I am looking for a cheap and effective scrubber.

[Villain]

Ok guys it looks like my scrubber is no longer working. It is a bit old so it is time to buy another one. The one I have can no longer be found so I need some help. My cabinet size is 30"x24"x65" so about 27 cubic feet. I have a 172cfm Votex fan so I need to find a scrubber that will fit with these dimensions.

Now when I say cheap I mean around 60.00 dollars or so. I am not able to afford anything more than that right now unfortunately. As for DIY well IMO a scrubber is not a good DIY item. IMO they should be build professionally to avoid any flaws in the design.

So what I am asking for is some links to some manufactured scrubbers that will fit my application well. Please help me find one !!!!!

 

[One Love]

Hey sorry that I don't have any links to cheap gear, but would replacing the old carbon in your existing scrubber solve the problem? as opposed to buying a completely new unit. I have the same fan as you, but my scrubber was around $115 from hydro shop which is well above your desired price range.

 

[Villain]

Do you know what kind of scrubber it is? Can I get you dimensions to compare, and does it work flawlessly. Here is how I know mine is not working properly. It is a very funny but serious story. Yesterday when I opened up my door to go outside my 2 1/2 YO son says eeww skunk. I just figured there was one in the neighborhood and I was not getting the smell because I was stuffed up. So today when my son walks in to my BR to wake me up the first words out of his mouth were eeww skunk as he plugs his nose LOL. Needless to say he is smelling the closet in my room, which is right next to the hallway leading outside. Which explains why he said skunk the day before.

 

[Villain]

Has anyone ever heard or used these before?
http://igrowhydro.digitalbeachworld.com/detail.aspx?ID=4404

http://www.hydroasis.com/hy/productdetail.aspx?id=1229&product=phat-hydro-filter

 

[One Love]

My scrubber is an Eco Plus, designed to go with their 4" 170cfm fan. Somehow I traded fans with a friend and he has my eco plus fan that goes with the scrubber. I have never once smelled anything outside the closet and i've had this scrubber running for almost a year now with no problems. I can't tell you the exact size of it, buts its about 2' tall and 1.5' wide.
That is a funny, but definitely serious, story on how you found out your scrub wasn't working! If a 2.5 year old knows "eww skunk" then you can bet someone a little more keen to the subject will know that smell. I will have to check those two links out at a later time. Hope you're able to relax a bit mane!

 

[justanotherbozo]

censorship sucks!

 

[Villain]

The one I have uses rivets, but with a drill and a rivet gun (which I have) this can easily be worked around. So the question now is ... what is good carbon to buy and where do I get it???

 

[Haps]

As a cheap option to that, my scrubber costs twenty bucks and takes less than an hour to build and install. It is in the DIY sticky thread. You would make your carbon less thick for the smaller fan.
H

 

[Villain]

How do I get my hands on the stuff? Is it safe to drive to the hydro shop and order it? I can get it online but is it safe to buy it?

 

[justanotherbozo]

censorship sucks!

 

[illuminatus]

I wouldn't recommend trying to refill a scrubber yourself, they use a vibrating machine and a special process to pack it in the factory. The only reason I mention is because I have noticed a refilled one was only working at removing 90-95% which isn't good enough imo. Just do whatever you can to get a scrubber and you will sleep better at night.

 

[hoosierdaddy]

I built mine from scratch for about $50.
I guarantee that no filter sold does a better job. In fact, most are identical in method, and it is simply fasteners and aesthetics that are different from the proper DIY.

Activated carbon is expensive as heck. You can find it in any pet store.
You can also do a search and it is sold semi-privately online in 5gal buckets cheaper than anywhere.

I use Fresh Step cat litter w/activated carbon.
I get like 28 lbs of it for about $13.
It works, and works well...but it needs to be changed out every grow because it grabs a good bit of the humidity too (that is my theory although I haven't detected smell, the medium just feels different after a couple months or so)
Fresh step has a new crystal type product out, and I am going to give it a try.
THin about using cat litter is that it also has a light perfume in it, so it helps to mask anything that may have gotten by. Although I very highly doubt any air is getting past the scrubber.

Folks that have it in their head the a DIY just won't cut it, or that cat litter is a bad thing, won't ever even consider my methods, but they work, and work well.

 

[Villain]

Well I have been thinking about those fresh step litter crystals for a long time actually. I work in retail a bit and see that stuff among many other items that I think will work for various garden idea. At any rate how safe is it to buy off the internet? I hate to do it but I get so nervous about the hydro shop, I always feel like I am being followed home LOL. Online I worry about LEO tracking my credit/debit card. I already bought a couple things that could already have gotten me watched, but I would rather not any more. I guess I am just being paranoid.

I already know about having to pack the can tight, I have my own method for that. Thanks for the tip though, it could have been very very useful had I not already known.

 

[raygun]

I also have run a DIY scrubber for my cab and it works great! i made it so long ago I honestly do not remember the cost but it was around that $50-$60 dollar range max... And if I remember correctly 1/2 that cost was the carbon/litter (of which i still have the 1st container of litter I purchased after 3 years and a half dozen changes)

I use a mix of 25% kitty litter crystals and 75% active carbon. The kitty crystals do give it a slight fragrance but I like that, Just don't use to much of the crystals or the smell is overpowering. At least for me it is. I have never used regular litter only the crystals by the way.

Buying the Carbon online should not be an issue. I have had fish tanks my whole life and buying carbon to replace in the filters is a normal occurance.

 

[justanotherbozo]

censorship sucks!