3d Carbon Air Filter Design

If you need a carbon filter for your grow tent or grow room, you might be interested in checking out this list of the top carbon filters, and 3 Carbon Filter Fan Combo for your indoor grow setup.

A carbon filter is vital to any grow room. They are designed to remove strong odors and harmful gases from the grow room.

When it comes to finding a carbon filter for grow tent or grow room, you might not be sure where to start. Choosing the right size carbon filter for grow tent is so important.

That's why we put together this guide to teach you how to pick the best carbon filter for grow tent or Grow Room. No matter which one you choose, all of these units come highly-rated.

4" carbon filters are the smallest option out of all the carbon filters available, but you still have plenty of options to choose from.

Table of Contents

1 What Is the Right Size Carbon Filter to Use?
- 1.1 4 Inch Carbon Filter: IPower 4 Inch Air Carbon Filter Odor Control Scrubber
- 1.2 6 Inch Carbon Filter: IPower 6-Inch Air Carbon Filter
- 1.3 8 Inch Carbon Filter: TerraBloom Premium Carbon Filter
2 Should You Buy a Carbon Filter Fan Combo Instead?
- 2.1 VIVOSUN 6 Inch Inline Duct Fan With 6″ X 18″ Carbon Filter
3 Why Are Carbon Filter for Grow Tent So Special?
4 What Size is Carbon Filter for Grow Tent and Inline Extraction Needed?
5 What Will A Carbon Filter for Grow Tent Supposed to Do?
6 What To Look For In A Carbon Filter for Grow Tent
- 6.1 What Are The Other Ways To Get Rid Of Odor In A Grow Tent?
- 6.2 How To Take Care Of Your Carbon Filter
- 6.3 How To Set Up Carbon Filters In Your Grow Room Or Tent
- 6.4 Can Carbon Filters Go Outside Of A Grow Tent?
7 Tips & Tricks
8 Q & A
- 8.1 I Had A Mold Problem In My Home And Bought A Carbon Filter To Fix The Problem! It's Not Working! What Do I Do?
- 8.2 I Don't Understand The Difference Between Regular Carbon And Activated Carbon! Why Do I Need A Filter With Activated Carbon?
- 8.3 All Of These Options Seem Expensive! Is There A Way To Build My Own Carbon Filter?
- 8.4 I Bought An Air Filter, But My Grow Room Still Smells. What Should I Do??

What Is the Right Size Carbon Filter to Use?

4 Inch Carbon Filter: IPower 4 Inch Air Carbon Filter Odor Control Scrubber

Editor's #1 Choice

The iPower 4 Inch, Air Carbon Filter, is AMAZING at removing odors from small 4×4 grow tent.. It is a professional grade filter and works extremely well on a small grow tent or grow room.

Why? Because it is designed to maximize airflow. With 200 CFM, that is a lot of airflow.

It uses virgin Australian charcoal – one of the world's most absorbent carbon available.

It is also straightforward to install, is well-made, and has been extremely durable. Owners have said that their carbon filter lasts longer than two years!

I used it for six months before needing to replace any filters! Having to return and then buy again is NOT conducive to reducing the odor in your grow room or tent.

There is a great support community of iPower owners so you have other people to ask for help (if you need it) by buying the iPower.

PROS

Durable aluminum for maximum strength

High quality 1050+ IAV Australia Virgin Charcoal

Excellent in filtering out smells and leaves air clean and fresh

Eliminates harmful and potentially harmful chemicals from the air

CONS

Some complaints of filter clogging earlier than expected

May not filter all of the super heavy scented skunk smells – but then again what really does?

However, I have heard from other buyers that their carbon filters came in bad shape.

6 Inch Carbon Filter: IPower 6-Inch Air Carbon Filter

6" carbon filters are the next size up when it comes to purchasing carbon filters for your grow room or grow tent.

Typically, these filters cover spaces that need about 400CFM to control odors.

Like the 4-inch option, I love the 6-inch carbon filter by iPower because it does its job well, and it lasts a long time compared to some alternative brands.

It might do its job so well because of the charcoal used. iPower uses virgin Australian activated charcoal. This carbon filter is incredibly absorbent. There is virtually no smell left behind incorrectly sized rooms after filter installation. It quickly removed any smells from my grow room.

The only real improvement, however, was an important one.

This filter is designed for a longer lifespan and owners have claimed that this carbon filtercan last up to two years.

Lastly, it is so much lighter in weight than other brands, and the charcoal used in this filter has no chemical additives. Overall, this is my favorite option for 6" grow room carbon filters.

PROS

The carbon filter lasts for a long time

Can run continuously for 24hrs with no problems

Has ability to filter out the 'skunkiest' smells

CONS

May clog up occasionally but easy to clean out

8 Inch Carbon Filter: TerraBloom Premium Carbon Filter

8" filters typically cover a little bit of a larger area than their 6" alternatives.

