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refilling your carbon filter diy

carbon filter refill diy

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#1 duke

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Posted 06 December 2015 - 05:51 PM

OK, thought this may be useful to some people if for no other reason than to show how easy it is.

I bought my carbon from Greens Horticulture they sell by volume not weight so to work how much I needed I worked out the volume of the whole filter in litres and subtracted the volume of the empty centre…. Mine was roughly 15000 cm3 or cc’s so I needed 15 litres of carbon. If you are buying by weight then you need to multiply the volume in litres by 0.45 kg to get the weight in kg's.

The dead filter
post-16630-1228748471_thumb.jpg 

One of 4 rivets holding it together
post-16630-1228748481_thumb.jpg 

Rivet drilled out with a 4.5 mm drill bit
post-16630-1228748490_thumb.jpg 

With the top lited off
post-16630-1228748500_thumb.jpg 

with the carbon tipped out
post-16630-1228748508_thumb.jpg 

I washed it out as it was dusty inside (I blow into my filter)
post-16630-1228750506_thumb.jpg 

The carbon from Greens
post-16630-1228750513_thumb.jpg 

Some news paper helped guide the carbon in
post-16630-1228750520_thumb.jpg 

Filled to the top after repeated tapping of the sides to settle the carbon down you can also stand it on a spinning washing machine which helps settle the carbon
post-16630-1228750531_thumb.jpg 

Riveting back up again though now i just use self tapping screws which makes next time a doddle
post-16630-1228750538_thumb.jpg 


10 mins start to finish and not as dirty as you'd expect!

Edited to add: cost me £30 for the carbon for a 200mm filter

The filter in the pic was  over 100 pounds to buy so refilling saves masses

A quick guide based on different diameters of duct won't work as filters are different lengths from brand to brand, but the maths isn't hard, especially if you use an online volume of a cylinder calculator. First measure the outside width / diameter of the filter in cm then measure it's height, using the calculator you will get the volume of the whole filter in cubic centimetres or cm3, this figure is the volume of the whole filter. The centre of the filter though is hollow so we don't need to buy carbon for that so we take the height or lenght we used in the first calculation and the internal diameter of the filter, which is probably the duct diameter, we then work out that volume and subtract it away from the first volume we worked out. This final volume is the volume of space filled with carbon in the original filter in cubic centimetres, we divide this by 1000 to convert it into litres. 

1 litre of carbon weighs 0.45 kg so if you worked out your filter volume to be say 10 litres you need to buy 4.5 kg of carbon, a 5kg tub is less than £40, although that was a quick google and a more intensive search could reveal cheaper prices... don't buy of fleabay though as you can't tell spent carbon from fresh. 

If you can't deal with the maths then 5kg should more than enough for your average size filter

I am sure top end filters have a better live span because the carbon is better packed and have more in the first place so packing is crucial there must be no gaps some use a mix of carbon and coco fibre this will give a larger surface area and therefore a longer lifespan but the same filter could still be refilled with standard industrial grade pellets and work at 100%, just maybe not for as long as it's first life 

Source: 'distracted' @ UK420
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#2 2scoops

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Posted 06 December 2015 - 05:55 PM

A cool how too guide DIY style Duke :).


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#3 fairy

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Posted 06 December 2015 - 06:11 PM

very good indeed duke

 top man.


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#4 duke

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Posted 06 December 2015 - 07:28 PM

any idea where to buy carbon from?

I found the active carbon tradin company , but Its bloody dear 5kilos is 40 quid and a 8 inch filer takes around 8, plus postaje, makin it not much less than the cost of a new filter.

Unless we know where to buy it cheaper.

 

do we?

i got mine from greens horticulture when we was on the old site and was about 30 quid for 5kg bag there are some scam artists selling crap carbon via ebay so steer clear if you can,the stuff from greens def works well 18 months atleast since last refill but will do it again after christmas when i put the new light and extractor in,peace


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#5 duke

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Posted 07 December 2015 - 03:48 PM

hi all i did a little more digging and researched this carbon refill materials and it seems around £40 plus postage is about right for the correct carbon to use for our purposes here is a link to one source http://www.activated...g.co.uk/10.html but if anyone else finds sources please post the details

here,peace

i also found this which at near half the price for 5kg which should be more than enough for your average filter for home hobby use it claims to be the same grade as above but i have not tried it link, https://www.vidaxl.c...98U0aAvwL8P8HAQ


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#6 duke

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Posted 07 December 2015 - 04:22 PM

this is a fairly good guide to the kind of carbon to look for and how it works, Time to put the record straight on carbon filters…
 
A worrying trend seems to be emerging concerning some Carbon Filter manufacturers and retailers and we think it’s about time that you knew the truth! Virtually every new filter on the market claims to be “lighter” than all of the others and “better” at removing odours because of the use of smaller carbon particles, but watch out - this is not true!
 
