Hello all:
So my plants are starting to stink and it’s time to hook up the carbon filter.
But the pre filter is disgusting -
This picture was taken after it had been through the wash twice. The white lines are where the bungees blocked airflow.
So my question is: has anyone washed their pre filter with good results? As long as it works I don’t care what it looks like.
Anyone else had this issue?
Cheers for looking.
I would say it is just stained. If air still flows fine through it I would say just go for it. I have had the exact same issue.
I have washed mine and as long as the air flow isn’t constructed it should be ok. Another alternative I use especially if there might be pollen floating is I take a furnace filter part and wrap it around the filter.
Same here. Similar results after washing.
This was posted for sale on craigslist one day. Had to grab a pic. Flow restriction? Naaaa. lol
I spray with la totally awesome and let them sit for 30 minutes in-between 2 washes. Gets rid of 99% of it.
La totally awesome is a degreaser I get at the dollar store.
Very cool, I see it’s on Amazon, may give that a shot. Thanks.
Cheers friends.
@GramTorino “special deal! moving out of country! only used for 2 weeks!” Yuck.
It seems to let the air through fine. I held it up to a fan and I can feel the wind on my hand.
washed all 5 this feb. bad results one kinda came apart even in the wash. But I washed mild because i didnt want them to come apart,they never came truly clean
I washed mine just fine but they didn’t look like that before.
Filter attached. Airflow is good. Ain’t pretty but it works.
My sense of smell is saturated.
Since I’m in a shut down phase right now, as I walk by my Active Air carbon filter, my eye see’s all the dirt on the outer filter cover, thinking screw it, I’ll just buy another one. Since lumber prices have almost doubled since we started talking with a contractor, now we are more focused on saving where ever we can, and cleaning the carbon, over replacing it goes to the front of the line.
So I take this 40-50 lb, unit outdoors, to take it apart, for cleaning.
I cut the zip ties, the outer cover has velcro, so I remover it. Under the material, the steel mesh is covered in a thick dust, (of course, the unit has been running for over 10 years now, cleaning air for 3=4 tents) on the outer mesh.
I also took notice when it was assembled, the inner gasket was cattywampas and had rolled over, so some of the pellets had fallen in the base.
I fired up my big assed compressor, and found a air nozzle that fit down in the cavity. The first blast of air, made me realize, I need to make a ring, fitting tight, between the 2 mesh walls that hold the carbon, so the chunks do not blow out the top.
Once fit, I started from the top down, blowing air from inside to outside, working all around, then a bit lower, like you paint a wall, from the top down. I masked up, covered my head, and started.
I was gob smacked by enormous amount of dust that billowed from the filter. In an instant, everything went dark, like a freaking sand storm, it just kept gushing, billowing, enormous amounts of dust gushed from it. About 20 -25 minutes of blasting it with air, the dust stopped gushing from it.
Then I removed the damaged gasket, cleaned up the area, and sprayed some 3M adhesive, and reapplied the gasket. After it set up, removed my filter support, added back any loose carbon, and screwed it back together. I simply hand washed the outer cover, and it’s drying out now.
Today, I’ll take the Vortex apart and clean the internals, and decide to run it another x amount of years before it craps out, keeping a fresh one on hand.
Sounds like you need to blow it out more often 
Could last many years more.
now I need to go put my money where my mouth is.
I just stopped using a carbon filter 
My tent blows the stinky air right out the window, but I’m on the top floor of a building and nobody can tell where it’s coming from. The forest is right next door too, so nobody complains…
Yeah man, if I’d have realized how freaking easy it was to get into, I’d have done it a few times in the past 12+ years that it filtered air. I’ll make myself a nice long air wand, as that was the sucky part, reaching down into it.
I’d love to exhaust out a window!! For my space, that is a draw back to being so close to a cop shop. So I kind of go over board on smell, stealth, bulky item moving, every step I try to keep calculated, or best I can, to not show my hobby. Fucking Iron Curtain state.
Does the carbon really stay good that long?
I’ve never kept a filter for much more than a year. I figured switching it often was good protocol. Granted I use the small ones
I was thinking of just venting out the window. Just need to make an insert with a six inch hole and stop rain coming in.
Dryer vent 
I have only seen 4" and my exhaust is 6". Have I missed something?
Edit found one. Just don’t want to put a whole in siding. How do you do yours out the window?
When I first found OG, I got interested in hydro. I started hanging out on aquarium lover websites. Since they use carbon/charcoal for filtration in water, maybe it could be helpful for me trying to make a scrubber.
That was when I realized air-water the handling of them are kind a the same. Carbon gets dirty, but it is a very durable substance. The bio char I made 5-6 years ago, cycled in buckets a few times, then worked into my outdoor garden, still shows up when I turn over the ground to plant new things. Being tough, I clean it.
I had intentions of emptying the carbon out of it, however once I felt how compacted it is, I knew they must use a shaker/vibrator type of machine to make it settle so tight.
Since I’m a cheap fuck, I’m thrilled I did clean it over replacing it. It was simply dusty.
