigh it. That way you know how much carbon to put in for the approiate airflow. Then it would just be a matter of filling it back up and making it airtight. You can easily test if your filter is airtight after refill by attatching your airflow fan on one end and then like a garbage bag or baloon or something on the other.

Any air leaks just fix with a little caulking and youre done.

A diy filter is incredibly easy to make with very simple things, ive made them for less than $20 plus the cost of the activated carbon with dryer vent hoses and a couple of plastic wastebaskets.

The only mildly difficult part is knowing how much carbon to put in for the cfm of your fan, and getting it airtight. Thats why i said weigh the carbon.

Oh and when you pop that puppy open be prepared for a giant mess, carbon is a pain in the ass.

Its really very easy and hard to mess it up, if you have any smell you either have an air leak or not enough carbon. Even if you make a mistake after a redo or two im sure you'll get it.
 
Philip-O

Philip-O

Well-Known Member
Thanks! I hope this will be of use, or encouragement, not only for me but for others.

If one could have an air filter for joints, my house would not stink so much ;)

haze010 said:
All that is required for an effective filter is sealed airflow through activated carbon (readily available in bulk at most pet stores in the fish/aquarium section). If your filter is dead and you want to attempt to refill it then you have nothing to lose if you fail anyway. I have made numerous DIy filters but never refilled one but all i would do is crack that puppy open, empty out the used up carbon and weigh it. That way you know how much carbon to put in for the approiate airflow. Then it would just be a matter of filling it back up and making it airtight. You can easily test if your filter is airtight after refill by attatching your airflow fan on one end and then like a garbage bag or baloon or something on the other.

Any air leaks just fix with a little caulking and youre done.

A diy filter is incredibly easy to make with very simple things, ive made them for less than $20 plus the cost of the activated carbon with dryer vent hoses and a couple of plastic wastebaskets.

The only mildly difficult part is knowing how much carbon to put in for the cfm of your fan, and getting it airtight. Thats why i said weigh the carbon.

Oh and when you pop that puppy open be prepared for a giant mess, carbon is a pain in the ass.

Its really very easy and hard to mess it up, if you have any smell you either have an air leak or not enough carbon. Even if you make a mistake after a redo or two im sure you'll get it.
Click to expand...
 
haze010

haze010

Well-Known Member
Philip-O said:
Thanks! I hope this will be of use, or encouragement, not only for me but for others.

If one could have an air filter for joints, my house would not stink so much ;)
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Easily made if you have a room you normally smoke in. Ever see those stand alone Hepa filter machines? Same thing but with a carbon filter instead of a hepa filter.

this is an example of what i mean
https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.1000721976.html?eid=PS_GOOGLE_HD+|+PLAs_Shopping+|+All+Products_All+Products&gclid=Cj0KEQjwxPbHBRCdxJLF3qen3dYBEiQAMRyxS1L_iGpRJKJJXuHBqfig2fQpdNcyVCk78pc2wb19Nu0aAtuo8P8HAQ

All you would need is an air intake fan attached to a homemade filter like i described. In fact many growers use such air filters in sealed room grows, you just need the air in the room you are smoking to get pushed thru carbon and the smell is eliminated, its really very simple.

To this day i don't understand why people constantly buy filters. If you're not a handy person i get why you'd buy one just for the nice looking enclosure, but then its just a matter of replacing the carbon.
 
Philip-O

Philip-O

Well-Known Member
Sweet! So I get one of these machines and a carbon filter, which I can also DIY as per your instructions. Is that right? O do I hook up the machine to the spare inline filter (one from the pictures above, since I was sent a new one for no charge).

haze010 said:
Easily made if you have a room you normally smoke in. Ever see those stand alone Hepa filter machines? Same thing but with a carbon filter instead of a hepa filter.

this is an example of what i mean
https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.1000721976.html?eid=PS_GOOGLE_HD+|+PLAs_Shopping+|+All+Products_All+Products&gclid=Cj0KEQjwxPbHBRCdxJLF3qen3dYBEiQAMRyxS1L_iGpRJKJJXuHBqfig2fQpdNcyVCk78pc2wb19Nu0aAtuo8P8HAQ

All you would need is an air intake fan attached to a homemade filter like i described. In fact many growers use such air filters in sealed room grows, you just need the air in the room you are smoking to get pushed thru carbon and the smell is eliminated, its really very simple.

To this day i don't understand why people constantly buy filters. If you're not a handy person i get why you'd buy one just for the nice looking enclosure, but then its just a matter of replacing the carbon.
Click to expand...
 
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haze010

haze010

Well-Known Member
Philip-O said:
Sweet! I guess I´ll need at least one for the TV room. So a filter like the one you linked to suffices or do you hack it somehow?
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All i did was quick link a common hepa filter via a quick google just for an example of what i described. There are hundreds of variations that all basically do the same thing, they suck air thru a material you use to filter it. The variations are just what material you are using to filter and the airflow of the fan and you can spend as much or as little as you want. I know alot about this stuff because i worked in asbestos remediation for a couple years in the past and filters are a lifeline in that with industial machines running in the thousands of dollars. A hepa filter scrubs particulate from the air, like dust dander, or asbestos fibres in that work. You don't neccesarily need a HEPA as you are only wanting to filter out the smell, which is done with carbon. So you just need to decide if you want just a carbon filter or a carbon + hepa filter. The one i linked does have carbon and hepa but its just a mini small thing that probably doesnt work very well but was convient to give you an idea of what i meant.

