Smell Help

[latinomies]

Basically, I've got a 1.2mx2m grow room, which I've run about 5 times. I've never before had a problem with smell, using a 4" fan and filter. Last time I noticed that it was getting a little warm (never happened before) so I uprated the fan and filter to a 6". Im drawing air in passively
Now I'm at week 7 and my entire house + outside my front door smells VERY skunky. I don't really know why as I have negative air pressure, no air leaks that I can find and can't think of any other reasons.
I've run much larger grows than this without smell issues, and can't think of any reason that this one should smell so much, considering that the fan has been used once (although the time it was used was without a filter), and its a brand new filter.
I'm also running the same plant as usual (Jack)
You guys have any ideas why the smell could have become such a problem, or any solutions which I could do?

 

[hilbie]

ive heard alot of good things about theese, and the smaller unit is only 35 dollars, read up and see what u think, hope this helps. http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=11927&page=4


neutral is the scent that gets the best reviews for actually working-

 

[cracker420]

might have to run 2 scrubbers. a friend of mine ran into this problem, he ended up having to run 2 scrubbers.

 

[latinomies]

ive heard alot of good things about theese, and the smaller unit is only 35 dollars, read up and see what u think, hope this helps. http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=11927&page=4


neutral is the scent that gets the best reviews for actually working-

I considered a vaportek, wasnt sure if they were any good though. Ill definitely look into getting one.
Do you know if the smell of my plants will be affected at all with one of these?

 

[FreezerBoy]

Can you give us the specs of filter and fan? Did you enlarge your intakes when you enlarged your fan. Heat buildup suggests your intakes were too small before you went to a larger fan.

 

[latinomies]

The intake is passive, although I added a vent to the bottom of the door when I enlarged the fan and filter.
The fan is an RKV, the filter is just an average one which I bought from my local hydro shop.
They are joined together at the top of my room, and vented out with about a foot of ducting into a spare room I have as all the walls of my room are adjacent to other rooms of the house.

 

[FrankRizzo]

Could there be any pin holes in your ducting?

 

[FreezerBoy]

The intake is passive, although I added a vent to the bottom of the door when I enlarged the fan and filter.
The fan is an RKV, the filter is just an average one which I bought from my local hydro shop.

Again, what are the specs? So far you haven't given any useable information. What is the cfm rating on the fan? What is the cfm rating on the filter? What is the area of your intakes?

 

[EvilTwin]

Also I've found that carbon in constant use lasts around a year and needs replacing. So you could be looking at exhausted carbon that needs replacing. Vapor phase is best.
ET

 

[latinomies]

Again, what are the specs? So far you haven't given any useable information. What is the cfm rating on the fan? What is the cfm rating on the filter? What is the area of your intakes?

Ah sorry, didnt realise you were asking for that.
The rating of the fan is 325m3/h, and the filter is rated at about 300-350m3/h (im not exactly sure of the rating)
Looking at this, I'm thinking that if I possibly turn the fan to a slower speed it could work, as the fan is outpacing the filter?
@franco, I checked and there isn't any holes in the ducting, thanks for the idea!
Forgot to say, the area of my intake is just a vent at the bottom of my door (6"x6"") and any other gaps around the door which air can be pulled in through

 

[sparkjumper]

I get by with the vaportek and I flower 24 plants at a time for 5-6 lbs.It really does work well you will be able to smell it in the flower room,but not in the living room and definately not outside.My room is sealed by the way.Classic neutral is the fragrance to use

 

[latinomies]

I get by with the vaportek and I flower 24 plants at a time for 5-6 lbs.It really does work well you will be able to smell it in the flower room,but not in the living room and definately not outside.My room is sealed by the way.Classic neutral is the fragrance to use

Can you smell it on your finished product or just the room while its running?
24 plants for 6lbs seems huge, how much space/light are you using?

 

[fatigues]

Given what you have decribed, I think the problem here is most likely to be the carbon scrubber. It was once working and all was well - now it isn't - and nothing has appreciably changed. (Well, until you changed a few things in response, that have not helped.)

There is also a possibility that some leak has inadvertently developed in your ducting that was not present previously. Still, I think it more likely the scrubber.

It might be a "new" scrubber - but that says nothing about the quality of the carbon that was in it or how it was stored. If the carbon that went into that filter was sub-standard, or stored in a very humid environment, it's not going to work well. I do not suggest that you did this - but I am suggesting that you have no control over how the carbon filter and its components were handled and stored before you bought it.

 

[Mister Postman]

Light up a doobie by your passive intakes, and double check to make sure all air/smoke is being sucked in through EACH of your passive intakes.... If you have proper negative pressure in the room, then all air "should" be getting sucked out through the scubber, and if that's the case the problem lies with ur scrubber/fan combo.. Most likely the 6in fan on full blast is to strong for the scrubber, and not allowing for the proper contact time with the exhausted air and carbon.

In my set up which consists of a eco-plus 440cfm 6in. and can33 sized scrubber, I needed to dial my fan speed down to reach the ideal contact time between exhaust-air/carbon.

 

[FunkyFarmer]

It seems like your fan is indeed outpacing your filter. Most advise I've read is to use a filter larger than the fan, so perhaps you should get yourself a 600cm/h filter for your 450cm/h fan. Another reason could be smelly air exiting your passive intakes. If cage fans swirl a lot of air around in the chamber, some "streams" of smelly air could accidentally hit an intake. I'm a total newbie, so take my ideas for what they are.

 

[NBtrichgrower]

In one of my rooms i use to get a smell problem when the fan/ lights were e off, it was the warmth of the room carrying out the smell with the escaping heat, one major place this heat can escape is out the intake pipe, you can start by adding a backdraft damper to your intakes

 

[EvilTwin]

In one of my rooms i use to get a smell problem when the fan/ lights were e off, it was the warmth of the room carrying out the smell with the escaping heat, one major place this heat can escape is out the intake pipe, you can start by adding a backdraft damper to your intakes

...or run the fans 24 hours a day. I do.
ET

 

[NBtrichgrower]

...or run the fans 24 hours a day. I do.
ET

that could work for some , but here in the north i would freeze my room out if i ran ventilation 24/7 in the coldtime of the year

 

[EvilTwin]

NB...
I understand. The way my room is set up, I have to run my fans to bring heat into the room (no heat vent). I'm up north too and it's feeling like winter is almost upon us...
Peace,
ET