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Any use for old carbon filter media??

T

Tomatoesonly

Active member
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?
 
T

Tom Kha Gai

New member
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.
 
Ca++

Ca++

Well-known member
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
 
M

microbe621

Member
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?
 
H

Hiddenjems

Well-known member
Ca++ said:
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
Click to expand...
To refresh you heat the old carbon in a vacuum furnace if you have one handy.
 
O

Orange's Greenhouse

Active member
troutman said:
It won't hurt to throw it in an outdoor garden.
Click to expand...
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++

Ca++

Well-known member
Hiddenjems said:
To refresh you heat the old carbon in a vacuum furnace if you have one handy.
Click to expand...
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.
 
Douglas.Curtis

Douglas.Curtis

Autistic Diplomat in Training
Activated carbon from plant sources are low in heavy metals. At least 15% of the global supply comes from coconut. I can see coal and pitch derived carbon having issues.

Who made it? ;)
 
hillbil

hillbil

Active member
I refilled 2 filters with AC Infinity carbon and both work better than new.
Do remember to tap, tap, tap until it wears you out
Wonderful product
I drop mine a few inches a couple hundred times while filling on plywood flooring.
I have 24” filters and have about 6 stops for bouncing on the way.
 
Last edited:
B

beethoven

Member
hillbil said:
I refilled 2 filters with AC Infinity carbon and both work better than new.
Do remember to tap, tap, tap until it wears you out
Wonderful product
I drop mine a few inches a couple hundred times while filling on plywood flooring.
I have 24” filters and have about 6 stops for bouncing on the way.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the review here, I've been considering these for a while but worry about my skill packing carbon...
 
B

beethoven

Member
One thing I've noticed with my filters which are very cheap is that they work great for a few weeks and then slowly go downhill allowing odor to escape...

During flower, I use two filters and rotate them every 1-2 weeks.... I've found that the carbon picks up water pretty fast and when this happens the performance drops. So, while one is working to prevent odor, the other is drying out on a fan (outside the plant cabinet)....

You can easily feel the difference in water weight between the dry filter and the wet one...And No my humidity is not high, I keep it around 50 flower and 60 veg...
 
hillbil

hillbil

Active member
Simple job
The more you drop the better the pack
AC Infinity is irregular flakes, not pellets, more surface area by far
Also much lighter
Definitely more effective
 
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