Darkroom water, effluent and climate control

[mickthurman]

Hi

I am conducting a spot of research for a project I’m doing for my BSc(Hons) Technology: Design and Innovation and wonder if you might be able to help?

Specifically I am looking into darkroom water supply, waste water disposal and environmental controls (temperature, humidty, ventilation etc.) and wonder what, if any, problems people suffer with these or have any ideas for improvement?

Look forward to your input.

Thanks

Mick

[AtlantaTerry]

Mick:

1. tap water for everything except final rinse and PhotoFlo bath where I use steam distilled water
2. everything goes down the drain - it's less toxic than what I put into the drain in the morning
3. many of my chemicals are stored in jugs in my bedroom so I adjust the tap water temp to match
4. for now my sheet film darkroom is my bathroom so I use the vent fan in the ceiling. When in the future I get a studio and build a real darkroom it will have cross-flow ventilation

[vinny]

I don't think most folks pour everything down the drain, I don't.

Used fixer contains silver, which I recover first.
Many if not most of us mix developers (and e6,C41 chems) with distilled water.
Color developing has some nasty compnents that the fish I fish for and eat wouldn't appreciate.

[bob carnie]

plus one

I don't think most folks pour everything down the drain, I don't.

Used fixer contains silver, which I recover first.
Many if not most of us mix developers (and e6,C41 chems) with distilled water.
Color developing has some nasty compnents that the fish I fish for and eat wouldn't appreciate.

[brucep]

If I need something better than tap water then I use reverse osmosis with ion exchange.
Everything down the drain, but I normally use the darkroom at work and as I work in a pathology lab then it is the safest stuff that normally goes down the plug hole!

Temp is 20.2C which just happens to be room temp

[Drew Wiley]

You have to factor in climate, local regulation and zoning issues, rural vs city services, water quality, all kinds of things. You're asking some very generic questions
which will illicit conflicting answers simply based upon the many other variables you haven't considered. But it's a starting point, I guess.

[bob carnie]

I am building a new facility, hopefully my last permanent darkroom, scanning printing work space.

The scanning room will be , a clean room, pos pressure , humidity and temp control with separate rooms to get into the room, with sticky floor for the shoes and disposable outfits to wear
while in the room.
The rest of the lab will be more open but once again , humidity and temp control and ventilation
Floors will be much easier to clean and maintain than ever in the past.We will have a polished concrete throughout.
Walls will be painted with Oil paint as ceilings
Portable filter systems throughout to clean up airbourne particles.

Silver Recovery system is maintained by outside vendor.

Distilled water is used for most processes, when required , otherwise regular city water.

We need to soften the hypo clear water otherwise we get scum.

Humidity is set year round to 40 % but can be raised or lowered overnight if required.
Temp is set to 70 C year round.
We have a master Vent to take out the air, connected to it is duct work that goes to areas the ventilation is required.
Our new space has 24ft ceilings so we are going to put fans in the ceilings to drop the warm air down in the winter time.
Separate room for chemical mixing and supplys.
Walk in freezer/cooler to store paper , chemicals .



Entrance ways will be secured so that people will be required to dump off their boots covered with salt and slush , before they get into the space.

We will put the critical areas separate from the public area.... I like this as I can hide and be the monkey pulling the chords behind the scene.

[Drew Wiley]

I've been involved with a lot of dkrm setups, and there's a world of difference, regulation-wise, between a home darkroom and a commercial one (prolab or even
hospital X-ray processing setup). In homes, they're mainly just interested in structural integrity, possibility of converting the room into living space (permit fees and
and associated property tax increase, and basic things like the safety of the wiring. Effluent is a minor concern). With commercial labs there are all kinds of permit
and compliance issues, including city, EPA, and in some places, like here, both coastal and stream/wildlife implications, which can get expensive to comply with.
With home dkrms around here, they just don't want any lab water going into the storm drains, but into the sewer system. In rural applications, ya gotta be careful
what goes into septic systems.

[Jerry Bodine]

Temp is set to 70 C year round.


Bob, I think you meant either 20C or 70F?

[Brian Sims]

Bob, Holly Heck! You going to rent your space out to a cardiac surgeon when you're not using it?



I am building a new facility, hopefully my last permanent darkroom, scanning printing work space.

The scanning room will be , a clean room, pos pressure , humidity and temp control with separate rooms to get into the room, with sticky floor for the shoes and disposable outfits to wear
while in the room.
The rest of the lab will be more open but once again , humidity and temp control and ventilation
Floors will be much easier to clean and maintain than ever in the past.We will have a polished concrete throughout.
Walls will be painted with Oil paint as ceilings
Portable filter systems throughout to clean up airbourne particles.

Silver Recovery system is maintained by outside vendor.

Distilled water is used for most processes, when required , otherwise regular city water.

We need to soften the hypo clear water otherwise we get scum.

Humidity is set year round to 40 % but can be raised or lowered overnight if required.
Temp is set to 70 C year round.
We have a master Vent to take out the air, connected to it is duct work that goes to areas the ventilation is required.
Our new space has 24ft ceilings so we are going to put fans in the ceilings to drop the warm air down in the winter time.
Separate room for chemical mixing and supplys.
Walk in freezer/cooler to store paper , chemicals .



Entrance ways will be secured so that people will be required to dump off their boots covered with salt and slush , before they get into the space.

We will put the critical areas separate from the public area.... I like this as I can hide and be the monkey pulling the chords behind the scene.

[bob carnie]

I forgot to mention I am a from Mars

thanks

Bob, I think you meant either 20C or 70F?

[Jerry Bodine]

i forgot to mention i am a from mars

thanks

:) :) :)

[bob carnie]

These are the things that over years of printing for others I have found to be required, as well as the requirements for the many processes I do .
I have been working at this over 24 years and now want to build the dream printing facility for my staff and I. Now is my time so I hope to glean as many tips here for the new space.

I do know a few surgeons and they will approve 100% about having a clean lab.
Toronto right now is the dirtiest as far as salt and crap on our shoes , being brought into the lab, it is brutal.
I also forgot to mention the new space will have a hallway from outside where clients can take off their boots or clean their shoes
before walking in.
I will stop short of making them take off their clothes , shower and put on hospital clothing....hmmmm, not a bad idea when you think about it.

The scanning room is really not overkill, I absolutely hate cleaning files and anything to prevent dust at time of scanning will be considered.

Peter Lik has made a clean room in his facility to do the clean face mount to plexi,I am not crazy about his work, but his face mounts are unequaled and require a monster clean room.




Bob, Holly Heck! You going to rent your space out to a cardiac surgeon when you're not using it?