A Question for ALL CAB GROWERS

[hybridtek]

I am planning to build a stealth cab and have some questions:

1. How do you guys use a cool tube and a carbon scrubber simultaneously?

2. Is it better to pull or blow through a carbon scrubber?

3. Is it really necessary to cool tube a single 150w HPS?

4. How do you guys seal airtight the doors (the doors I see at Home Depot seem to be a little off)?

thank you all for your time

 

[Guest]

1. Run the cool tube separate from the garden; give it it's own input, fan, and exhaust and it won't need to be filtered.

2. Pull

3. Depends on your grow area

4. Put a flap on the inside of one door to extend over the edge of the opening. Seal seams with caulking (dark color will also seal light).

Good growing!

 

[Chronic Newfie]

2. Is it better to pull or blow through a carbon scrubber?

I thought you wanted to push dirty air thru the carbon scrubber? Thus cleaning the dirty air giving you fresh clean air?

 

[stretchpuppy]

1. I use a Super Sun, with a Vortex mounted in the cab. Pull air out of the hood, pushing it out the side of the cab which connects to a CAN filter sitting on top of the cab.

2. No difference. It's up to your space and enviroment.

3. Possibly not... Abbie Doobie grows in an outside cab, and the heat from his 250w HPS keeps things warm. Check the Mills Pride Club thread if you haven't already, a lot of cab questions naswered.

4. I use weather stripping from home depot. I had to mount it on the doors before I mounted the brackets on the doors and then the doors themselves. The only trick I used really when putting the stripping on.

This pic kind of shows it...










(Hood was later mounted front-to-back for better light dispersion)

 

[Guest]

I thought you wanted to push dirty air thru the carbon scrubber? Thus cleaning the dirty air giving you fresh clean air?

It doesn't make a difference in cleaning ability whether you push or pull the air through the filter.

You'll move more air through the carbon by pulling than by pushing using the same fan. By pushing, you are trying to force positive air pressure through the carbon and it takes more oomph to get the air to go through. By pulling, the fan is creating an area of negative air pressure in the area between the carbon and the fan, which pulls air through the carbon more efficiently.

All of my scrubbers are designed with the air being pulled up from the top of the garden, through the carbon filter, through the fan, and then out the exhaust. I currently have three container gardens hooked up to a single carbon scrubber unit powered by one of those wonderful Stanley blowers.

 

[hybridtek]

Yeah I read from several sources it's better to pull for max CFM and also if you [ush through you have to modify the interior of the filter

 

[Sauce]

1) Easiest way is to just push through the scrubber and use it at the end. So air goes through cool tube, then through fan, then push out otherside into a carbon filter. If you pull through the scrubber you either need to mount the carbon filter on the other end of the cool tube (inside the grow area) or use 2 fans, one to pull air from the cab and pull through the scrubber, the other smaller fan to cool the light (sealed off from grow area to stop smell). The problem with pulling air through the scrubber is wasting space by mounting it inside the growing area.

2) Answered. I've heard either works fine but pulling is the preferred way.

3) Probably not needed but always helps. Depends a lot on your situation once cab is built whether or not you need air cooled.

4) Weather stripping works well or try the caulk method. I saw a guy who used black caulk and put vaseline on the doors so it only stuck to the cab and not the door. He said it took a few layers to seal up all the holes but sounded pretty easy to me, I plan to use caulk next cab I build.

Btw Stretch I love the ferrets.

 

[Big Bud Bear]

I have mine pulling. Works better I'm told

 

[Chronic Newfie]

I didn't know you could pull or push thru the scrubber.

Thanks for that helpful info.

Yeah I read from several sources it's better to pull for max CFM and also if you [ush through you have to modify the interior of the filter

hybridtek What kind of modifcation do you need todo?

 

[stretchpuppy]

Yeah I read from several sources it's better to pull for max CFM and also if you [ush through you have to modify the interior of the filter

I wonder who actually performed CFM tests on CAN filters, push versus pull.

Stoned and off hand I see no reason why there would be a difference in odor control though.

No modification is required. I remember reading in old OG threads about putting some sort of filter cloth or something on the inside, but why? KISS.

I'm running since Jan 05 pushing through, no mods, and using a fan rated higher than my filter to boot. No odor.

Anyway, just throwing my two pennies at ya.


[edit: stoned... read the replies, and Ambre's explanation makes sense why pulling is more efficient. Once the fans are fully revved up I wonder if they are about the same? I can see it having to work (lose efficiency) if it's on/off all the time. I push because I can't run a seperate exhaust for the hood, and don't think running the scrubber -> light -> fan would work because of odor leaks when air is being vented out of the hood. That glass can't be 100% with no seal. Thanks for the kind words about the critters...]

 

[ShroomDr]

Great picture, they almost look like they are working!

 

[pontiac]

Pushing through creates back-pressure to the fan and reduces total air output. Its always better to pull through the filter, but some people push through because theres not enough space to put the filter in the grow area. Thus, theyre forced to keep the filter outside the grow area and push through the filter.

 

[Guest]

a filter cloth on the inside would serve as a pre-filter element when pusing through the filter. keeps the carbon from gettin clogged up. usually the pre-filter element, whatever it may be, is on the outside

 

[hybridtek]

thanks guys, very helpful!

 

[hybridtek]

I didn't know you could pull or push thru the scrubber.

Thanks for that helpful info.



hybridtek What kind of modifcation do you need todo?

Hey Chron, hows the cab going? I am actually just researching everything involved in making the perfect cab so it will be ....well....perfect!....well. not entirely perfect