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Thread: Darkroom plumbing advice needed, please

  1. #11

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    Re: Darkroom plumbing advice needed, please

    Easy isn't it? Now that you have all this advice, what are you going to do? L

  2. #12
    the Docter is in Arne Croell's Avatar
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    Re: Darkroom plumbing advice needed, please

    Here are a 3 images of the wet side of my - relatively - new darkroom (about 4 years old now). Two connected sinks, 2' 8" deep, one 8' long, the other 4'. We have an electric instant water heater two stories up, so I have both a cold and a hot line coming in. They both go through their own set of filters, one coarse, one fine. Even though municipal water is normally pretty clear and filtered, any work on the waterline upstream of you will produce debris in the line, so I think filters are necessary - just check the aerator filters in your faucets in the bathroom or kitchen from time to time. Behind the filters the lines are diverted, one couple goes into the Intellifaucet, the other goes to a regular kitchen faucet at the left side of the sink. The Intellifaucet water then goes to two faucets on each side of the sink(s), one of them with a long hose. I have garden hose type attachments with quick connects on each of them to switch between different washers or the Jobo.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails NewDarkroom4.jpg   NewDarkroom5.jpg   SinkSide.jpg  

  3. #13

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    Dec 2014
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    Re: Darkroom plumbing advice needed, please

    Quote Originally Posted by Luis-F-S View Post
    I've never found the thermostatic mixing valves worth using. Made for showers and I just don't find them that accurate for darkroom work. The Intellifaucet works perfectly. My K250 regulates to less than 1/4 gal/min flow within 0.2 degrees F for print and film washing. You can decrease the total flow range of the unit down to 20% (I use 30%) for increased low flow accuracy. Set it and forget it. Before the Intellifaucet, I spent all my time checking and fiddling with the mixing valve.

    I have a single particulate filter before the cold water line splits to go to a dedicated 10 gal water heater. This is shown on the referenced thread. When I was using well water, it filtered out quite a bit of gunk. Now that I use potable water the filter just sits there since our city water requires no additional filtration. I have a hot/cold faucet and also 4 spigots from the intellifaucet PEC line. I usually have an archival print washer, a wash tray, an open faucet to mix chemistry and a spare spigot off the intellifaucet line.

    I feed both chilled water as well as hot and cold to the K250. During winter, I use hot/cold; in Summer it's cold/chilled since the "cold" comes in around 80 deg F. I described my setup in this thread:

    https://www.largeformatphotography.i...=intellifaucet

    I gave the old photographic thermostatic control valve to someone for shipping cost. FYI, there's a D-250 at the auction site now.

    To answer your specific questions:

    1. A single whole house filter should suffice. Why filter water that has already been filtered? As long as a filter is needed in you area, the whole house filter should do the trick.

    2. & 4. see above.

    3. Not really

    I would ask what part of the Country are you in and what is your water source? Does your water source even require filtration?

    L
    Sounds like a great setup. Here is the upper Midwest one of the benefits of 30 below is no shortage of cold water, even in summer. Your point about flow rate is important, bigger thermostatic mixing valves aren't as effective at low flow rates. My Delta thermostatic bathtub valve holds temp, but at full bathtub filling rate, 10 g / min? In my darkroom I have 2 thermostatic valves I think they are both Lawler valves, one is a Kodak, the other a Pako. These have strainers to protect the valve, I have big canister filters on hot and cold supplies for one of the valves.
    No doubt if you really want to use as a temp controlled critical bath, a setup like you have is ideal.

  4. #14

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    Re: Darkroom plumbing advice needed, please

    My senior advisor. Pistol Pete, Sr. Darkroom Cat. Not worth a darn with plumbing.
    Click image for larger version. 

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  5. #15

    Re: Darkroom plumbing advice needed, please

    Darkroom Sink Finally Plumbed 2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

    Latest Darkroom Renovation 3 by Nokton48, on Flickr

    Washing and Drying Side Sink Preinstallation by Nokton48, on Flickr

    I have built this (so far) in about a year, working with a rather minimal budget. Prints are exposed and processed in the back room, on the other side, is the expansion (the washing and drying area)

    After the first of the year, want to run electricals and further plumbing. Also add additional heat in the back room.
    Flikr Photos Here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/18134483@N04/

    “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
    ― Mark Twain

  6. #16

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    Re: Darkroom plumbing advice needed, please

    A whole house filter is good to have. At the spigot, a screw on(garden hose type of fixture) hose with a 1 micron filter in the line helps with final filtration. Easy to do and gives the added protection as you work with negatives. Can be unscrewed and not used for rinse water for prints.
    ” Never attribute to inspiration that which can be adequately explained by delusion”.

  7. #17

    Re: Darkroom plumbing advice needed, please

    Eagle Drain Tubs by Nokton48, on Flickr

    https://www.globalindustrial.com/p/m...m-budget-basin

    A while back a couple of these Eagle "Drum Spill Containment Basins" arrived. It took a couple of months to receive them. I believe they are 3D printed.
    I will build tables to hold them, and add drains, and plumb them to drain the water. This one will contain 25 gallons. One will hold my 16x20 Calumet Print Washer, and the other will become a low sink.

    Not bad for $63 each.
    Flikr Photos Here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/18134483@N04/

    “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
    ― Mark Twain

  8. #18

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    Dec 2006
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    Minnesota and Massachusetts, USA
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    Re: Darkroom plumbing advice needed, please

    I would suggest building a water distribution panel that will allow for future changes. The likelihood of getting it exactly right (for you) the first time is not great. Besides, things change. I think it's wise to have a darkroom water shutoff (for hot and cold) before all the fancy valves, filters, etc. Copper makes for a neater install (to me) vs. pex. I use stainless steel braided flex hose to provide

    I have a whole house sediment filter on my incoming house water line. I filter my darkroom water again after the temp control. In that setup, a separate hot water filter isn't needed. Might be "belt and suspenders" as I don't see much in my darkroom filter.

    The effectiveness of any temperature valve will be somewhat dependent of the rest of your house plumbing. Older homes, with smaller water lines, might have more pressure variability. It's best if the water lines to your darkroom serve only the darkroom.


    I remember seeing a Bob Carnie video where he showed his darkroom.


    I think it's wise to have a darkroom water shutoff (for hot and cold) before all the fancy gyrations.

  9. #19

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    Re: Darkroom plumbing advice needed, please

    So is Mr. Wolf AWOL or is he digesting all this information? L

  10. #20
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Dec 2011
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    Re: Darkroom plumbing advice needed, please

    Darkrooms evolve, plumbing will change.

    Sometimes plumbing is difficult to make neat. Dyno Cell 6, the big cell, contains a Cummins Mll The space is the size of my current DR, a small bedroom. Everything in this disaster removable ASAP. Big water requirements for a water brake dynamometer
    ........Those are junk.

    Here are the dream Test Cells, I used almost everything they show in much smaller rooms.

    As foreman I had to force my men to expedite and not make Art. The 3rd shift man was fantastic at Artful plumbing. The last pic is a montage, my Art...

    Below is a Cummins MII year 2000 and a Ford

    1-DSCN0002 by TIN CAN COLLEGE, on Flickr

    3-DSCN0275 by TIN CAN COLLEGE, on Flickr

    4-DSCN0282 by TIN CAN COLLEGE, on Flickr

    2-#1bwpana by TIN CAN COLLEGE, on Flickr
    Tin Can

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