Air Purifier

George Collier · Jan 25, 2006

My darkroom is in the basement (only choice) of my house. As I get older, I experience more allergic reactions to things, including the air in the darkroom, especially in the summer (Richmond can be quite humid). I can air condition it only while I am working. Does anyone know the best kind of air cleaner for this purpose? Is there one made specifically for darkrooms, and is it worth it? I considered the German Venta machine, but it is also a humidifier, something I don't want for the darkroom.

joeyk49 · Jan 25, 2006

I'm only guessing here, but any good HEPA filtered air purifier should do the trick for you. I'm not sure of the pros and cons of ionizing the air, with respect to dust adhesion, etc. But then, again, I like the smell of fixer; its aroma therapy for the shutterbug...

Sean · Jan 25, 2006

I use a mechanical filter now (hepa), the ionizing one I tried made the air smell funny and even gave me headaches.

PhotoPete · Jan 25, 2006

A dehumidifier will also go a long way towards keeping mold growth down, but it will make more heat for your AC to overcome.

Ronald Moravec · Jan 26, 2006

I use two of the small Hunter brand HEPA filters and an old Norelco to get the large stuff out before I turn on the Hunters.

The ones sold by sharper Image are electronic with washable filters and no moving fans. These should be fine.

Cover the ceiling with plastic sheeting or styrofoam strips 2x8 feet. Most dust will come from the ceiling.

edz · Jan 26, 2006

George Collier said:
I considered the German Venta machine, but it is also a humidifier, something I don't want for the darkroom.

In fact you do want a mild humifier in your darkroom to keep dust down and static electricity under control. The Venta does not boil water out like a steam kettle but works by cold (room temperature) evaporation. It also pulls air in and cleans it. Its very effective and extremely popular in professional studios here. I'm quite convinced by mine. I have the large Venta and use it throughout the flat including the darkroom.. The main challege is maintaining the water and keeping it lime and algae free without using the Venta marketed waterbath additives.
You do--- Venta or not--- want to monitor the humidity. In addition I store many items in my darkroom in a large wooden and glass vitrine with loads of silica gel and other humidification control sachets. I also use slot processors and closed baths. Activities like paper washing take place in another room.

Nacio Jan Brown · Jan 26, 2006

consumersearch.com is a valuable site for quality research on a wide variety of products. They collate ratings from a number of testing organizations as well as looking at consumer feedback sites like epinions.com. For their report on air purifiers go here:
http://www.consumersearch.com/www/house_and_home/air-purifier-reviews/index.html
Check there for information on Sharper Image's lawsuit against Consumer Reports before buying their no-moving-part air "purifier." njb

Chazzy · Jan 27, 2006

Ronald Moravec said:
Cover the ceiling with plastic sheeting or styrofoam strips 2x8 feet. Most dust will come from the ceiling.

What's the theory behind this? Dust clings to plastic sheeting and styrofoam and won't fall down?

raucousimages · Jan 27, 2006

I purchased an Orec brand air filter to combat dust in the darkroom two years ago. It works great, I have very little dust now and it is electrostatic so there are no filters to buy just clean the colector every couple of months. The bonus was that In the spring I have no problem with pollen (russian olive) when I am in the darkroom but I can feel it as soon as I come out.

avandesande · Jan 27, 2006

Dirt works its way through the carpet and into/through the floor boards. It will constantly rain dirt if you dont put a ceiling of some sort in your basement. I did this but I used cheap Home Depot paneling for something a little more permanent.

Chazzy said:
What's the theory behind this? Dust clings to plastic sheeting and styrofoam and won't fall down?

Early Riser · Jan 27, 2006

I use hospital grade air cleaners made by IQair, one in the darkroom and one in the archive/film room. They use multiple filters for particles: coarse filter, pre filter and HEPA filter. They also have a gas removal cartridge which I use to remove VOC's and fixer fumes. They are floor standing models and each one is rated for 1100 square feet. They are pricey but do the job amazingly well.

Air Purifier

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