Medical Marijuana Grow Op Odor Control Essentials

AKenewell · June 18, 2012

Medical marijuana grow rooms can emit odors that rival the stinkiest skunk or nastiest fish you have ever smelled. Organic nutrients, soils, hydroponic reservoirs, and, of course, the plants themselves can make it seem like your grow room radiates the greenish stink rays only seen in cartoons. In order to protect your garden from thieves, and keep your neighbors from thinking there are decomposing bodies in your garage, a grower must take steps to odor proof his room.

For years I tried every device available to eliminate odor in and around my grow rooms. Time and time again I would think my problem was solved. I would call my “bloodhound” friend (best nose ever) to sniff my property for me. Fail! Every time there was at least a hint of odor around the premises. I decided to make it my mission to create a grow room that was as odor proof as possible. I found that by implementing three pieces of odor reducing equipment in a grow room, a medical marijuana grower could reduce odors to the absolute minimum.

Carbon Filter Within the Marijuana Grow Room

The purpose of this fan and filter combo is to reduce the odor that is constantly emitted by the plants themselves. This fan is not connected to the ventilation system in any way. Instead simply place the fan on top of the filter in a central location of the grow room (if possible) and let it run continuously. This fan and filter can be significantly smaller (approximately 1/3 the size) than the carbon filter and fan used for the actual exhaust of the room.

Carbon Filter For Grow Room Exhaust

This is the most common odor reduction tool used by medical marijuana growers. Most of the odor that escapes from a grow room is through the exhaust, so this carbon filter is probably the most important piece of odor control equipment and was my initial purchase in my quest for an odor proof room. Carbon filters are sized by the CFM rating on the exhaust fan itself, not the size of the room. Check the fan’s CFM ratings before purchasing either the fan or filter for any grow room.

Ozone Generator For Exhaust

This handy piece of equipment is the fail-safe. Ozone generators create ozone that actually oxidizes the odor molecules and destroys them. These devices can be purchased specifically for an inline exhaust application. Sizing for ozone generators will change dramatically depending on your intended use. If you plan to use the ozone generator as the sole odor control device then you should follow the manufacturer’s recommendations on compatibility with a fan’s CFM. If you plan to combine an ozone generator with a carbon filter on the exhaust then you will only need an ozone generator with 1/4 the CFM requirements suggested by the manufacturer.

Warning: Ozone produces its own distinct odor, so over-sizing ozone generators should be avoided. Ozone is also harmful in large quantities to people and plants and should be used in the exhaust systems only.

After installing these three pieces of odor control equipment, I called my “bloodhound” friend back over for another inspection. Not a hint of medical marijuana, organic nutrients or any other smell that would otherwise imply an indoor garden was in the vicinity. Success!