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Thread: Darkroom cooling/air conditioning options

  1. #1
    Jason Windingstad
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    Nov 2009
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    Darkroom cooling/air conditioning options

    I recently updated a 9x14 foot outbuilding on our property to function as a darkroom and while there are a number of benefits to being completely separate from the main house (beer cave of solitude!), not having a heating/cooling system to tie into is a bit of problem. It will soon be 100+ degrees here in Tucson and I need to figure out how I'm going to cool this building. As I see it I can either use a traditional window air conditioner (the building does have two windows) or I can get a stand-alone portable unit that vents to the outside via a hose. Obviously my two biggest concerns are keeping the room light-tight and well ventilated. Does anyone know if a window ac unit (the unit itself) lets light in? It seems to me that a stand alone unit with a vent hose will be the easiest to install and keep light-tight. Has anyone used one of these units in their darkroom space?

    There's also the issue of ventilation, currently I draw in clean air from the ceiling and vent out (via a fan) above the darkroom sink. As I don't want the AC unit to draw in fumes across the space I'm working in, I'm thinking it would be easier to have a portable stand-alone unit that I can freely position in the darkroom to avoid this circumstance.

    If anyone has experience heating/cooling an outbuilding/darkroom I'd be interested in hearing your solutions.

  2. #2
    Gary Beasley's Avatar
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    Re: Darkroom cooling/air conditioning options

    The few window units Ive mounted in darkrooms were mostly light tight, I wouldnt have the film loading table right in front of it. The biggest headache of course is fitting light tight fixtures around the box, and some units allow a little light to trickle past the innards. In that case you may need to create baffles for it as well. I like your idea of the standalone with hoses. One thing to consider is matching the capacity to the enclosure, too big a unit and it doesnt run long enough to dry the air and you can have humidity problems and rusting equipment. You do have the building well insulated?

  3. #3
    Jac@stafford.net's Avatar
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    Re: Darkroom cooling/air conditioning options

    You might Google stand alone OR portable air conditioner.
    They only work for small darkrooms!

  4. #4
    Jason Windingstad
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    Re: Darkroom cooling/air conditioning options

    Thanks Gary. Yes the building is completely drywalled and insulated, although based on the insulation I saw when installing the wiring I wouldn't say it's "well" insulated. I'm not too terribly concerned about humidity (the current humidity level here is 4%) but you make a good point about matching the capacity of the unit to the size of the room. Humidity could be problem later this summer during the monsoons (typically mid July through September).

  5. #5
    Christopher Barrett's Avatar
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    Re: Darkroom cooling/air conditioning options

    I'm in the middle of building a new darkroom and plan to use a mini split ac to cool it. They take up less space than portables and should be easier to make light tight than a window unit.

    Google that...

  6. #6
    William Whitaker's Avatar
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    Re: Darkroom cooling/air conditioning options

    Swamp cooler cheaper than A/C? and since you're in Tucson anyway....

  7. #7
    Jac@stafford.net's Avatar
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    Re: Darkroom cooling/air conditioning options

    Quote Originally Posted by Will Whitaker View Post
    Swamp cooler cheaper than A/C? and since you're in Tucson anyway....
    And the added humidity might help suppress dust and static!

  8. #8
    Jason Windingstad
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    Re: Darkroom cooling/air conditioning options

    Quote Originally Posted by Will Whitaker View Post
    Swamp cooler cheaper than A/C? and since you're in Tucson anyway....
    Yeah I thought about using a swamp cooler but they lose their effectiveness when the humidity picks up during the monsoons. They are cheap and would be a good solution for spring/early summer.

  9. #9
    Jason Windingstad
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    Re: Darkroom cooling/air conditioning options

    Quote Originally Posted by Jac@stafford.net View Post
    And the added humidity might help suppress dust and static!
    Yes! Plus the added humidity is actually a bonus for most of the alt process stuff I do.

  10. #10
    Jason Windingstad
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    Re: Darkroom cooling/air conditioning options

    Quote Originally Posted by Christopher Barrett View Post
    I'm in the middle of building a new darkroom and plan to use a mini split ac to cool it. They take up less space than portables and should be easier to make light tight than a window unit.

    Google that...
    This actually seems like a pretty good option, more expensive but also more efficient and you get both heating and cooling.

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