Any use for old carbon filter media??

[Tomatoesonly]

With these filter scrubbers basically being throw away, because they seem to be so hard to refill ( ac infinity has a new refillable one now), but is there ANYTHING we can use the old filter media for?
Can it be used the same as BIOCHAR? Will it absorb good nutrients and kill plants?

 

[Tom Kha Gai]

When I don't trust my old cabon filter anymore, it is still good enough for my kitchen. I use my old carbon filters in the kitchen for my self made kitchen hood until it is completely smeared with oil and fat.

 

[troutman]

It won't hurt to throw it in an outdoor garden.

 

[Ca++]

There are many stories (coming out of grow shops) about how hard they are to fill. The one's with big holes, and a net stocking inside, are more trouble. I can usually improve upon filters by rebuilding them though. The main failure I find, is taking up the slack with open cell foam. Which is why many work better with tape around the last 50mm each end.
You can't just pour it in. You have to stop and slap them about a bit, to settle them every 12" or so.
Some of the parts can also be repurposed as silencers, if that holds more value to you.
A lot of the carbon we chuck was virgin, but a lot isn't. The VOCs can be burnt off. I know Belgium has a place that refreshes it. Or pulverises it, heats it, and makes new filter products. Often with additives to capture specific industrial waste.

I baked some once. I didn't know it would glow, or that my grill door seal would toast so well. Some of the carbon in my grill, turned to white ash. I think I over cooked it a little. IIRC the target is around 300c

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

Grind, mix with organic fertilizer and water, let steep for a month or so, then add to garden.

 

[microbe621]

bonjour a tous, j avais lu sur un post icmag, un gars qui utiliser un generateur d ozone, et qu il epurer son filtre avec depuis au moins deux ans...pensez vous que cela puisse marcher?

 

[Hiddenjems]

There are many stories (coming out of grow shops) about how hard they are to fill. The one's with big holes, and a net stocking inside, are more trouble. I can usually improve upon filters by rebuilding them though. The main failure I find, is taking up the slack with open cell foam. Which is why many work better with tape around the last 50mm each end.
You can't just pour it in. You have to stop and slap them about a bit, to settle them every 12" or so.
Some of the parts can also be repurposed as silencers, if that holds more value to you.
A lot of the carbon we chuck was virgin, but a lot isn't. The VOCs can be burnt off. I know Belgium has a place that refreshes it. Or pulverises it, heats it, and makes new filter products. Often with additives to capture specific industrial waste.

I baked some once. I didn't know it would glow, or that my grill door seal would toast so well. Some of the carbon in my grill, turned to white ash. I think I over cooked it a little. IIRC the target is around 300c

To refresh you heat the old carbon in a vacuum furnace if you have one handy.

 

[Orange's Greenhouse]

It won't hurt to throw it in an outdoor garden.

You're sure about that? Activated carbon is famous for being full of heavy metals. For air filtering there's no need to use a special, clean kind.

Regarding the main question. Whats the point of reusing 50 cents worth of filter material? Just throw it out and look at other places to reduce your footprint on the world (e.g. not using high power lamps to grow vegetables).

 

[Ca++]

To refresh you heat the old carbon in a vacuum furnace if you have one handy.

Will a fan oven do? lol
I don't think that was in the article I read, but makes perfect sense. You gotta get them vaporised products out of the pores somehow. It won't all just float out. I was acutely aware of this when I torched the grill trying.


I wish it was 50c to fill one. I buy sacks from guys that send a pallet lorry. It's still around a third of the cost to buy another one. I do it mostly because of logistics. It means no shop visit, and less waste to find a home for. Them cylinders are big and obvious, and it's not legal here.