Let us explain…
 
Carbon is used in a wide range of different industries as an effective medium for filtering impurities from both gases and liquids. The amount and type of carbon required to do the job effectively is determined by what needs filtering. In the case of liquids, smaller particles of carbon are used to provide an increased surface area and greater filtration properties. Depending upon the level of filtration required, there is a range of different grades of activated carbon each designed specifically for the job. Activated carbon for water filtration is very lightweight and packs together very tightly. It is capable of being used for air filtration but will cause a large pressure drop and put undue strain on your extractor fan.
 
The type of carbon used in air filtration again comes in differing grades dependent upon the level of filtration required. For the complete removal of odours, the depth of carbon used must ensure that there is a contact time of between 0.1 – 0.2 seconds between the air and the carbon. Also, there are specific forms of carbon designed for air filtration. Air filtration carbon is typically formed into small pellets of compressed carbon. This makes it slightly heavier than water filtration carbon, but crucially does not cause large pressure drops when used in conjunction with an extractor fan. The pellets are formed specifically to allow easy airflow between the carbon pellets whilst still
providing the required contact time for complete odour
removal. Even when fully compacted, air filtration carbon
maintains sufficient space between the pellets to allow relatively rapid airflow.
 
Carbon Quality
 
As well as the differing grades of carbon (in terms on granular or pelletised) it is also important that the carbon used in your filter is of a high quality with minimal pollutants and a high level of purity. Many filters on the market claim to use "virgin carbon" which as you can tell from the name is ultra pure. This is great, as the purer the carbon, the more effective it is and removing impurities. There's no disputing that good carbon is great at odour removal, but if it's not used in a pelletised form then you will only see a small percentage of the airflow that you need.Your fan will be constantly working against this lack of airflow from day one. Fans are not designed to deal with this kind of pressure drop and your fan motors will have to work overtime to deal with it.
Virgin carbon in pelletised form is the ideal carbon to
use - and that's exactly whats inside our 
 
Why should I care?
 
This information is crucial to every indoor gardener because whilst some manufacturers are claiming that smaller carbon is better at filtration, they are in fact charging a premium for a product that is cheaper for them to make (water filtration carbon is cheaper to buy than air filtration carbon) and is completely inadequate for the job due to the massive pressure loss that these filters cause. They are effectively making the cheapest products possible and then charging the most money they can by claiming false benefits.
 
What should I be looking for from a good Carbon Filter?
 
A good carbon filter will be quite easy to spot. It won’t claim to be super lightweight (weight is irrelevant), it won’t have above average carbon dust all over the sleeve and inner chamber and there will be no rattling of loose carbon from inside. It will use high-grade granulated air filtration carbon and not cheaper water filtration carbon that is inappropriate for the job. 
 
With more and more below-par filters entering the scene as self-proclaimed industry leaders, we feel the facts will help you make a more informed purchase. There are many brands of filter that use the right carbon in the right way - but equally there are many more who rely on hype and poor science to try and sell growers inferior products. 
 
See for yourself!
 
The video below shows a test between a carbon filter using pelletised carbon versus one using granular carbon (from a leading manufacturer). You can see for yourself the enormous pressure drop caused by using the wrong carbon. Just imagine the strain that is putting on your valuable extractor fan!!
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#7 fairy

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Posted 07 December 2015 - 04:36 PM

thats the opposite of what Rhino use Duke ?

 

 


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#8 duke

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Posted 07 December 2015 - 05:00 PM

thats the opposite of what Rhino use Duke ?

the rhino i bought has got what looks like a mix of sizes but i think im right in saying they have coco fibre in the mix as well in the pro range or what they deem as hobby filters i guess it shows often you paying for a brand name does not mean its any better,tbh the £20 budda smellstopper is every bit as well made and just as refillable so why would i buy another rhino for more? much misinformation on there website as well they make it sound as though they have the only source it carbon that works,bollocks!


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#9 fairy

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Posted 07 December 2015 - 05:05 PM

everytime i get a rhino there is always loose knocking about in packing which is fine dust..

 

more speel then been fed to us by Rhino it seems...hmmmm

 

cheers Duke


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#10 Anonymiss

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Posted 07 December 2015 - 08:03 PM

this is...


Advertising copy, written by a seller (or maybe maufacturer?) of carbon filters ;)

It's even got their website links and phone number in there...

--

As a rule of thumb, if you have a decent fan then 3 mm pellets are probably a good size, but PC fans (or other lower-powered devices) will probably work better with 4 mm, albeit with a slightly thicker bed to ensure sufficient dwell time :)
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