Remember to look at the individual CFMs, however, because there is sometimes some overlap.

To be perfectly honest, this was the first TerraBloom filter I purchased. After its excellent performance, it won't be the last.

It is a long-lasting carbon filter that uses some of the world's best carbon to filter bad odors out of the air completely.

It performs so well because the TerraBloom uses small granulated carbon bits instead of pellets or chunks of carbon.

Another plus is that it includes two machine washable fabric sleeves that saved me time and money!

I recommend this product to both beginners and experienced grow room growers. I think this product is the best 8" option and the best at covering areas that need around 600 CFM.

When it comes to the 8" choice, my only advice is to keep in mind that, as the fan's size grows, so makes the amount of noise it makes. This filter islouder than the 4" and 6" filters.

PROS

Powerful fan with very good airflow

Though it's 8-inches, it is fairly quiet

Uses top grade RC-48 Charcoal Carbon from Western Australia.

CONS

It is really large, but it will filter out the 'skunkiest of skunk smells out

Should You Buy a Carbon Filter Fan Combo Instead?

Something important to keep in mind when buying an activated carbon filter for your grow room is that you'll need a fan to direct airflow.

Buying a carbon filter/fan combination might save you money in the long-run as it's a 2 and 1 purchase.

It also can be more convenient for beginner growers who want to try out multiple new products at once that is assured to work together!

VIVOSUN 6 Inch Inline Duct Fan With 6″ X 18″ Carbon Filter

The VIVOSUN combination pack is another great example of why you should consider purchasing your filter and your fan at the same time – especially if you have a small grow tent setup.

These two sold together work perfectly! I highly recommend it because all of the pieces are designed to work with each other quietly and can be set to varying levels of speed quite easily.

In fact, even when you connect two separate grow tents and run this fan filter combo to clear the air. There is absolutely no odor that can be detected from outside the grow tent!

Lastly, this system is designed to remove unwanted heat while reducing any odors in the grow tent!

I personally recommend this combination package to anyone looking for a combo where every individual piece is made to a high standard. You won't be disappointed!

PROS

Easy set up as it ensures that all pieces connect together

High filtration where no odor is detected outside the grow tent

The fan and filter can separate and be used for various purposes

CONS

You have to change the pre-filter every 6 months or after completion of each grow cycle

Why Are Carbon Filter for Grow Tent So Special?

Carbon filters are filters made of activated charcoal intended to remove strong odors and harmful gases from the air. In indoor grow rooms (or even small greenhouses, ) they're a key to keeping grow room odors from spreading to the rest of the home because, while indoor grow rooms come with a lot of advantages, they can create intense smells throughout the whole house.

Air purifiers, gels, and odor-neutralizers may help keep bad smells from smelling, but they mask the scent. Carbon filters actually filter the odors from the air itself.

Personally, I would always recommend buying a carbon filter over any alternative. They work better.

However, they only work better if you choose the right one for your space. When selecting the correct charcoal filter for your grow rooms, you have to consider a few things:

What square footage area is it rated to cover?
The quality of activated carbon?
How long the filter lasts?
What parts come with the carbon filter?
Is the carbon filter portable?

First of all, you want a carbon filter that can cover your grow tent or grow room's area without a problem.

Secondly, you want high-quality activated carbon when buying a carbon filter.

Typically this means buying a more expensive option. I find that the increased lifespan of the filter usually offsets the cost.

Cheaply made (and cheaply sold) options sometimes only last a couple of months. More expensive alternatives can last 1-2 years.

However, make sure you check even the most expensive options for the quantity of carbon used.

Some filters might claim to be carbon filters but barely contain any carbon. Their lifespan is EXTREMELY short.

Additionally,

The more carbon they use, the more effective they will filter the air.

It would be best if you also considered whether or not your choice comes with accessories.

I think that options that include a replaceable fabric sleeve or pre-filters are the best choice usually. Some fabric sleeves and filters are even machine washable.

Lastly, you may want to consider the portability of the air filter before purchasing. Portable carbon filters are more compact.

In my experience, that means that they run more quietly, and the carbon better absorbs any odors.

You'll also want to make sure that any of these options can handlerunning 30-60 times an hour.

What Size is Carbon Filter for Grow Tent and Inline Extraction Needed?

As discussed, choosing the right size carbon filter to cover your grow tent's overall space is the most important deciding factor.

You NEED to get a filter that will match the area of your grow tent.

To buy the correct carbon filter size, you'll need to calculate the grow tent's volume or grow room. You can do that by using this formula below:

VOLUME = LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT

You then divide the volume by three to get the minimum recommended CFM for your space.

The CFM is the number used by carbon filter manufacturers to determine how effectively they filter spaces. To be safe, I purchase carbon air filters that cover20% more than the CFM I actually need.

