Grow Op Odor Control Essentials

[trix]

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!

 

Trix

[t-pain]

have you tested to see if regular houseplants help with odor control? houseplants filter the air continuously and dont require electricity.

 

put one or two in the bathroom and they get rid of that nasty smell too! as a bonus, the air quality in your house will improve, as there will be more oxygen.

 

which house plants are more effective at odor control?

obviously cactii wont be the best because of the slow growth rate. spider plants and ferns are popular deodorizers.

 

NASA did a study in 1988 on houseplants for helping with indoor air pollution

you can read the results here:

http://ntrs.nasa.gov..._1993073077.pdf

 

In the NASA/ALCA research it was determined that some plants are better than others for purifying the air indoors. The twelve plants tested were:

 

Bamboo palm, Chamaedorea seifritzii

Chinese evergreen, Aglaonema modestum

English ivy

Fiscus, Benjamina

Gerbera daisy, Transvaal daisy

Dracaena 'Janet Craig'

Dracaena 'Marginata'

Corn cane, Dracaena massangeana

Mother-in-law's tongue, Sansevieria laurentii

Peace lily, Spathiphyllum 'Mauna Loa'

Pot mum, Chrysanthemum

Dracaena 'Warneckei'

 

All plants were tested in a sealed experimental chamber during a 24 hour exposure period. Here are the results of the studies:

 

Gerbera daisy, Dracaena Marginata, Peace lily (Spathiphyllum), Dracaena 'Janet Craig' and Bamboo palm in order were the five most effective plants in removing Trichloroethylene concentrations from the air.

 

Gerbera Daisy, pot Mum, Peace lily, Bamboo palm, Dracaena Warneckei, English ivy and Mother-in-law's tongue are the seven top houseplants for removing Benzene concentrations in the air.

 

Bamboo palm, Dracaena 'Janet Craig', Mother-in-law's tongue, Dracaena Marginata, Peace lily, green Spider plant, and golden pathos are seven of the top plants for removing concentrations of Formaldehyde in the air.

 

It is estimated, as a result of this research, that 15 to 20 of these test houseplants can purify the interior of a typical house of 1,800 square feet.

 

In our homes and in space, it looks like we can count on these houseplants to help remove harmful pollutants from the air we breathe. At the same time, these are some of the easiest plants to grow and most attractive to use for interior decorating.

 

the nasa study is over 20 years old now, so it would be nice to find something with updated information, more plants tested, etc.

 

there are many articles on the subject, such as:

http://online.wsj.co...3930895948.html

 

Studies conducted over the past five years by the University of Technology, Sydney found that small groups of the Janet Craig and Sweet Chico plants placed in offices with high airborne concentrations of volatile organic compounds consistently reduced total VOC levels by up to 75%.

 

In another study at Washington State University, dust was reduced as much as 20% when a number of plants were placed around the perimeter of computer lab and small office for one week.

.

 

houseplants might help the air quality when dealing with plant fertilizer and other chemicals indoors as well. so remember, to keep a healthy indoor enviroment, get some air purifying plants!

 

"Potted plants can provide an efficient, self-regulating, low-cost, sustainable bioremediation system for indoor air pollution," researchers concluded.

 

there is also a TED talk from 2009 on the subject.

Edited August 2, 2012 by teethpain