Heat related darkroom issues

[Curt]

It's hotter than usual in our area and the darkroom is going from mid to high 90's in the daytime. It's been a couple of day of that and I'm beginning to get pressed to do something about it other than remove the lenses and paper from there which I've done.

The main question is how much can my chemistry stand of this high temperature? My apologies if this has been covered before. Thanks.

 

[trexx]

The chemistry should be OK if in full well stoppered bottles. Just allow to return to working temp slowly.

 

[glbeas]

Tell us about the darkroom, is it a separate room from the rest of the house or is it hooked into the hvac of the house? I put a very small window ac in the darkroom wall and sealed up around it really well when I had problems like that.

 

[Ira Rush]

It's hotter than usual in our area and the darkroom is going from mid to high 90's in the daytime. It's been a couple of day of that and I'm beginning to get pressed to do something about it other than remove the lenses and paper from there which I've done.

The main question is how much can my chemistry stand of this high temperature? My apologies if this has been covered before. Thanks.

Here in New Jersey, it too is likewise hotter than normal....

Regarding paper ... anyone know what is the "highest safest" temperature it can be stored, before I begin to panic and start tossing the meat out of the freezer to make room for the paper...

Thanks in advance (and likewise, my apologies if this has been covered before)

 

[Curt]

My darkroom is in the second story of my garage building, a separate building from the house. The first floor is garage and shop with storage, the second floor is a large space with a 12 foot vaulted ceiling. The darkroom is a room up there with a door into the open space. Eventually it will be a nice studio space to relax with abundant wall space for photos. The problem is it is not occupied that much right now and the darkroom is a room within a room. I don't have the large room finished.

 

[glbeas]

Sounds like it would be a candidate for a small ac if you didn't mind the power cost. I'd be putting insulation in all around as much as possible to reduce the demands.

 

[mike c]

Hot hear in LA also,bought a used frig. and a air conditioner last year and I am enjoying it now. Don't run the air unless I'm in the darkroom ,papers are in frig. full time,the chems are on there own but no problem so far with them.

Mike C

 

[Robert Hall]

I've acquired an ac unit from the local costco. It has kept me right in line at 70F. It shows on the power bill but I can't go moving my paper out, at least not yet.

 

[Wade D]

My darkroom, which is a large spare bathroom, is in the mid to high 80's with the AC on during the day. The mixed chemicals seem fine so far this summer. I develop film and print at night when I can get the temp down to around 78.

 

[Curt]

I checked the weather report and for Seattle it's expected to be 101 to 103 and that breaks an all time record. I may have to bring the fixer and chemicals in the house from the darkroom until it cools off a bit. I have an ac unit for the darkroom now but setting it up now would be difficult. And just when I had the darkroom heating solved. There is no lawn to mow, it stopped growing. The plant I was going to photograph is fully bloomed but it's going to be a rush to get setup in this heat. I was going for an 8x10 but it might turn out to be an RB 67 instead. Best of luck to all of you out there in the heat from New Jersey to San Diego I feel for you.

 

[Ira Rush]

Tell us about the darkroom, is it a separate room from the rest of the house or is it hooked into the hvac of the house? I put a very small window ac in the darkroom wall and sealed up around it really well when I had problems like that.

My darkroom is in a second floor spare bedroom/guest room. House has central air, with the thermostat set for 76 and higher. The thermostat is downstairs, so by the time downstairs reaches above 76, up stairs could be in the high 78-82 degree range.

Can't possibly run the air 24/7, or set it lower than 76 as electric bills are high here in the "Garden State" as I am sure as is every where else.

Yes, I know I should at least refrigerate the paper (freezing would be better).

I would assume that when say Agfa was shipping its paper to the US, it was most likely in a "hot cargo hold on a ship" rather than in an Air Conditioned environment.... likewise in a camera store, I'm sure that the air is not running 24/7, so things could get hot in there too.

So without being redundant... again anyone know what the safest/highest temp would be for storing paper, before it goes bad.

