Ionizer

**Pieter** · 19-Jan-2024, 11:33

I have seen some small, cheap ionizers lately and wonder if putting one or two in the darkroom might be a good idea to keep dust levels down. Do those things actually work well enough to bother with? Just as a precaution. I don't have a huge problem with dust and I don't live in an especially dusty area, but my darkroom is in my garage and pretty much exposed to whatever might blow in the garage door.

**Maris Rusis** · 19-Jan-2024, 15:47

I run a negative ion generator during all my darkroom sessions and I don't have a dust problem. Maybe that's just luck or the generator actually helps.
The theory is that if everything carries the same surface charge then according to "like charges repel" dust will jump off surfaces rather than stick.
Besides which the generator was cheap and has negligible running costs.

**xkaes** · 19-Jan-2024, 16:48

Originally Posted by Maris Rusis

Besides which the generator was cheap and has negligible running costs.

Same here. I do live in a dusty area and run mine all the time -- close to the enlargers.

**Drew Wiley** · 19-Jan-2024, 18:44

They can be voodoo. Turn on an ionizer anywhere near certain types of electronics, including sophisticated colorhead feedback circuits, and things can go on the fritz. I do have an industrial grade air purifier which includes ionization, but have to be extremely careful not to have any of my fancy enlarger colorheads powered on at the same time. Solid state lighting ballasts are voodoo too. You get sine wave interference between the circuits, just like throwing two rocks into the pond from opposite sides, and sometimes it can take days to settle down. Fortunately, I have less finicky backup equipment, including an ordinary but commercial duty CMY colorhead, rewired direct rather than through a fancy control panel, plus a big cold light enlarger for black and white printing. But my solid state RGB additive colorheads are exceptionally precise and a joy to work with, at least until they do throw a tantrum.