Every darkroom realistically needs adequate ventilation and fume extraction, no matter how innocuous you think your chemistry is. You might get away with being oblivious to the issue year after year, then suddenly get sensitized to something, or quickly develop respiratory problems devoid of any other explanation. It happens, more often than you might think. Even medical deductible expenses are going to cost you more than a good fan if that happens. You get what you pay for. $20 wouldn't even buy suitable ducting, not even a realistic intake vent. It all has to be light-tight or it's useless. Incidentally, I installed that Whisper 240 in-line fan for the darkroom remodel I'm working on right now. Pricey, but ideal. But my darkroom complex uses a huge external-mount Broan industrial squirrel cage - also quiet, but very powerful if there's an accidental spill of something nasty. Normally I use it at low power, and it's overkill for the average personal darkroom, but wonderful for my own needs.
https://humanhealth.iaea.org/HHW/Med...ign_(IAEA).pdf
Read that, consider your usage
and it's Cubic feet not Square feet
Tin Can
For anyone interested:
(4) There should be at least 10 air changes per hour in the room to ensure removal of
chemical fumes from the area. The supply should be located so that it does not “short
circuit” and feed directly to the exhaust. A darkroom supply of 50% of the exhaust
rate is ideal.
Bookmarks