AYou are a very understanding wife. You are a treasure! I have a darkroom in my motorhome and water usage in a motorhome has to be closely monitored or you can't shower or use the toilet. I use the Ilford wash method for my film and only use RC papers in the motorhome. A 20 litre jug of water is enough for a session. I have holding tanks to catch the wash water and I save the spent chemistry and bring it back to my main darkroom.
Check your local regulations for waste disposal. Mine told me to just evaporate the water off and discard it into the solid landfill trash. I live on the topside of the world so it may be different where you r
Australia is a big country with a lot variation in climatic conditions. If you are lucky enough to live in a very mild climate, your heating and cooling requirements might not be a significant factor, but otherwise...
When you say, "...which will run on solar..." I wonder if your electrical / solar contractor has been advised to design the system to provide heat and cooling, day or night? I imagine it might be quite challenging to power even a small air conditioner with solar panels and batteries unless the solar system is very robust. On the other hand, if your climate is cold, but sunny, it might not be too difficult to heat with solar hot water. Heat pumps can provide either cooling or heating from the same unit, and may be somewhat more efficient than an air conditioner, but I imagine are still going to require a significant amount of electricity.
If you can solve the heating and cooling problem, then water might not be such a big challenge. Can you run a garden hose from the house or an outdoor faucet? And waste could run into a dry well (if rinse water) or diverted a holding tank (if chemicals)?
I salute your courage, and wish you success!
I have bought a small shopping container which I am having fitted out, which will run on solar however I’m aware that the rinsing process uses a lot of water and this container will be ‘off-grid’.
I have a very basic understanding of darkroom development but have decided to undertake the task of setting up a space for my husband to dedicate to this hobby. He has lived and breathed photography and darkroom development since a teen, however he has never had a dedicate space just for him. Often having to set up a temporary space in our bathrooms or workplace!
I have bought a small shopping container which I am having fitted out, which will run on solar however I’m aware that the rinsing process uses a lot of water and this container will be ‘off-grid’. Is there a way of reusing the uses water with a pump and filtration system? I’m also unsure about disposal of the harmful chemicals.
If anyone has done something like this before I would love to hear from you.
also any tips about great features to add to this project - would be lovely to hear! It’s currently a blank canvas!
Thank you in advance
I agree with a previous suggestion: clear a room for darkroom equipment in the house and store contents in container.
Not sure what size your shipping container is. My first concern would be HVAC, and ventilation. Chemicals can be stored for disposal.
She said it was a shopping container. Perhaps some sort of trolley.
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