Professional cultivators put a lot of energy into fine-tuning each aspect of their growing space to ensure performance is operating at the highest levels of efficiency and effectiveness. But even the most experienced grower can overlook one of the most important elements of grow rooms — cleanliness.
Did you know that on average, the human eye cannot see particulates that are smaller than 50 to 60 microns? The size of most grow room air contaminants are only 1 micron or larger!
Bacteria, pollen, powdery mildew, mold, and other airborne contaminants are the most common grow room threats and are easily introduced to indoor grow rooms through the airstream.
By implementing air filtration in grow rooms, cultivators can eliminate the possibility of harmful contaminants infecting plants and potentially destroying crops. Grow room filtration is offered in many different ways but there are distinct differences between air filtration, ventilation, air purifiers, PCO technology, and HEPA and carbon filters.
Air filtration systems work through the use a blower or fan and specialized filter technology to continually capture air contaminants, clean the airstream, and keep it circulating.
Ventilation is used to prevent stagnant air and keeps fresh air supplied in a room or building. Ventilation and air filtration are commonly referred to as each other, but they actually are quite different. Ventilation can be provided through open windows and doors or with a ventilation system that replaces stale air with air from the outside.
Relying solely on ventilation doesn't guarantee that a grow room will be kept safe from airborne threats. When ventilation and air filtration pair together, they ensure excellent air quality.
It is also common for air purifiers to be referred to as air filtration, but the truth is that air purification systems are generally designed to sanitize the air and air filtration systems capture and remove airborne contaminants.
PCO techonology is proven to be effective in stationary applications, but there are serious concerns regarding efficiency, particulate removal, and harmful by-products from the unfinished breakdown of VOC's in airflow applications.
HEPA air filtration is recommended instead of PCO technology due to the possible health effects and low efficiency associated with it. HEPA filters in grow rooms remove 99.99% of contaminants down to .3 microns in size. Because HEPA air filtration systems are so effective, they have become the standard for any clean room application looking to achieve medical-grade clean air.
While HEPA air filtration systems provide the cleaneast possible air, they are not useful for odor control.
Carbon filters are excellent for odor control but do not effectively capture small airborne contaminants that can damage and even destroy crops. Because of this, air quality is the most overlooked detail in a grow room and is simultaneously responsible for the highest number of total loss crops.
CleanLeaf Air Filtration Systems has combined HEPA and carbon in the All-Inclusive Series! Grow room air cleaners in the All-Inclusive Series eliminate odors and protect plants from mold, powdery white mildew, and bacteria. These units come equipped with up to 112 pounds of activated carbon to efficiently control odors and a 95% D.O.P. (HEPA test) filter to provide grow rooms with the ulimate in clean air.
The cleaner a groom room is, the less of a risk there is for threats like bacteria, mold, powdery white mildew, pests, etc. Room temperature and humidity play large roles in the outcome of a harvest, but what about air quality?
Cultivation dynamics vary based on space, location, and a myriad of other elements, but there are still some ground rules that any growing facility can benefit from. We've compiled the best tips, tricks, and advice the internet has to offer to keep your grow room air exceptionally clean.
✓ Implement forced air circulation
✓ Effective ventilation will stop insects from breeding
✓ Utilizing efficient technology such as double-ended HPS bulbs to get more yield out of the same square footage (with fewer lights)
✓ Using grow room air cleaners will control odor, dust, and particulate while preventing mold spores, mildew, and fungus, and creating an efficient air flow pattern
✓ Think wholly while planning the layout of a growing space. Consider different ways to maximize space and streamline workflow for maximum efficiency
✓ Don’t overcrowd a room
✓ Control the environment by keeping the grow room a closed space
✓ If your air intake comes from outside install a commercial air filter to avoid pests and disease
✓ Check your pH regularly
✓ Don't be lazy, sweep and mop to remove contaminants regularly
✓ Clear out dead leaves and other plant materials from the grow room
We hope that you find the list of our favorite clean air practices useful for your grow room.
As the cannabis industry continues to advance, so does growing and cultivation knowledge — with a large majority of professional cultivators investing in grow room air filtration systems, also known as air scrubbers, to ensure their cannabis products are top-of-the-line.
When placed in a pattern, grow room air filtration systems create circular airflow to filter the air multiple times until it is clean and prevents stale air pockets.
The initial cost of a grow room air filtration system can range anywhere between $400 and $4000 based on the grow room measurements and the main concerns of the cultivation facility. While there is no doubt that an air filtration system is a large investment, they have proven to pay for themselves through continous years of plant protection.
To learn more about how air filtration systems can take your grow room air quality to the next level, get in touch with our specialists today!
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• How to Maintain Grow Room Air Quality
• 5 Ways to Make Your Grow Room More Sustainable
• How Many Grow Room Air Cleaners Do I Need?
