Ventilation / Scrubbing for a Wine Fridge 2d x 2w x 4h cab

PicklesRus

Well-Known Member
Hi there. I'm designing the scrubber for my fridge cab, and I'm trying to figure out a design for an inline scrubber. I kinda dont want to put a tube in a tube in a tube because it seems to waste space, and I dont want to push through a filter if I can avoid it.. do you think this design will work?

1) how much carbon do I need
2) how much CFM do I need

scrubber.png
 

PicklesRus

Well-Known Member
seems silly to reinvent the wheel , there are scrubbers out there already made all sizes.
You're not supposed to push air through a scrubber, supposed to pull air through... so I have three options if I want to do it right:

1) Mount a scrubber inside my cab, which I dont want to do because I have all this room outisde already.
2) make an enclosure for a can filter (what most people do), effectively turning it into an inline filter.
3) design a more efficient inline filter, i.e. the above.

There are inline can filters from Phresh that is what I'm looking for, except the smallest one is way too big already.

701175-021.jpg

To make an inline scrubber it looks like you basically have to make a scrubber, and then put it into another box. I just was wondering if my design would work because I have a feeling that the only reason people designed them with a filter in a box style was just out of the fact that everything else was already made that way....
 

PicklesRus

Well-Known Member
The reason I chose an axial fan was because the BC NOrthern Lights boxes use them to push through a small can filter, so I was thinking I could get away with one, and since it's already square I thought it would be easy to keep a square duct.....

You can see in the pictures, the axial fans on the back, those push through a small carbon filter thats mounted externally on the back of the unit.

Honestly, I'm thinking if BCNL pushes through a filter, maybe I can too. .. eh.

product-mothership.png product-bloombox.png

Here's the video of BCNL showing how to install the can onto their cabs.

 

PicklesRus

Well-Known Member
drill a 4"hole and run some ducting inside and have the fan outside, seems like a no brainer
What scrubber will I use tho?
Like this one?

This is one of the smaller ones, even with this size I'd have to push air through it if I want to keep it outside of the cab.
 
fans are reversible just turn them around, if you are pushing you are pulling just the same

yes a kit like that with a 4"fan and scrubber. i use htgsupply, check them out grab some zip ties and flexible ducting
 

PicklesRus

Well-Known Member
You're not supposed to push air through a can filter the way the BCNL boxes to, but they do that so that the filter stays outside of the box.

I'm trying to figure out a way to put the filter outside the box and pull the air through the carbon instead of push... like an inline filter.. . which brings us back to my first few posts... I essentially need to get/build an inline filter. and I'm wondering if there is any reason why that design I posted above wouldn't work well....

Here's a commercial inline carbon box design filter. I guess what I'm seeing here is that commercially available models maximize the carbon surface area, my design might not have enough surface area to be effective..



 

PicklesRus

Well-Known Member
Here we go. I think I've answered my own question here, I'll go with a tried and true carbon filter design and put it inside a box.
carbon filter overview.png
 
Hehe. When they ain't listening you must scream, yes :D

I think one of the main reasons you want to keep the filter ahead of the fan is the pre-filter is easier to clean when it's mounted outside, rather than inside the carbon filter, which I've seen people do. The carbon filter doubles as a muffler in the -->fan-->filter-->out configuration, which is my main reason for wanting to keep that kind of setup.

Come to tthink of it, it could even be beneficial to just mount a pre filter ahead of the exhaust fan, which then leads out through the scrubber. The pre filter then keeps the fan contained and dust free, is accessible for cleaning/replacement, and might even slightly prevent kickback from the fan, which i've exprerienced happens if in the -->fan-->filter-->out configuration.

I think pulling air actually does work better (because of the kick back), but for a small grow an a slightly over dimentioned fan it should not make much difference.
 

PicklesRus

Well-Known Member
Hehe. When they ain't listening you must scream, yes :D
Come to tthink of it, it could even be beneficial to just mount a pre filter ahead of the exhaust fan, which then leads out through the scrubber. The pre filter then keeps the fan contained and dust free, is accessible for cleaning/replacement, and might even slightly prevent kickback from the fan, which i've exprerienced happens if in the -->fan-->filter-->out configuration.
I was thinking this exactly. If pushing air through the carbon is only bad because there is no pre-filter, why not just add a prefilter?!. The outer prefilter tho has a lot more surface area, so maybe a smaller prefilter through a push setup might not be as effective...

Pushing is definately a lot easier design wise.

I was actually thinking of putting the smallest can filter I can find (CF Can-Filter 705) inside some flexible ducting which is larger than the filter (6") with a fan out, so running like the same design I had of a can inside a box, but the box would be a flexible duct instead, probably a lot easier to work with and build and cheaper too.
 

PicklesRus

Well-Known Member
It shouldn't be a problem as far as heat goes, since you plan on keeping the drivers and heatsinks for your cab on the outside, right?
Yeah I dont think Heat will be a problem at all. Seeing though that i used cheap ebay LEDS it will generate more heat than a good quality setup.

I think for the cheap lights I will hang them inside using an existing inner rack, and then probably later use them outside the cab for something else.. if this cab works out I'll cut into the celing and flush mount better quality leds.

So realistically initially the cobs and heatsinks will be inside the cab, and the drivers will be external. I dont think that will generate a huge amount of heat but we'll see!
 
if this cab works out I'll cut into the celing and flush mount better quality leds.
Good idea.

I've been thinking maybe a 'hurricane style' fan will have less kickback, in the inside configuration since it has a 90V angle. Also it might be easier to mount for your cab/filter, without too much ducting. Then you can build a 'half box' around it to sound insulate further

http://www.hurricane-fans.com/media/89287/hurricane_blowers.png

their square end is basically in the wrong side, but you catch my drift. A little awkward to attach to the filter, but some kind of home made O mount with a square hole would be an easy diy remedy.
 

whitebb2727

Well-Known Member
You're not supposed to push air through a can filter the way the BCNL boxes to, but they do that so that the filter stays outside of the box.

I'm trying to figure out a way to put the filter outside the box and pull the air through the carbon instead of push... like an inline filter.. . which brings us back to my first few posts... I essentially need to get/build an inline filter. and I'm wondering if there is any reason why that design I posted above wouldn't work well....

Here's a commercial inline carbon box design filter. I guess what I'm seeing here is that commercially available models maximize the carbon surface area, my design might not have enough surface area to be effective..




I'm trying to figure out a way to put the filter outside the box and pull the air through the carbon instead of push... like an inline filter.. . which brings us back to my first few posts... I essentially need to get/build an inline filter. and I'm wondering if there is any reason why that design I posted above wouldn't work well....

Here's a commercial inline carbon box design filter. I guess what I'm seeing here is that commercially available models maximize the carbon surface area, my design might not have enough surface area to be effective..



[/QUOTE]
You can push air through the filter. Mine come with I structions to do it. You just put the dust cover on the j side.

You could put the filter outside the fridge.
http://www.phreshfilter.com/faq.aspx

I use phresh. It right up there with can. It can be run pushing air.

You can see it setup in the link in my SIG. But yea pushing is easier. I pull though.
 

PicklesRus

Well-Known Member
You can push air through the filter. Mine come with I structions to do it. You just put the dust cover on the j side.

You could put the filter outside the fridge.
http://www.phreshfilter.com/faq.aspx

I use phresh. It right up there with can. It can be run pushing air.

You can see it setup in the link in my SIG. But yea pushing is easier. I pull though.
Awesome. That sounds good. I could go with a bigger can filter if I push through. If I pull, I'll have to get something small enough to fit inside another enclosure, so pushing would be a lot better in that respect. :clap:
 
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