Why is there still smell outside my apartment?

[ChenBenTz]

I sealed up the holes in the ceiling. *sigh* It didn't work.

Until I figure this out, can someone please tell me how/if I can make use of ONA gel (this is the only form that is available to me, no blocks or sprays, etc.)? I have an entire 20 M3/h room, no tent. Can I just stick it next to the plants (yes, I know it is bad for them, but they're not flowering yet and this is a temp. fix) or should/could I put inside the duct that exhausts out into the attic?

I am pretty desperate at this point. My stress levels due to this whole issue are at an all time high. Nothing I've done has worked. What kind of sorcery is this?!

 

[ChenBenTz]

the smells escaping through the holes in the ceiling and then finding a route to the vent ,,just plug the holes

I closed the holes. No difference.

Looks like I was right - the negative pressure was sufficient.

I picked up a dual bulb inline ozone generator last year. I'll never spend money on carbon again. The smell in and around my house is completely gone. You still have to keep negative pressure in the flower room and my grow is exhausted out through a window.

Yeah, looks like an ozone generator is a good idea.

I just can't figure out why a carbon filter doesn't work. It does for everyone else.

 

[sourpuss]

Did u stash some weed in thr attic and forget about it? Only thing I could think of... other than the filters.. or someone elses grow is venting into the attic as well.... I would double check the cfm rating on the fan and filter one more time regardless of what the shop told you.

 

[Mikell]

So, still no reply on RH, or how fans are controlled...

 

[Granger2]

Put ONA or Ozone gen in exhaust duct. Have you checked your attic for someone else venting into it? Good luck. -granger

 

[messn'n'gommin']

I think you need to open up the path the air needs to take. Recirculating the attic air might not take up a lot of the fan's ability, but drawing even a little defeats the purpose, at least some. Make sure the door to the small room is open and shut off the active intake and cut a hole there (adding a light proof vent, of course), at least twice the size of the exhaust fan's aperture.

10" fan = about 12.5" X 12.5" intake
12" fan = 15" X 15" intake

 

[sourpuss]

Id say turn your fan down to half speed. In terms of absolute no smell I find its pretty well undetectable but not 100 percent. So u prob smell it cause its not 100 percent right its something like 99.99 percent. Plus I think your pushing way too much air personally. I run mine half speed. Has lasted me almost 2 years. The slower the air the more effective.

 

[cody2white]

Maybe you need to supplement your scrubbing power and add one in a different room.

 

[Bennyweed1]

I feel your pain man. I get odors from time to time which I can not explain. Something about recirculating air IMO seems to decrease filter efficiency. I know your venting into an attic but the apartment as one is being recirculated.

I grow in a basement in a 10'x6' constructed partition with a 550cfm intake and a 750cfm exhaust. The air is pushed into and pulled out of the same basement so it is also recirculating. I use phreshfilters, I finally added a filter to my intake to scrub the recirculated air once more before it goes back through the grow partition and sucked out the exhaust.

Still, every once and a while, I get a smell. Like I said, in the grand skeme of things, re circulation just is not as good as physically pushing the scrubbed air out a window to atmosphere.


Hate to say it man, I know you spent large, but you probably need another filter in your attic.

Ebay is super expensive for you to use?

 

[ChenBenTz]

So, still no reply on RH, or how fans are controlled...

40-50%, sometimes 60%.

Fan has a built-in controller that allows two settings - 700/880 M3/h.

I think you need to open up the path the air needs to take. Recirculating the attic air might not take up a lot of the fan's ability, but drawing even a little defeats the purpose, at least some. Make sure the door to the small room is open and shut off the active intake and cut a hole there (adding a light proof vent, of course), at least twice the size of the exhaust fan's aperture.

10" fan = about 12.5" X 12.5" intake
12" fan = 15" X 15" intake

I can't leave the door open because one room is flowering and the other is not.

Though, in a few days the other room will be flowering so I guess I could give it a shot then..

Maybe you need to supplement your scrubbing power and add one in a different room.

I have. One 800M3/h filter and one 240M3/h.

Hate to say it man, I know you spent large, but you probably need another filter in your attic.

Ebay is super expensive for you to use?

What would the advantage be in having two filters attached to one fan?

The only thing I would need to get from eBay is an ozone generator and I'm guessing the shipping is going to be >$100.

 

[Bennyweed1]

I was suggesting a separate filter and fan but I know cost is prohibitive. You should research making a filter. Active Carbon itself is cheap. Building a box with mesh to hold the carbon should be doable if your mildly handy.

Wish I could help ya, I have a wood shop, to bad your across the pond.

At any rate, me personally, i don't rely on a single filter, it was never enough for odor and peace of mind.

You spent so much on a fan. Making a enclosure for a standard inline fan is simple. Add insulation and it's near silent. Standard 550+ cfm inlines are much cheaper then $700.

 

[Moe Funk]

I wish it were that simple.

I lit a large stake on fire and put it under the holes in the ceiling - the flame retreated towards me proving that there is definitely negative pressure.

As for the door - it open in, so if there is negative pressure it would open wider, not close shut.

I switched the fan to 700M3/h so there is no way it's too powerful for the 800 M3/h filter.



I calculated that I need a 600 M3/h filter. 30 M3/h x 20 = 600 M3/h.

I bought an 800 M3/h filter, so it can't be that.



Well, I have like 30 cuttings cloning in the living room, but there is no smell from them.



