Do You Need A Carbon Filter In Grow Tent For Vegetables?

by Lee Safin

Growing tents are often set up in a closed space like a garage, backside of the house. Since there is no sufficient airflow and lights, different smells, dust, or even airborne particles may build up. A carbon filter plays a crucial role in dealing with these annoying smells and other unhealthy particles.

Do you need a carbon filter in grow tent for vegetables?

Most growers don’t use carbon filters in their veg tent. However, if the smell is overly irritating, you can set it up. Additionally, you don’t need to set up a carbon filter if you have a carbon filter for your flower tent separately.

Just making a connection between both tents will do the job.

Do You Need A Carbon Filter In Grow Tent For Vegetables?
Do You Need A Carbon Filter In Grow Tent For Vegetables?

Do You Need A Carbon Filter In Grow Tent For Vegetables?

Does The Carbon Filter Have To Be Inside The Tent?
Does The Carbon Filter Have To Be Inside The Tent?

Everyone knows the basic job of carbon filters. They remove the unwanted smell and ensure fresh air inside the grow tent. We grow various plants inside grow tents, such as vegetables, flowers, medicinal trees, etc.

So, you are here to know, do you need a carbon filter in grow tent for vegetables? It depends on several conditions.

Why You Need A Carbon Filter In Grow Tent For Vegetables
Why You Need A Carbon Filter In Grow Tent For Vegetables

Condition 1 —No Bad Smell

Do you notice any annoying odors inside the grow tent? If you have set up the grow tent recently, you may not have initially. But after a particular time, you may notice a foul smell from the grow room.

When the grow room is small and there are fewer gaps between the plants, you may experience an unwanted smell. Wait for several weeks. Check out regularly if you can smell something.

Generally, the foul odors may become intolerable after one or two months. But if you notice no such heavy smell, using a carbon filter is not mandatory.

Condition 2 —Several Fans

Growers install fans to ensure sufficient airflow for all areas of the grow tent. When you set up several speedy fans inside the grow room, the probability of building annoying smells decreases. If it continues for several months, setting up a carbon filter becomes an option.

Condition 3 —Carbon Filter In Flower Tent

Using carbon filters in grow tent for flowers is essential. Generally, you grow a wide range of flowers in grow tents. The combination of several flowers’ smells in a restricted area may not make a good smell. That’s why many tent gardeners use a carbon filter in flower tents.

Using carbon filters in flower tents saves you from using an extra carbon filter in the veg tent. You can make a connection between both tents so that the carbon filter can absorb smell from the veg tent too.

However, you want to make sure the flower tent has a high-quality carbon filter. Otherwise, it will fail to extract a bad smell from the distant area. If you plan to use only one carbon for both vegetables and flowers, choose a dedicated one.

Condition 4 —Open Wide Space

Did you set up your grow tent in an open space? If yes, setting up a carbon filter is not essential. Whenever you think the internal space becomes smelly, open the door or window of the grow tent. It allows fresh air to come. Bad smells will go away.

Make sure you choose a perfect time when the weather is not too much windy or hot. Otherwise, it will affect the internal environment significantly.

Why Use Carbon Filters In Grow Tent For Vegetables?

Buying a carbon filter requires you to invest a decent amount of money, especially for a quality carbon filter. However, if you care about your plant’s growth and healthy, use a carbon filter.

It will keep the internal atmosphere of grow tent from an awful smell and ensure fresh air. Though vegetable plants don’t create as many smells as flower plants do, it is still a rule of thumb. By using them, you avoid risk.

Hence, you can use a carbon filter to create a better environment. But it is at your discretion whether you have the desire and budget to use it.

When To Change Carbon Filter Grow Tent?

When To Change Carbon Filter Grow Tent?
When To Change Carbon Filter Grow Tent?

Grow tents won’t last a lifetime. After a particular time, it is essential to replace them. Otherwise, your grow tent won’t have a favorable environment for plants.

When to change carbon filter grow tent?

According to most manufacturers and garden experts, replacing carbon filters after 1.5-2 years is better. However, if you purchase them from a premium brand and take care of them properly. They can last up to 4 years.

Apart from that, the frequency of using carbon filters also plays an important role. Do you keep switched on the carbon filter 24/7 or give a small break between them?

Generally, the lifespan of carbon filters depends on the engine operating hours. You will reduce its longevity by using it more often.

