Have you used an inline chiller?

reggie · Sep 27, 2011

I'm curious about using one in a darkroom. They are pretty reasonably priced and look easy to install. Do you have any experience with them. Can you reccomend a flow rate for one dedicated to a low-volumne b&w darkroom? It would supply water baths, chemical mixing and archival washers.

The d\r has a Haas mixing unit, so the chiller would send cold sater to that.

Thanks.

-R

Mike Wilde · Sep 27, 2011

I have not used one, but the thermodynamics of the situation suggest a constant low flow environment should be easier for a chiller to deal with than intermittent high volume uses. Any fluctuations in the amount of cold could be dealt with by it adding in a bit of hot.

My wing lynch water panel work in this vein. My incoming cold water in th winter causes it to click for hot more often than in the summer. I am lucky that my cold from the municipal never runs much warmer than 18C, even at low flow rates.

ic-racer · Sep 27, 2011

Interesting idea. I'm not sure what you are looking at that is 'reasonably priced.' I found one on-line for $350 rated at 1 gallon per hour. That might work on the cold-water inlet of a Jobo. Do you have a link to some other units.

Ian Grant · Sep 27, 2011

I made one in the mid 70's, I needed de-ionised water at >2° but above freezing for emulsion manufacture. All it cost was a few minutes time to take the bits from a scrap refridgerator and hook up to a tank, worked perfectly for well over a decade.

Ian

reggie · Sep 29, 2011

ic-racer said:
Interesting idea. I'm not sure what you are looking at that is 'reasonably priced.' I found one on-line for $350 rated at 1 gallon per hour. That might work on the cold-water inlet of a Jobo. Do you have a link to some other units.

In terms of specs, this is more what I had in mind. But then, I have just started researching this. The price is not as important as it's suitability.

I'd think 3gph would be plenty for general d\r use plus feeding an archival washer. They typically are pretty frugal on water....

This unit quotes 3 gph. Doesn't say what water temp. It has an adjustible thermostat.

-R

Neal · Sep 29, 2011

Dear reggie,

"...plus feeding an archival washer."

Is your tap water so hot that you can't use it to wash prints?

Neal Wydra

reggie · Sep 30, 2011

reggie said:
In terms of specs, this is more what I had in mind. But then, I have just started researching this. The price is not as important as it's suitability.

I'd think 3gph would be plenty for general d\r use plus feeding an archival washer. They typically are pretty frugal on water....

This unit quotes 3 gph. Doesn't say what water temp. It has an adjustible thermostat.

-R

I wrote to TradeWind Chillers asking for product advice and he wrote back:

"
HI MIKE, OUR IL-35 WILL WORK FINE. YOU WILL NEED ABOUT 8 GALLON PER MINUTE GOING THROUGH THE CHILLER. LET ME KNOW IF I CAN HELP, SINCE YOU ARE NOT IN THE AQUARIUM TRADE I CAN SELL TO YOU DIRECT. YOUR COST LESS SHIPPING IS $575. SHIPPING IS LESS THAN $40. THANKS HAL
"

Here is the link to their product spec page. All models with 'IL' are inline.

http://www.tradewindchillers.com/specsheet/

I have not settled on this mfgr. I am simply doing some research as of now.

BTW, flow rates are GPM, not gph....

-R

reggie · Sep 30, 2011

Neal said:
Dear reggie,

"...plus feeding an archival washer."

Is your tap water so hot that you can't use it to wash prints?

Neal Wydra

True, I suppose I could wash prints at 80+ deg, I just don't want to. It's my d\r and I can do what I want<g>. I guess I'm in love with 68 deg - 72 deg, rational or not.

-R

Have you used an inline chiller?

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