I don't see how the smell is escaping when there is plenty of negative pressure in the room, via the flame test.

Ona gel isn't a long-term solution. It's going to be hella expensive to run for a year.

I don't want to get an ozone generator because it's not healthy.

I only grow in about 1/3 of the room I have, so there is no way there are too many plants.

Jesus Christ this thread is starting to get ridiculous. Look it's simple.

Mistake #1 - You spent $700 on a fan that's not even designed for growing weed. You payed like triple what you should have and it's very possible it's pulling in dirty air from somewhere along the housing. From the looks of it it's gonna be damn near impossible to seal it up.. Taped it up pretty good is not good enough bro that shit needs to be air tight.

Mistake #2 - You have a filter that is not big enough for that fan. It's as simple as that. I don't care what someone told you. If you have stinky strains you should have a filter that is double the size that your fan is. A filter that's only capable of 10% over what your fan pulls is just not gonna cut it bro unless you're running some northern lights or some other low odor strain.

How do I know? Experience. I've had a filter that was only rated a slightly higher cfm than my fan and my apartment stank. So what did I do? I bought a bigger filter, and all my problems went away.

You have negative pressure. Your smell is coming out of your exhaust. Period.

All my filters are rated at double the cfm of my fans. This way I know that even with the stinkiest of strains, which I have, ain't no smell comin out of that room. Plus I don't have to replace my filters as often. Plus I put less stress on my fan. In the long run it's better and cheaper to have a bigger filter.

IMO what you need to do is sell that very nice, expensive, and yet completely wrong fan for what you're doing, on ebay, and with the money you make buy on ebay, a new fan, new filter that's close to if not double the fan size, and with the extra money left over pick up a few nice packs of beans or maybe take your girlfriend out to a fancy ass dinner.

 

[Bush Dr]

I use a 780m/hr fan for a 3 sqm space and that's the problem, yours is too small for that size room

Simple maths.......4 air changes per MINUTE, any less is playing at it

Personally I'm surprised your plants are doing OK

 

[DONAJTHEIII]

This is a interesting thread. Odor issues can be extremely frustrating and scary.

A lot of the suggestions in this thread are accurate. There really are not going to be more/different answers for you OP, sorry.

Few questions,

Is your fan mounted directly to the filter. (pulling air through it)?
Meaning you are pulling through your filter and pushing through any other associated ducting or components.

Has the filter been exposed to high humidity or are you currently experiencing high humidity?


That's really it. If you maintain negative pressure in your flower room AND positive pressure everywhere else post filter/fan combo... then there is no reason you should have odor..

unless your filter is defective (has absorbed too much moisture)

your filter is a shitty brand or model. (Original Can-Filter is the only thing I really trust)..screw the lite models and other fly by night competitors. Carbon type, density, etc.. this stuff matters.

you're pulling air across the carbon too quickly.

you're growing such dank that it mocks carbon scrubbers. In this case you either gotta move somewhere remote or try to grow strains with less odor.

you've got some other mysterious issue going on....



If you are 100% certain the above is not the case.. then I'd suggest adding a Vaportek Optimum 4000 with neutral 90-120 cart. These things are powerful neutralizers (not ozone) and really do work. I recommend it in addition to carbon filtration, but others have used them alone.

^these are sold in the janitorial industry. You might be able to just rig a small computer fan on the cart and save some money as the "machine" doesn't look to be more then that. The oils that make up the cartridge though is pretty powerful stuff.


*or add a $125 ozone generator. I realize you don't want to spend more money, but it might be best. It never hurts to have multiple layers of odor control... for reasons as you are experiencing now. It'll hopefully make you safe again and put your girlfriend at ease. Odor issues are bad news.

GENIUS POST SWEAR I MENTIONED THIS TO START WITH. ITS A LEGIT INVESTMENT IF YOUR PARANOID.


OZONE GEN/NEUTRALIZER = KITTY SOAKING ON YOUR GF



AJAE

 

[hoss1111]

I have the same fan love it!, and a mountain air filter. Have never smelt a thing, not even a wiff , company over all the time and not one word about smell. Not sure but I this canfan are average quality. Get a phresh or mountain air.

Good luck ! I'd be losing me shi¥ if this was happening to me

 

[potty1]

In an emergency or "for the time being" you could always stick a couple of tumble drying sheets in your ducting.
'Mountain air' is a favourite lol
Ona:you just open the tub and leave it in the room.

The double sized filter is solid advice.ALLWAYS oversize your filters.the bigger the surface area of carbon the better both for odour control and fan life.
Good luck

 

[blastfrompast]

Not sure what your problem is here.

Any chance it is just stink from your apartment, remember every time you open the door you are going to get some warm stink air come out....

You have said it is not stinky outside your place 100% of the time...

I can put my nose to the exhaust ports outside my house and smell NOTHING. I have 3 rooms going and a wife who is allergic to certain terps that are in cannabis (itchy eyes, headaches, etc.) so my shit has to be 100%.

The ONLY time it smells is if I'm trimming outside my rooms and my wife is enjoying her stay at the hotel. Otherwise no smell.

Either that or someone else is exhausting up into the attic also.

 

[cannakrazy]

Are any of your neighbors growing? May not be you producing the odor. Still a problem.

 

[acridlab]

You could get a pet skunk, and walk that bastard around every now and again. Problem solved?

 

[sourpuss]

Was it a fart?