Once again, thanks in advance

(As for tossing the meat out of the freezer, my wife said, "Are you ******* crazy")

 

[sly]

Just north of you on Vancouver Island we are having the same heat wave. My situation is a twin of yours - darkroom above the garage. I got up at 5 this morning to do some darkroom work. It was 80F in there still. Yesterday afternoon - when I tried to get a bit done it was over 100. I've put all my paper in the freezer, and would like to climb in myself.

 

[Curt]

I bit the bullet and put in an ac unit up there. When the temp was over 95 today I just figured it was time to knock it down some. By the time I got it in I looked like I just jumped in a swimming pool. I did similar to Sly and pulled my paper out yesterday. From Vancouver Island down to Portland it's record breaking.

My advise is stay inside, stay cool, and drink water, lots of water.

 

[dpurdy]

I am hanging out in my basement darkroom in Portland. 77 down here and 90 on the ground floor. 105 outside. Who can function like this? I guess be thankful we are not wearing full battle gear in Iraq or living in Arizona where they don't have Indian Summer, they have idiot Summer.
Dennis

 

[Curt]

My ac unit isn't cooling down the area very well so I'm going up at midnight and putting some black plastic up to localize the cooling to the darkroom and window. At 105 I brought down my developer and fix. I've never seen anything like this here. Dennis it makes me want to move the darkroom to the first floor.

 

[Rich Ullsmith]

Hi, Curt. I'm a hundred miles north, and it's a little better. It feels like the humidity is down, though.

Ira, I don't think there is a definitive answer to your question, what is the temp limit before the papers go bad. I believe it is extremes of humidity rather than temperatures that really do the damage, and I have seen notations on data sheets mentioning changes in "characteristics" of a paper with extreme humidity. Never seen temperature mentioned.

Something to consider, if you plan on putting paper in a fridge/freezer to save it from a hot, humid environment, and that is condensation. Whatever moisture went in as vapor will become liquid as it cools. That is not a good thing.

 

[Curt]

I'm keeping the paper and chemicals in the house now which is in the low 70's. Lake Stevens just East of me is 105 degrees now that's hot. There's going to be some records broken and some new all time ones created.

 

[wogster]

My ac unit isn't cooling down the area very well so I'm going up at midnight and putting some black plastic up to localize the cooling to the darkroom and window. At 105 I brought down my developer and fix. I've never seen anything like this here. Dennis it makes me want to move the darkroom to the first floor.

Wanna trade, we have had exactly 1 day where it's been above about 80 all summer, along with we have had so much rain, a road near here collapsed, and there has been localized flooding.

 

[Curt]

Paul believe it or not we had a flash flood warning an hour ago. In Texas the roads are melting under tires and feet. Plenty of misery to go around these days.

 

[sly]

Well, tell you what Ontario, we've had enough of summer now, you can have it back!

I heard that one of the records broken today was in Inuvik - 29C today (what's that?... 90F?). Inuvik is on the Arctic Ocean.

 

[Dennis S]

We set a record temp here today in Vancouver 33.8 C

 

[MattKing]

We set a record temp here today in Vancouver 33.8 C

In fact, it is an all time record. The measuring station (at the Vancouver airport) has never recorded that temperature before.

Away from the airport, it has been quite a bit warmer.

Matt

 

[Kirk Keyes]

I checked the weather report and for Seattle it's expected to be 101 to 103 and that breaks an all time record.

That's nothing. It was 106 here in Portland today. It wouldn't be so bad if I could get Paris Hilton to come by the house and say "That's Hot!".

 

[Curt]

Is that 92.84 F the old record goes back to 1960!

Portland was a scorcher, the weather channel had a reporter there all day. That guy is probably in a bath of ice cubes and cold water now.

 

[wogster]

Well, tell you what Ontario, we've had enough of summer now, you can have it back!

I heard that one of the records broken today was in Inuvik - 29C today (what's that?... 90F?). Inuvik is on the Arctic Ocean.

Well, put some of that heat in a box and send it over, this is the second year in a row that we have gone from late spring to early fall, missing the season in between. I wouldn't mind skipping winter once in a while, that always seems to show up with gusto, but man.....