Filtration and water temp controls....

steveanalog · Aug 20, 2008

I am finally able to put a water temp and filtration system in my darkroom. I am needing advice on which system works the best. My funds are limited, and my so is my knowledge on this. All help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.:confused:

TomStr · Aug 20, 2008

use a thermostatic shower device (crane?) the temp on the thermostat is not exact but you can measure the water temp and make your own scale on the thermostat.
costs about 60 euro. and you can find it anywhere...
the advantage is that it is all standard, standard fitings, conection to the water mains... installing it is not that hard.
were i live we dont need a filtration unit so i cant help you with that, sorry.
hope my idea helps.

Tom

ic-racer · Aug 20, 2008

Keep your eyes open, this one sold on e-bay for $5 USD.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Kreonite-Water-...ryZ29993QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

item #250281875083

david b · Aug 20, 2008

the shipping was $57 and that thing is old.

ic-racer · Aug 20, 2008

david b said:
the shipping was $57 and that thing is old.

Off topic: Interesting that when I pull it up the shipping is $36. I guess it is automatically calculating based on zip code.

Larry Bullis · Aug 20, 2008

steveanalog said:
I am finally able to put a water temp and filtration system in my darkroom. I am needing advice on which system works the best. My funds are limited, and my so is my knowledge on this. All help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.:confused:

The Wing-Lynch system is no longer made, but units may be around. It's fantastic. I've installed a number of them in college darkrooms; they work great. Wondering how I was ever going to get one for myself, I was very sad until I picked mine up surplus for $200 (it had the flow valves, the filters, and the warrantee card, brand new). I think I got really lucky, but who knows what's out there now?

It samples the water coming out and continuously adjusts the hot/cold to keep the temp within 1/4 degree F. The units are very reliable, but may need their various gaskets and moving parts (there are few) replaced every few years of heavy usage. The rebuild kits were going for $50 a few years ago, but may be hard to find now.

I believe they came in a 2 gpm version as well as a 4gpm.

For most work where you aren't doing a lot of color, though, the shower valve suggestion by TomStr above is really good. I plumbed a Moen shower valve into a unit which attached to the sink via the kind of hoses that they use to attach washing machines; a kind of portable plumbing. It worked just fine. In fact, even though I no longer have that darkroom, I still have the temperature control unit that I could reinstall very easily just by screwing the hoses on the bibs.

Shadow Images · Aug 21, 2008

Be careful buying used. I have two used units that I bought and now need to buy another as both were unusable and parts impossible/expensive to find. Should of bought new would of cost less in the long run.

36cm2 · Aug 21, 2008

ic-racer said:
Keep your eyes open, this one sold on e-bay for $5 USD.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Kreonite-Water-...ryZ29993QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

item #250281875083

ic-racer, that's funny. I bought that item. Shipping was $0, as I live near NYC and drove in to get it. It was being sold by a local fashion photographer converting his studio space to digital. Really nice guy.

Steveanalog, if you want to do it on the cheap I agree the shower thermostatic valve idea is a good idea. If you're interested in the panel I just bought, expect to pay around $100 to $200 on e-bay. I've been following them for 2 months and actually purchased another one about a month ago for $175. Search for "thermostatic", "temperature", "control" and/or "valve" under "camera and photo". The $5 sale was a fluke and I couldn't pass it up. Hopefully one or both of them will work.

The panel has a few advantages over the shower valve, because it includes (left to right) a graduated flow meter; water filtration unit (which I believe uses Delta I filters available at B&H), C/F temperature gauge, solenoid valve control (for attaching to an electric timer switch so that you can leave the water flowing (e.g. for print washing) and have it automatically turn off after a set time) and second spigot with a vacuum breaker.

You may also want to follow Craigslist. I actually bought some easels from the same fashion photographer mentioned above a couple of weeks prior through Craigslist. I prefer e-bay, but persistence on both sites pays off. Best of luck in your search.

ic-racer · Aug 21, 2008

36cm2 said:
The $5 sale was a fluke and I couldn't pass it up. Hopefully one or both of them will work.

Good find, hope it works. I don't use one currently, but for $5.00 I'd make room to put one in!

I have had good luck getting things locally. Once went to pick up a $25 densitometer and they had an additional identical working unit they threw in for free.

Mike Wilde · Aug 21, 2008

the low tech approach works for me.

The 3/4" water line for the house comes up through the floor in my basement darkroom. I carried the 3/4" cold line up and over to the hot water tank. On the way I tapped off 1/2" cold water connections to the kitchen sink, washing machine, two outside hose bibs and the darkroom. After the hot water tank the cold water goes to 1/2" to service the washrooms in the house.

After a very short run of the cold water tap in the darkroom the cold water temperature very stable, the other large water draws don't cause any big pressure fluctuations.

Adjacent to the darkroom is the hot water tank, with about 15' of 1/2" hot water piping. I run the hot water tank at about 140F. After a short run of the hot tap I am drawing hot water.

All piping, hot and cold are insulated with foam sleeving

I have a wash tub faucet over the darkroom sink, with a dial thermometer stem inseerted into the water stream after the mixing point.

Some day I will find a deal on a thermostatic mixing valve. Til then, this set up works for me.

dpurdy · Aug 21, 2008

OFF topic, I keep reading the title of this thread as "Flirtation and water temp controls..." Sounds like an exciting shower!!!

Jeff Searust · Sep 23, 2008

Ok, I am in the process of setting up a darkroom, and was eyeing a fancy digital water temperature thing out of an old darkroom, but I really don't think I need to spend that much. I have a cold and a hot faucet in the darkroom, and as I am really only going to be doing black and white, I was thinking of connecting these water faucets to a single faucet to mix the hot and cold going into the sink. Then adjust temperature in the sink with the "a little hot a little cold" method.

So my question is: How exact would you like to see water temperatures in a black and white darkroom, and how exact is reasonable? My thought is that 1/2 degree would be nice, but five degrees is reasonable.

ic-racer · Sep 23, 2008

If you have a processor or tempering bath that takes care of your temp. during development, then running water of +/- 5 degrees is probably fine for washing, mixing chemicals and filling the processor.

If you are using a running-water tempering bath, then it should be +/- 1/2 degree.

If you are doing room temp development, then, again, the tap water only needs to be +/- 5 degrees or so for the wash. You just need a chart for the room-temp. compensation based on the film/developer combo you are using.

Jeff Searust · Sep 23, 2008

yeah-- that last one....LOL

Actually I have been doing development for some time in the bathroom, but I will now have a dedicated darkroom with a home built 6 ft long sink. I really had not considered running the water under the developer trays. I do use a digital thermometer to check developer temp, and adjust the temp with stainless tanks of either hot water or ice to sit in it. But having a long sink gives other possibilities.

Filtration and water temp controls....

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