Heating Trays & Wash Water Basin

arigram · Mar 12, 2008

Is it possible to use aquarium heaters to heat the chemicals inside the trays and/or the washing water inside a large (good for a few 39x49cm prints) basin?
Considering that they are all plastic, would melting or chemical contamination be a problem?

Pinholemaster · Mar 12, 2008

Is your darkroom particularly cold?

Aquarium heaters can be set up not to touch the tray. If they aren't expensive, I'd get one for each chemical so there is no worry of contamination. But other than the wash basin, I wouldn't leave a heat in all the time. Just in the beginning to heat up your chemistry, then remove them so you can rock the trays for agitation. Good luck.

Eric Mac · Mar 12, 2008

I'm using aquarium heaters in my trays for 8x10 paper. They are stainless steel rated for salt water. The darkroom has been in the 50's, but chemistry has been a balmy 70. I think they were about 20 bucks a piece. Others have used warming mats they got at Farm Supply under the trays.

Eric

Larry.Manuel · Mar 12, 2008

Heating pads for reptile cages.

My daughter has pet gecko, and he lives in an aquarium-terrarium. There are self-adhesive heating pads that can be used under the terrarium to keep the environment warmer. It wasn't expensive, and I think it is about 8 inches square. I recall it being made of silicone rubber and a few millimeters thick.

My caveat: be sure to use a "Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter" - CFCI outlet for it. These are not expensive, and fit where an ordinary duplex outlet fits. If the liquids spill, it might save your life.

arigram · Mar 12, 2008

Thank you the replies.
I found some heaters online and I am going to check the local stores.
It will save me from a good deal of trouble.

KEK · Mar 12, 2008

I use aquarium heaters also but i don't put them in the chemicals(afraid it will degrade the plastic coating on the wire) i put it in a tray of water and float my tray with chemicals on top. I'm going to be doing some 16 x 20 shortly but don't have the room for 20 x 24 trays in my sink so i think i'm going to get a pig warmer or wait till summer when my basement isn't as cold.

SuzanneR · Mar 12, 2008

Ari... if you don't find an aquarium heater that works for you, you can always reheat chemistry by filling a stainless beaker (or ss negative developing tank), and put that in the tray to re-warm the chemistry between prints. My darkroom is cold, and about every third print or so, when I am printing, I just put in a couple of ss film tanks with hot water, and my chemistry just takes a few minutes to get back up to 68 degrees F. (20 degrees of so C?)

Good luck!

Rich Ullsmith · Mar 12, 2008

Standard drug store heat pads work pretty good, they are sealed so you can drip chems on them. In a 55 degree f darkroom, it will take an 8X10 tray to about 85 f, an 11X14 to about 75 f, and a 16X20 to about 70. Fifteen bucks, cheap-cheap.

arigram · Mar 12, 2008

Thanks Suzanne.
This is the method I have been using until now, along with a larger tray of hot water
but I want something more "automatic" which doesn't use water.
I have an air conditioner in my darkroom but it doesn't help with the temperature
of the chemicals and wash water.
Thank you Rich.
I will check out what the medical equipment stores have.
Are they electric or are you talking about the ones that just take hot water?

jeroldharter · Mar 12, 2008

Darkrooms are usually small so it might be just as easy to keep your room between 68 - 75 degrees F. That would solve the tray temperature problem but not the wash water. Aquarium heaters are very slow, so even if you use the dump and replace method for washing, I think it would take too long.

I used to use an aquarium heater in a large plastic tub of water as a tempering bath for BTZS tubes. Now I use a Dev-Tec heating element which is much better but relatively expensive and hard to find.

Heating Trays & Wash Water Basin

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