Apartment--using washer-dryer hookups for darkroom.

You can buy (Lowes, Home Depot, hardware store) washer hookup hoses. They are metal wrapped flexible hoses with female-threaded fittings on both ends. One hose for hot, one for cold. They are standard faucet size and would hook up to the spigots for your sink just fine.

Drainage could be more a problem, if the drain outlet is located higher up the wall than you'd want the bottom of your sink to be. You may have to drain the stuff into a bucket and then siphon it out into the drain outlet. The drain outlets for washing machines never have any fittings, because washer drain hoses are just, well, hoses that empty quickly; they are relatively large in diameter, and you just shove them down into the drain hole in the wall box. Simple, and works.

Bottom line, those connections would work fine for a darkroom sink or even a Jobo processor with a temp mixing panel, with a bit of ingenuity.

 

If you have the dollars you can get a grey water pump to put under the sink that will pump the water up to the drain automatically.

 

Go to Lowe's, Home Depot, Menards or whatever you have. Look at plastic laundry tubs: you ought to be able to get one for somewhere in the range of $10-$20. Get an inexpensive faucet set to go with: Maybe $5$-$10. Get laundry hookup hoses to run from the water outlets to the fittings on the faucet set. Get a length of drain hose and a hose clamp. You ought to be able to get the whole thing for $30-$40 or less. My laundry sink is large enough to hold an 11x14 tray; I use it as a holding tray, and then wash negatives and prints when I'm ready. The chemical trays sit on a cheap table; check second-hand stores, Goodwill, etc. I made mine but I had some spare lumber laying around.

Mike

 

That's exactly what I would do. You could then install a regular darkroom sink, and not worry about spilling chems when transferring them to the drain. And it wouldn't be that expensive.

 

The 2 spigots with drain in between is a common approach for washer/dryer hookup. You are correct that the washer drain hose just goes into the drain hole. I should have a trap built in it some where so a trap shouldn't be necessary in the sink. In every case where I've seen this hookup, it's been relatively high (about 36"). So it could be difficult to raise the sink up high enough.

I don't think you need a specialized grey water pump; any small, submersible sump pump should do (smaller the better). Ideally with a garden hose adapter. Maybe even a cheapie fountain pump like this: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=41287 (just don't expect it to last long).

In all likelihood, the spigots are 3/4" threaded and the faucet is 1/2" threaded. Washer hoses are typically 3/4" on both ends, so an adapter for one end will be necessary.

 

I quite agree. A simple siphon is what I had in mind in my first post; you'll use it to evacuate to the washer drain outlet whatever water and chems have accumulated in whatever holding vessel you use to collect the sink effluent.

 

If it was me, and I wanted to maximize functionality without a major replumbing, I'd do exactly that. The sink would drain into a 5 gal bucket and a submersible pump from the bucket to the drain.

My guess is that you'd tire of this fairly quickly. I'd be easier to go to your funnel approach. I'd use one of those large funnels with the long flexible spout.

I'm not sure that a pump would preclude tooth brushing or shaving. Certainly a sump type pump would not. But I agree that gravity feed is best (gravity hasn't failed us for many, many years ). But, even without a trap under the sink, it likely would raise the sink up high. If not too high, that's the way to go.

 

It has on occasion here in earthquake village.

Back on topic, I'd go with a 5-gallon bucket containing float switch-controlled submersible sump pump. Not too expensive and mighty convenient. It could empty through a clothes washer drain hose. They have a U at the end to hook into that 4-foot high wall drain pipe.

 

I recently picked up a discontinued utility sink complete with legs and faucet for about $30 at the local Big Box. It's around 2X2X1.5 Feet. I don't think you'll have much success draining into the wash drain without a pump though. The water has to be lifted around two feet to get to the drain. The five gallon bucket with a fountain pump should work but probably wont keep up if you're trying to wash with a constant flow.
What about finding a sump pump on craigslist? just set it in the bottom of the sink & let it run.
I use an upside down plastic milk crate to set a dishwash tub on. You could put a sump pump under a milk crate.

 

Or try here: http://www.dallas-habitat.org/outlet/index.php

(The OP was in Dallas I believe.)

 

I built a portable plumbing unit including a variable temp shower valve using copper tubing and solder. There was a thermometer attachment used to be sold in photo stores that took a dial thermometer. All I have to do is pound a nail in the wall in the right place to hang it up, connect it to the outlets with laundry hoses, and turn it on. I had great temperature controlled water. I used ball valves for hot, cold, and tempered water. If I need to move, I undo the hoses, drain it, and put it in a box.

It looks like a strange musical instrument, but works great.

Oh yes, for a drain, I got a switch at Sears (I don't know what you would find there today) that had a switch controlled by a float. I happened to have a pump. The water drained into a five gallon plastic bucket, and when that got full the pump turned on.

 

Did you find the shower valve "precise" enough? I.E. could you alter the temp in 1 or 2 degree increments?

 

I could do c41 and e6 with it - until the hot water started to run out, that is. Watch out for other people using the water, though; that can effect the temp.

It isn't as good as the Wing Lynch unit, or that other one that some apug folks are using -- the computerized ones -- but it beats two faucets with a big stick. It is plenty good enough for black and white processes.

 

If that's a little too high to be comfortable, you might be able to use a high stool or chair (like a bar stool) to help matters.