Sabahat Waseem 
Just like indoor gardening, people around the globe have developed an interest in indoor farming. It is because of the undeniable benefits of indoor farming or growing. Some people tend to see this as a business opportunity; some do it because they have a green thumb, and a few do it to avoid criminal repercussions. Whatever the motive, indoor farming in the form of grow rooms is not an easy task. It requires exemplary expertise to keep the grow room environment conducive for plant growth. It is usually achieved by paying attention to the lighting inside the room, using the best carbon filter for grow room, and maintaining a proper ventilation system.
Groom Your Room
With all the advances and readily available grow room kits, it has become easier for anybody to develop their own grow room. Grow rooms can be of any size ranging from the size of a hall to a compact space. Based on the size of the grow room, lighting, ventilation system, and air carbon filters can vary. Such as grow tents that are portable use small and easy-to-install carbon filters, while the ones used in big grow rooms need some hole drilling into the ceiling. Either way, the farmers must ensure that they use the best carbon filter for grow room.
And last but not least, the purpose of developing a grow room must be an ethical one that is to avoid clandestine activity. Clandestine activity refers to the farming of illegal or banned plants such as marijuana, weed, or poppy plants for any profit-making.
And last but not least, the purpose of developing a grow room must be an ethical one that is to avoid clandestine activity. Clandestine activity refers to the farming of illegal or banned plants such as marijuana, weed, or poppy plants for any profit-making.
This article talks about the necessary elements for maintaining a grow room, i.e., carbon filters. The components of a carbon filter, its mechanism, and the 5 best carbon filters for grow room.
What are Carbon filters?
Carbon filters as the name indicates; are a filter made up of carbon. Carbon filters, also called activated carbon filters, use activated carbon (charcoal) to absorb any foul smell and purify any toxic particles’ air.
However, the absorptive capacity of these filters depend upon the quality of activated charcoal or carbon used in it. The Australian activated charcoal is nowadays considered the best activated carbon in the market. Moreover, the ability of any carbon filter to purify air of the toxic particles and odor removal may vary from product to product.
How do they work?
A filter made up of activated carbon is placed above the plants to absorb any odor or hazardous particles, which moves by the in-line fan placed in the middle of the duct to pass out the filtered air through the other end. The carbon filter ensures maximum airflow.
Components of a carbon filter for grow room:
Carbon filters for grow rooms usually consist of the following parts:
- Fan
- Filter
- Duct
- Duct clamps
In some instances, the carbon filters also come with a speed controller to control the speed of the fan for airflow.
Installation of carbon filters in grow rooms:
Carbon filter installation in a grow room is a bit different from that of a grow tent. In grow tents, one can easily place the carbon filter, usually the cylindrical or the palettes or even sock, depending on the crop. These can be placed without any hole drilling by simply hanging them.
But, in the case of grow rooms, one must make sure that they have an outlet ready for air extraction in the grow room. Apart from this, drilling holes in the ceiling or using some chains to make the carbon filter hang above the plants is needed. Furthermore, one end of the duct that comes with the carbon filter for grow room must reach the air extraction outlet to achieve maximum efficiency.
5 Best Carbon Filters for grow room
VIVOSUN Air Filtration kit
Size: 4 inches, 6 inches, and 8 inches
CFM: 203, 440 and 740
Fan speed: 2450 RPM
Noise level: 58db
Carbon: Australian Virgin Charcoal Bed
Features:
Optimal Ventilation
VIVOSUN Air Filtration kit is quite efficient in passing the air in and out of the grow room. Using this filtration kit ensures that maximum air passes the target location for achieving optimal ventilation.
Odor and particle control
The crops or plants that are grown indoors usually produce a foul odor and a pungent smell due to fertilizers. This filtration kit focuses on removing the ill smell and the tiny toxic particles in the air. Thus, making it to the list of the Best Carbon Filter for Grow room.
Heat Resistant
The duct that comes within the filtration kit is made up of fire retardant aluminum and so controls heat.
Reversible flange
The flange is reversible for connectivity.
iPower 8 Air Carbon filter
Size: 4 inches and 6 inches
CFM: 150 and 350
Fan speed: Variable
Duct length: 8ft, 16ft and 25ft
Features:
Digital Hygrometer
The carbon filter kit by iPower comes with a digital hygrometer. A Digital Hygrometer is used to measure the temperature indoors. In this air filtration kit, this hygrometer helps to regulate the temperature of the grow room.
Reversible flange ducting
As iPower 8 comes with separate components, it becomes easier to connect the duct with the filter due to this reversible flange.
