Chemical storage in hot environments

[avizzini]

I live in an area that gets hot in the summer, hot enough that inside temperatures can reach 80-90s F without AC. When I’m not at home, the AC is off and I’ve come back to those kinds of temperatures.

What do these temperatures do to unopened film and paper developers, fixers, stop, etc? I have unopened bottles of Eco Pro paper developer and stop, stored in a closet, that have seen those kinds of room temperatures often this past summer. Do you think they should still be good? Do things change if they’ve been opened and they see those temperatures? If heat is a concern, for next summer, what is an adequate storage method? I don’t want to run AC when I’m gone...

To clarify, I don’t mean using them at those temperatures, I’d wait for cooler temperatures before using them.

 

[Ian Grant]

Our apartment in Turkeyoften gets hotter than that in July and August every year. Store your chemistry at as close to the ground (or basement) floor as possible. That's how I store my chemicals at the back of a bathroom cupboard, likewise film in the bottom drawer in a bedroom. As I also stored my thermometer there I knew the temperature was never more than about 20-22ºC/68-72ºF.

Some rooms are naturally cooler than others, that can help as well. Remember heat rises so at head height it's warmer than floor level and at ceiling height is even hotter, I made the mistake of painting the apartment in July

Ian

 

[avizzini]

Our apartment in Turkeyoften gets hotter than that in July and August every year. Store your chemistry at as close to the ground (or basement) floor as possible. That's how I store my chemicals at the back of a bathroom cupboard, likewise film in the bottom drawer in a bedroom. As I also stored my thermometer there I knew the temperature was never more than about 20-22ºC/68-72ºF.

Some rooms are naturally cooler than others, that can help as well. Remember heat rises so at head height it's warmer than floor level and at ceiling height is even hotter, I made the mistake of painting the apartment in July

Ian

Unfortunately I live in a 2nd floor apartment, no basement, the best I can do is a dark closet. I keep my film in the fridge easily enough.

 

[Ian Grant]

Unfortunately I live in a 2nd floor apartment, no basement, the best I can do is a dark closet. I keep my film in the fridge easily enough.

It's a bit late now, next year leave a thermometer near floor level in that dark closet (I think that translates to toilet in English) see what it reads when the weather heats up, It's probably your best storage area.

Ian

 

[reddesert]

You can test chemicals to see whether they are still active - do a clip test for developer by developing a small piece of film leader, and for fixer by checking that it clears a piece of undeveloped film. I would bet the stop bath is almost certainly good, it's just a solution of acetic acid, like vinegar.

 

[Alan9940]

I live in the desert southwest where ambient indoor temps easily reach 80F for much of the year; and, that's WITH a/c! I store unopened film in a chest freezer (fridge would be fine, too) and all chemistry (both packaged and raw chemicals) in a small fridge that maintains ~50F. Can't really say that any of these measures are necessary, but I've never had any issues under these storage conditions.

 

[avizzini]

It's a bit late now, next year leave a thermometer near floor level in that dark closet (I think that translates to toilet in English) see what it reads when the weather heats up, It's probably your best storage area.

Ian

I'll have to run some experiments and see what areas of my place stay the coolest in summer next year.

You can test chemicals to see whether they are still active - do a clip test for developer by developing a small piece of film leader, and for fixer by checking that it clears a piece of undeveloped film. I would bet the stop bath is almost certainly good, it's just a solution of acetic acid, like vinegar.

The film developer was just a hypothetical (I didn't have any that I kept through the summer) but, I do have the Eco Pro paper developer/fixer.

I live in the desert southwest where ambient indoor temps easily reach 80F for much of the year; and, that's WITH a/c! I store unopened film in a chest freezer (fridge would be fine, too) and all chemistry (both packaged and raw chemicals) in a small fridge that maintains ~50F. Can't really say that any of these measures are necessary, but I've never had any issues under these storage conditions.

I don't have room for an extra fridge at the moment, I might be leery of storing the chemicals in my regular fridge with food....

 

[Alan9940]

I don't have room for an extra fridge at the moment, I might be leery of storing the chemicals in my regular fridge with food....

Definitely would not store any photo chemicals in a food fridge. Mine is a totally separate unit used only for chemicals. Besides, a regular food fridge would be too cold IMO.

 

[jeffreyg]

We turn our ac to 8oF when not at home and then down to 76F when back. I have never experienced issues with chemicals (b&w) over very many years. Remember that AC doesn't cool down directly from say 90 to 75 so it may actually be better to turn it up but not off when you are not home. It cools down a couple of degrees at a time. You are probably using more power cooling down from the 90's.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

http://www.sculptureandphotography.com/

 

[Arklatexian]

We turn our ac to 8oF when not at home and then down to 76F when back. I have never experienced issues with chemicals (b&w) over very many years. Remember that AC doesn't cool down directly from say 90 to 75 so it may actually be better to turn it up but not off when you are not home. It cools down a couple of degrees at a time. You are probably using more power cooling down from the 90's.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

http://www.sculptureandphotography.com/

+1 Interior walls heat up to ambient temperature when the AC is turned off and the AC must cool them down to maintain the inside cooler temperature. We find that leaving the thermostat on 75F does not raise the electricity bill. Here humidity is also a problem which the AC eliminates along with the heat............Regards!

 

[Todd Niccole]

Wine bottle cooler has a maximum upper set temperature around 65F. Final temp can be adjusted with ambient temperature water.