Distilled water.

Mike Kennedy · Oct 11, 2005

A friend of mine just gave me a case (24 liters) of distilled water. Could this H2o be used for film development and mixing my stop,fix, and hypo? Right now I only use distilled when making up my wetting agent.

Thanks,
Mike

Calamity Jane · Oct 11, 2005

I used distilled water for everything except rinsing. Though my well water is good, I know distilled is always pure and pretty much oxygen free.

Of course I distill my own (among other things

Loose Gravel · Oct 11, 2005

I should think you would use it for first and last (developer/prewet and wetting agent), but see no reason for stop or fix. I use it for last and mixing developer concentrates. My water is clean, but hard as a rock.

Nick Zentena · Oct 11, 2005

I use distilled for the photo-flo. For mixing colour chemicals. Everything else I use tap water and we've got lots of chalk in the water.

BWGirl · Oct 11, 2005

I use distilled water in leiu of photo-flo. I have much better results using just distilled water for the final two rinses of my film... no streaks, no spots, no need to buy Kodak haha

fschifano · Oct 11, 2005

Mike Kennedy said:
A friend of mine just gave me a case (24 liters) of distilled water. Could this H2o be used for film development and mixing my stop,fix, and hypo? Right now I only use distilled when making up my wetting agent.

Thanks,
Mike

Sure you can. If your local water supply is causing you problems, I'd recommend it. Generally though, it's really not necessary. If you choose to use it, reserve it for mixing up your developer and final rinse. If you are using PhotoFlo, be advised that the 1+200 dilution recommended by Kodak will more than likely be too strong and will make lots of foam - the cause of lots of trouble with the product. I'm diluting mine at anywhere from 1+400 to 1+500 with tap water, which in my neighborhood is ground water from Long Island, NY aquifers, and it works just fine. No streaks or spots anywhere.

gainer · Oct 11, 2005

I use rain water or dehumidifier water whenever there is a carbonate in my working solution because the calcium and magnesium in my well water precipitates a lot of carbonate that doesn't settle quickly. The hard water is good for my 78 year old heart, so they say. The humidifier is in my laundry room which is usually quite humid because the drier is inadequately vented to the outside. I have a sort of still, IOW. Yes, I know it is not sterile, but who guaranrees that the distilled water I buy at the supermarket is sterile?

gainer · Oct 11, 2005

Oops! I meant DEhumidifier, of course.

blackmelas · Oct 12, 2005

BWGirl said:
I use distilled water in leiu of photo-flo. I have much better results using just distilled water for the final two rinses of my film... no streaks, no spots, no need to buy Kodak haha

I'm with you Jeanette. Since I started this practice I haven't had a single spot.
James

MattCarey · Oct 12, 2005

Calamity Jane said:
I used distilled water for everything except rinsing. Though my well water is good, I know distilled is always pure and pretty much oxygen free.

Of course I distill my own (among other things

If you are distilling your own, you can keep the O2 out. For those of us who buy at the store in plastic gallons, O2 probably diffuses in.

Ah well...

Matt

mmcclellan · Oct 12, 2005

I have been using distilled water for years, but only for the developer and Photo-Flo. Since I move from time to time, using distilled water in the developer prevents me from having to do new developer time tests every time I change water supplies. I have my own distiller, but even if I had to buy it, I would do so for the developer only (film, by the way, NOT paper!).

And, as others have already pointed out, distilled water with Photo-Flo or other wetting agent will guarantee the cleanest possible drying process.

Distilled water.

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