Fan speed controller
Not every air filtration kit comes with the fan speed controller, but the quality kits do. This feature of iPower 8 Air Carbon Filter ensures that the fan motor does not burn due to overheating.
Heavy-duty rope hanger
This Air Carbon Filtration kit comes with rope hangers to hang the filter over the plants with ease.
AC Infinity Air Carbon Filter
Size: duct opening: 6 inches and length: 16 inches
CFM: 410
Carbon: Australian
Features:
High absorption
AC Infinity Air Carbon Filter ensures high absorption of the ill smell and chemical irritants and other tiny particles such as mold spores or pollens.
Longer life expectancy
This carbon filter does not come with the fan and the duct. Instead, it is a carbon filter made up of solid steel mesh and layers of activated charcoal bed along with the pre-filter. The steel body makes its serve for a longer time.
Configuration
This individual filter’s configuration is such that it can be attached to intake or exhaust fans.
VIVOSUN Carbon Filter
Size: 4inches, 6inches and 8 inches
CFM: 190,440 and 740
Carbon: Australian Charcoal Bed
Features:
Durability
VIVOSUN Carbon Filter is an individual filter without any duct and fan. For using it in a grow room, it must be connected to a duct and a fan. The product is durable because of its steel mesh design.
Effective for odor and chemical irritant control
Due to multiple layers of pre-filter, outer mesh, charcoal bed, and inner mesh, this carbon filter is efficient in controlling pungent smell and irritants.
Multiple uses
VIVOSUN Carbon Filter is designed so that it can be used with both intake and exhaust fans.
Additional pre-filter
The product comes with additional pre-filters for more convenience.
TerraBloom Carbon Filter
Size: 6 inches opening and 24 inches length
CFM: 550
Carbon: Granular Australian activated charcoal
Features:
Dual configuration
Like other reviewed individual carbon filters in this article, TerraBloom Carbon Filter also has a dual configuration. That makes it effective for both intake and exhaust in-line fans.
Washable pre-filters
The product comes with washable pre-filters.
Easier installation
The pre-installed aluminum flange makes the installation easier.
After drawing up a list of the best carbon filter for grow room, we have a few suggestions to make here that must be kept in mind before buying a carbon filter for your grow room.
Go for air filtration or ventilation kit
Instead of buying an individual carbon filter and then connecting it to a fan and duct bought from elsewhere, it would make it troublesome for you to get started with your grow room as you might face some connectivity issues such as loose or tight fittings.
A number of filtration kits are available in the market, but the best ones have been mentioned in this article. Could you scroll up and give it a read?
Check for pre-filter
Many carbon filter sellers do not provide the pre-filter. The purpose of the pre-filter is to put it outside the carbon filter to reduce the number of particles reaching the carbon bed. This might include dust particles which can reduce the air filtration capacity of the carbon be.
Amount of carbon used
Before buying a carbon filter for your grow room, you must check the amount and type of the carbon used in it. Australian Virgin Charcoal is considered the best quality carbon.
Now, you know what to look for!
Durability
Although it might not be wise to use some costly carbon filter but make yourself aware of the durability of the product you tend to buy, do check the lifetime of the product.
Fan Speed Controller and Hygrometer
A Lot of people face trouble after installing the carbon filter in their grow room. This trouble is mainly due to the uncontrollable fan speed and temperature rise. If you wish to buy the best carbon filter for grow room, do look for the products that come with a fan speed controller and a digital hygrometer to indicate the temperature rise in the grow room.
With the increase in indoor farming practice, grow rooms and grow tents are becoming famous. In the grow rooms and grow tents, an artificial environment is built for the plants or crops to achieve optimum yields. In the pace of sunlight, lights are used with adequate luminosity, whereas temperature and air are maintained through constant ventilation.
Unlike outdoor farming, where air filtration is not the concern, pollens, mold spores, and other toxic particles go up in the air. Due to open space, the breathing of farmers is not affected much. The same goes with the smell of certain crops that gets diffused into the open air.
However, in grow rooms where plants are being raised in a controlled environment, it is imperative to use carbon air filters. Carbon filters absorb much of the toxic particles and the odor produced inside the grow rooms. If carbon filters do not get installed first, the grow room may cause the farmer’s olfactory fatigue to become unable to smell any odor in the grow room. Secondly, apart from the ill smell, the pollen, allergen, or chemical irritants may end up in the respiratory tract of the farmer leading to health problems.
That is why one must use carbon filters in grow rooms. A list of the 5 best carbon filters for grow room can be found in this article.
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