What Is an Inline Carbon Filter

An inline carbon filter, generally paired with inline fans, is a crucial component in grow tent setups that are used to control and eliminate odors produced by plants, especially aromatic plants like cannabis. Without an inline fan spinning, it’s barely possible to get the carbon filters to work and get rid of the stink odors. That’s why you can often see inline fans equipped with carbon filters while browning through accessories from Spider Farmer. 

How Carbon Filter for Grow Tent Works 

In case you are wondering how this whole thing processes, here it is. Activated carbon filters consist of small bits of carbon, usually in granular or powdered block form, which have been treated to be extremely porous. This treatment increases their surface area, allowing them to adsorb a vast amount of compounds from the air passing through.

As the air is drawn through the carbon filter by an inline fan, organic compounds and odors bind to the surface of the carbon particles, thereby cleaning the air of these contaminants. That’s how an inline fan with carbon filters helps keep your grow tents odor-free. 

5 Reasons You Should Use a Carbon Filter for Grow Tent

If you are still keeping it doubt, here are 5 reasons why inline fans with carbon filters are essential for any serious grow operation:

Improved Air Quality: The air isn't always as clean as you might believe. Carbon filters play a pivotal role in screening out contaminants before they reach your plants. While the aroma of growing plants can be pleasant at times, most people prefer not to have their homes smelling like a full-fledged grow operation. Inline fans paired with carbon filters can significantly reduce or even eliminate these odors.

Better Air Circulation: As a big part of the grow room ventilation system, the inline fans with carbon filters for the grow room ensure fresh air is continually introduced while stale air is expelled, promoting a healthy growing environment.

Temperature Control: Lights generate heat. While a moderate amount of heat in your grow room can be beneficial, excessive heat can harm your plants. An inline fan combined with a filtration system offers effective temperature regulation. For comprehensive grow room temp and humidity management, check this guide: What Is the Ideal Grow Room Temp & Humidity for Cannabis

Humidity Control: Excessive humidity can lead to mold, while insufficient humidity can result in dry and withering plants. Whether you want to increase the grow room humidity or decrease the humidity, an inline fan helps regulate and balance the humidity in your grow room.

Maintaining Optimal CO2 Levels: CO2 can enhance plant growth and boost yields during specific stages of plant growth. An efficient circulation system aids in sustaining ideal CO2 concentrations.

Choose the Right Carbon Filter for Your Grow Room

Before making the purchase, you should first understand the CFM. By calculating your CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute), you get to know the volume of air your grow space encompasses and the requisite airflow for peak plant health. Here's a step-by-step guide to determining your CFM:

1. Grow Room Volume: Measure the length, width, and height of your grow room and multiply these dimensions. The result gives you your foundational CFM.
2. Ducting Curves: Bends in ducting can restrict airflow. For each 90° curve in your system, enhance your CFM calculation by an additional 20%.
3. Air Flow Circulation: Superior inline fans are designed to refresh all the air in your grow space roughly every minute, though this can vary based on room size.
4. Carbon Filters: Every carbon filter introduced can impact airflow. Therefore, increase your CFM by 25% for each filter you incorporate.
5. Insulation: Stellar insulation can retain desired conditions efficiently. If your grow room is well-insulated, there's no need to adjust the CFM based on this factor.
6. Heat and Light: High-powered lights generate heat. For every 1000W of light in your setup, bolster your CFM by 10%.

Let’s showcase an example here. Say, if you are having a 4x4 grow tent with a 1000W LED grow light. By adding all these factors together:

• Base CFM = 104
• Ducting Curves = 42
• Carbon Filter = 26
• Heat and Light = 10

• Total CFM = 182

You’ll need an inline fan with at least 182 CFM carbon filter for the grow room. What are the best picks in the market? 

Manage Grow Room Airflow with Spider Farmer 

Spider Farmer has long been recognized as a leader in indoor gardening solutions, and their ventilation products are no exception. Take, for example, their Spider Farmer 6 Inch 402 CFM Inline Duct Fan. 

This kit is meticulously designed to meet the high standards of contemporary growers. It boasts a powerful inline duct fan that can move up to 402 CFM of air, coupled with a temperature and humidity controller, ensuring your grow room environment remains stable. The included carbon filter ensures clean, odor-free air, while the 32 feet of ducting provides flexibility in setup.

Similarly, the 4-inch 205CFM Inline Fan with Carbon Filter offers a more compact solution without compromising on efficiency. Perfect for smaller grow tents, these kits bring together the best in ventilation technology, ensuring that even in reduced spaces, your plants receive the optimal environment for growth.

It’s worth mentioning that all carbon filters require a periodical replacement, as they can get really messy after times of use. To save you effort, Spider Farmer also prepares individual carbon filters that can be refilled anytime you want. Check the inline fans with carbon filters in the carousel below and add one or two to your cart!