Heres something that is the oposite end of the spectrum and is used in industrial settings to remove asbestos fibres from the air.
http://www.hazmasters.com/Omnitec-OmniAire-2200C-Negative-Air-Machine

If its only for smell in a small room id just go for something inexpensive carbon only. The most expensive part is always going to be the carbon or hepa filter itself unless you go for a giant blower sized fan like the link above.

Hope that explains it.
 
hillbill

hillbill

Well-Known Member
You can buy bulk carbon just like is in them from eBay. My Activeaire filter has screws that hold one end on. Remove end and carefully invert filter over plastic bag lined container and carbon will remove itself. This is can be messy! Turn upright and fill with pellets. You may craft a funnel or slide to direct carbon to that space between outer and inner perforated walls. I fill about 20% at a time and then lift and drop a few inches several times to settle pellets. Repeat until full and replace end.

Don't be too concerned about weight as there are some weight differences in the carbon itself. Proper cleaning and replacing pre filters is a big deal. These filters are really simple devices and the framework of the bigger brands is really good and very durable. It would be a shame to waste it after using up the capacity of the carbon.
 
haze010

haze010

Well-Known Member
hillbill said:
You can buy bulk carbon just like is in them from eBay. My Activeaire filter has screws that hold one end on. Remove end and carefully invert filter over plastic bag lined container and carbon will remove itself. This is can be messy! Turn upright and fill with pellets. You may craft a funnel or slide to direct carbon to that space between outer and inner perforated walls. I fill about 20% at a time and then lift and drop a few inches several times to settle pellets. Repeat until full and replace end.

Don't be too concerned about weight as there are some weight differences in the carbon itself. Proper cleaning and replacing pre filters is a big deal. These filters are really simple devices and the framework of the bigger brands is really good and very durable. It would be a shame to waste it after using up the capacity of the carbon.
Click to expand...
Yup id agree 100%, i was just trying to explain the why and give encouragement and an easy solution to someone who seemed intimidated by it.

Its reallllllllllllllllllllllly incredibly simple to do, but i wouldnt go ebay for carbon as that would just add unneccesary shipping, id go walmart pet section, or petsmart or whatever big box place thats convient and sells stuff for aquariums. Its used in bulk for filters for fish aquariums.
 
Philip-O

Philip-O

Well-Known Member
Haze, would you mind checking this filter out for me? Sorry for coming up with such a dumb question, but since you know about this and are willing to share I would like to check with you.

I´m planning to use the filter on a 4x4x7 tent, and according to the seller they are good for 400 CFM. I already got a 6 inch inline fan rated for up to 420CFM (Can Fan Pro), although I would like to run it at medium or low speed to reduce the noise.

https://www.thinkcrucial.com/products/carbon-inline-fan-filter-odor-control-6x16-part-glfilt6m

Thanks man!

haze010 said:
Yup id agree 100%, i was just trying to explain the why and give encouragement and an easy solution to someone who seemed intimidated by it.

Its reallllllllllllllllllllllly incredibly simple to do, but i wouldnt go ebay for carbon as that would just add unneccesary shipping, id go walmart pet section, or petsmart or whatever big box place thats convient and sells stuff for aquariums. Its used in bulk for filters for fish aquariums.
Click to expand...
 
haze010

haze010

Well-Known Member
For anyone who wants to read about industrial and professional guidelines for air scrubbing i'll link a professional grade teaching guideline from a leading manufacturer for everything from neg air machines to dehumidifiers.

https://www.drieaz.com/uploads/deca/gtas.pdf

Thats like a pre-training orientation guide on the basics of air scrubbing and HAZMAT protocols if youre interested in the math and the why and how it all works. I have over 200 hours of training dealing with everything from basic mold and asbestos remediation all the way to liquid propane in a pressurized environment and biomedical hazards.

You should be fine with that setup though, you would have an issue if it was the other way around. Like a 1 speed only fan of 400+cfm and a filter of only 200. The air would be pulled through the filter too fast for it to properly eliminate the smell completely.
 
Philip-O

Philip-O

Well-Known Member
Great info man, thanks! Not only you do give fish, but you teach how to fish as well!

haze010 said:
For anyone who wants to read about industrial and professional guidelines for air scrubbing i'll link a professional grade teaching guideline from a leading manufacturer for everything from neg air machines to dehumidifiers.

https://www.drieaz.com/uploads/deca/gtas.pdf

Thats like a pre-training orientation guide on the basics of air scrubbing and HAZMAT protocols if youre interested in the math and the why and how it all works. I have over 200 hours of training dealing with everything from basic mold and asbestos remediation all the way to liquid propane in a pressurized environment and biomedical hazards.

You should be fine with that setup though, you would have an issue if it was the other way around. Like a 1 speed only fan of 400+cfm and a filter of only 200. The air would be pulled through the filter too fast for it to properly eliminate the smell completely.
Click to expand...
 
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