While that oftentimes isn't necessary, there is no negative impact of choosing a carbon air filter that is technically too big for your room.

What Will A Carbon Filter for Grow Tent Supposed to Do?

A carbon filter removes any odors and/or harmful gases from the air.

In a grow room or tent, that means a carbon filter is designed for odor control and improving overall air quality.

Proper ventilation of quality air is an important part of growing healthy plants and getting maximum yields.

With any of the carbon filters (or carbon filter and fan combos), you'll be able to set up a high-yielding, efficient grow tent and get the best results every time!

What To Look For In A Carbon Filter for Grow Tent

What Are The Other Ways To Get Rid Of Odor In A Grow Tent?

Other ways to get rid of the smell associated with grow room or tent is to consider using gels, air purifiers, and odor-neutralizers.

However, all of these options mask odors. Carbon air filters are the most effective option and actually filter out odors.

How To Take Care Of Your Carbon Filter

Luckily, carbon air filters are generally pretty easy to maintain. They require minimal maintenance to work efficiently.

Changing the filter as soon as it becomes saturated is recommended.

Many air filters include directions on how often to switch out filters – which can be incredibly helpful, seeing as you shouldn't base when to change the filter on the room's smell.

However, for the air filter to work properly, even if correctly maintained, you must remember to provide proper airflow.

Proper airflow makes it, so the air passes through the filter and can be even more important than changing the filter, to begin with.

How To Set Up Carbon Filters In Your Grow Room Or Tent

Carbon filters are usually pretty easy to set up.

Typically, they can be attached to ducting, rubber couplers, and rigid pipes.

My recommendation is to read the specific directions on your air filter to find the best way to set up your air filter.

You can't go wrong if you follow the instructions!

Can Carbon Filters Go Outside Of A Grow Tent?

Depending on how the airflow for your grow area is set up, carbon filters can usually be mounted inside or outside the grow tent.

Many carbon filter manufacturers recommend specific locations on the instructions.

However, in my experience, it usually doesn't matter whether or not the filter is directly inside of the grow tent as long as the airflow is set up so that all air passes through the carbon filter.

You need to remember to check if all ducting for the system is 100% secure and that the air can pass through your carbon filter, wherever it may be placed.

Tips & Tricks

If you're on a budget, you might want to consider budgeting for a more expensive filter instead of settling for a cheaper option. The cost will be offset by the longer lifespan of the more expensive filter.
Remember, the equation to figure out which CFM level you need is the volume of the grow room divided by 3. You calculate volume by multiplying the length by width by height.
Carbon air filters are safe, reliable, efficient, and effective at controlling odors.
Carbon air filters themselves do not require electricity.
Read the instructions carefully! Many manufacturers give recommendations on how to use or set up their filters.

Q & A

I Had A Mold Problem In My Home And Bought A Carbon Filter To Fix The Problem! It's Not Working! What Do I Do?

Carbon filters usually can't remove mold from the air, even if they're advertised to. While they're great at removing odors and many harmful gases from the air, they can't remove the fine particles found in mold, dust, or pollen. Some filters do an okay job, but it is never 100%.

I Don't Understand The Difference Between Regular Carbon And Activated Carbon! Why Do I Need A Filter With Activated Carbon?

Activated carbon is carbon that has been treated by hot air, carbon dioxide, and/or steam to make it better at trapping gas molecules.

Regular carbon doesn't have the same amount of "space" available to trap the stuff you want to get rid of and remove it. That means the bad smells might stick around, and you definitely don't want that!

All Of These Options Seem Expensive! Is There A Way To Build My Own Carbon Filter?

There are a few ways to build air filters that could help remove bad odors from the air in your grow room or grow tent.

However, the money you save may be offset by the amount of time it takes you to build a filter. Also, you might get worse results!

I personally recommend buying one of the filters mentioned above so you get the highest quality crops from your grow tent or grow room.

But if you are very handy in making your own things, check out our article on how to make your own DIY carbon filter. It's an easy 7-step process using materials you can easily get from the store.

I Bought An Air Filter, But My Grow Room Still Smells. What Should I Do??

Remember that you need a certain CFM to rid your grow room of unwanted smells. You probably bought an air filter that can't handle the needs of your room. Calculate the CFM you need by dividing the volume of your room by 3.

You might also have purchased an air filter with an extremely short lifespan and should consider replacing it with a different brand.

Choosing the best carbon filter for your grow room

Lindsey Hyland grew up in Arizona where she studied at the University of Arizona's Controlled Environment Agriculture Center. She continued her gardening education by working on organic farms in both rural and urban settings. She started UrbanOrganicYield.com to share gardening tips and tactics. She's happy to talk about succulents and houseplants or vegetables and herbs – or just about anything in a backyard garden or hydroponics garden.