Moreover, you can learn when to change the carbon filter grow tent by noticing some symptoms. Here are they:

Typical carbon filters have sweet carbon smells. But when they become old, the sweet carbon smells will fade away. If you don’t notice the presence of the smell, replace it.

Does A Veg Room Need Carbon Scrubber?

A veg room needs to have a sufficient amount of carbon dioxide. It should not exceed the standard.

Does a veg room need a carbon scrubber?

It depends on the veg room conditions. Generally, the ideal amount of carbon dioxide ranges between 400ppm and 450ppm. If it exceeds 450ppm, controlling excessive carbon dioxide is essential.

You can manually remove the excess carbon dioxide from the grow room. Thus, you have no option but to use a quality carbon scrubber. It is effective in removing carbon dioxide significantly and achieves an overall healthy environment.

However, you need to track carbon dioxide volume inside the grow tent regularly. Make sure it doesn’t go lower than 200ppm. Otherwise, your plants will fail to grow naturally, and it may restrict their growth heavily.

Hopefully, you have a clear idea picture on this query: Does a veg room need a carbon scrubber?

Best Air Filter For Odor Control In Grow Tent?

LEVOIT Air Purifier For Home Allergies Pets Hair In Bedroom, H13 True HEPA Filter, 24db Filtration System Cleaner Odor Eliminators, Ozone Free, Remove 99.97% Dust Smoke Mold Pollen, Core 300, White
LEVOIT Air Purifier For Home Allergies Pets Hair In Bedroom, H13 True HEPA Filter, 24db Filtration System Cleaner Odor Eliminators, Ozone Free, Remove 99.97% Dust Smoke Mold Pollen, Core 300, White

Wondering how to find the best air filter for odor control in grow tent? Investing in quality air filters goes long.

So, what approach do you follow to find the best air filter for odor control in to grow tent? Considering several things is essential to get the best bet of the money.

  • Is the carbon air filter has a pre-filter to eliminate unhealthy contaminants?
  • How thick is the carbon for better absorption?
  • Does the carbon filter make excessive noise or vibration when it is switched on?
  • What price would you be willing to pay for a premium-quality carbon air filter?

Before purchasing a carbon filter, consider these questions and then decide to buy a quality carbon air filter.

Here are the top 5 carbon air filters you can check out to find the best air filter for odor control in grow tent.

What Size Carbon Filter Do I Need?

What Size Carbon Filter Do I Need?
What Size Carbon Filter Do I Need?

Carbon filters are made in various sizes. Using the wrong size carbon filter won’t benefit your grow tent. That’s why it is essential to choose the correct size carbon filter for your grow room.

What size carbon filter do I need? Choosing a carbon filter requires you to look out two things:

  • Your grow tent size
  • The CFM value of your fans

So, how to determine the correct size carbon filter?

Here is the step to do it:

For example, your grow tent has 6 feet in height, 4 feet in width, and 7 feet in length. You need to multiply these 3 numbers. After multiplying them, you get 168. So, 168 is the cubic footage of the space of your grow room.

Since you want to use it constantly, the exchange rate will be 10080 in each hour. Now, you want to divide the result by 60, which is minutes of exchange per hour. The result is 168. So, look for a grow tent, which is similar to CMF. It should be either 168 CMF or close to it. But not very far.

Hopefully, the upper guide covered “What size carbon filter do I need?”

Tips To Take Care Carbon Filters

  • Choose granulated carbons instead of pelletized carbons as they are high-quality, lightweight, and have a longer lifespan.
  • Make sure your grow room humidity level ranges between 60-70% to ensure the proper functionality of your grow tent. If it exceeds 85%, the activated carbons inside the carbon filter won’t work.
  • Use various types of plants instead of only aromatic plants. Otherwise, you have to refill the filter more frequently.

Final Thought

Are you still wondering about this question: Do you need a carbon filter in grow tent for vegetables? Using a carbon filter inside the grow tent allows you to create a favorable environment for plants. However, it is not compulsory if you can ensure other points which we have mentioned. But if you still want to use it while ensuring other factors, it is a rule of thumb.

Last update on 2023-01-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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About Lee Safin

Lee Safin was born near Sacramento, California on a prune growing farm. His parents were immigrants from Russia who had fled the Bolshevik Revolution. They were determined to give their children a better life than they had known. Education was the key for Lee and his siblings, so they could make their own way in the world. Lee attended five universities, where he studied plant sciences and soil technologies. He also has many years of experience in the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a commercial fertilizer formulator.

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