Carbon Filter Refill (DIY)

[The Grass Baas]

Good day fellow tokers and smokers.

Just recently one of my carbon filters started leaking alot of beautiful smells out of the flowering tent. I love the smells but probably better keeping it hidden from greedy fingers. I use a fairly large 8" (20cm) fan and carbon filter in a 1.2m tent. It might sound like overkill but it's for future upgrades, which should happen this year still. 

Anyway. So I went and asked around, googled and didn't find too much info on refilling carbon filters etc. Usually it's either just wash the outside cover or buy a new one. So I decided to dive into it and get it done. 

So the carbon filter I have costs a little over R3000 at some places for a new one. Abit expensive to replace every year me thinks. I didn't have to buy anything except the activated carbon which is also a tricky one. It's sold here and there but I happened to know of a water filter place that sold activated carbon not far from where I stay. I paid R900 for 25kg of activated carbon (I did find a video or two on how to reactivate the carbon through a process which included washing and baking it etc. The only baking I do is on my couch.)

So with the new activated carbon ready it was time to take down the filter, and let the house smell like a dispensary for a while (extremely nice working conditions).

I took off the outer layer which was then washed in the washing machine. No issues  with it getting ripped apart. I think it was just a gentle setting or something. Either way, hand wash will also work.

(Dirty outer cover, clean pic at the end)

Once the outer material layer was removed and in the wash, I stood up the filter with the closed side at the bottom. I saw there were four screws on either side of the filter. We will be working just from one side (the open side) and there is no reason then to open the bottom. After removing the 4 screws I was able to remove the metal cover. Underneath the metal cover is another black plastic cover that is pop-rivetted to the outer metal casing of the filter. Using a drill and a 3mm bit I drilled through the 4 pop-rivets and then was able to remove the black plastic covering. I wasn't gentle enough and tore a little bit of the material on the inside when removing the pop-rivets but it wasn't too bad. Once all my covers were removed I was able to see the carbon that was on the inside. I dumped it all out into a bag.

Now I know that you get granules, pellets, coconut based and all these different kinds of carbon but I'm not going to get into which is better and all that rubbish. I noticed that the activated carbon I bought from the water filter place was about a 1/4 of the size of the granules I found in the filter. But that doesn't matter. I'm sure the more surface area there is the more it helps absorb the smells.

So once everything was dumped out I left the material and the outer metal filter attached to the base and was able to remove the inner metal filter.

I never knew until I opened it that it was covered in a very thin white material that was stuck to the inner metal filter. I decided to give it a rinse with the hosepipe trying not to rip it apart. It was quite dirty and I managed to get it nice and clean. I tried an airhose but mine was from a vehicle so didn't have good constant air pressure. Sure either way will work.

After I had given the inner filter a wash and let it dry in the Sun for an hour or two, I then put it back in it's place in the centre of the filter. I continued to then fill up the the filter with the new activated carbon. I didn't want to mess on the inside of the filter so I just cut out a cardboard circle to cover the big main hole. Looking back you could mess in there and once it's all put back together you could just turn it over and all the excess will dump out. Im full of shit so didn't mess around from point one. 

I tucked the black material mesh just over the edges of the inner metal filter to keep everything in place once it was filled. You have to fill it right to the top otherwise you will have big open spaces at the top of your filter when hung. I then got two old socks (blue and not stinky) and used those as a replacement for the little bit of foam I might have torn. I dumped the torn foam in there too creating a nice tight seal. Once filled I put back the black plastic cover and lined it up with the old pop rivet holes and plugged it with 4 new pop rivets.

(Notice the blue sock)

I then just put the metal casing back on and put the 4 screws back where they were and poof. Done. Now I just put the nice clean washed out material filter back on and she looks brand spanking new.

I used about 1/3 to a 1/2 of the activated carbon which means I only used about R450 to get my filter brand new. So far no smells but will see how long it lasts. When I bought it new it managed just shy of a year with no smells. Will see how long this one lasts.

Thanks for watching.

Edited August 4, 2021 by The Grass Baas
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[Prom]

I have to do that soon too.. where you ordered the granular?

[The Grass Baas]

2 minutes ago, Prom said:

I have to do that soon too.. where you ordered the granular?

What's up man. I got my activated carbon from a company called Puritech in Centurion in PTA. But I do see some of the grow shops sell it. Pretty sure hydroponic.co.za has aswell. 

[Prom]

5 minutes ago, The Grass Baas said:

What's up man. I got my activated carbon from a company called Puritech in Centurion in PTA. But I do see some of the grow shops sell it. Pretty sure hydroponic.co.za has aswell. 

I check with hydroponics.. got my tents and filters from the dudes  Thanks man!!