Switch for white light.

GRHazelton · Feb 16, 2017

My darkroom is a second floor bathroom used by guests. I found at Lowe's, I think, a plastic dingus which fits over the switch, attaching by the cover plate screws. It is neat and requires that a finger be inserted to flip the switch. Here's a poor picture: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Style-Selections-1-Gang-Clear-Single-Wall-Plate/50426934

It seems with this guard it would be impossible to accidentally turn on a white light.

Maris · Feb 16, 2017

My white light switches are ceiling mounted with a dangling pull cord. Wet hands don't go anywhere near electricity. If I get fixer contamination on a pull cord I just cut it off and tie on a new one.

Bill Burk · Feb 16, 2017

My white light switch is a radio remote to an X-10 receiver socket. It's dangling on the end of a cord that goes up to a pulley that opens and shuts the flap that covers the laptop in the ceiling running CompNtemp. The laptop has some Amberlith covering it... so the flap can stay open during print sessions. But for film sessions I close the flap and listen out for the chimes.

I never accidentally turn on the white light. There's no risk of electrocution. But occasionally I'll see the clock when developing or loading film. I get mad, but it never really hurts anything.

BobMarvin11225 · Feb 16, 2017

Since the light switch for my darkroom is in the hallway outside of the room I installed a pull-chain switch on the light fixture. That's rather old-fashioned, but a foolproof way of preventing accidental turn ons.

Leigh B · Feb 16, 2017

I use a Thomas Duplex safelight. It's turned on with a normal wall switch by the darkroom door.

The switch for the white lights is mounted on the wall at the top of the door, on the other side of the door.

- Leigh

Bill Burk · Feb 17, 2017

Leigh B said:
I use a Thomas Duplex safelight. It's turned on with a normal wall switch by the darkroom door.

The switch for the white lights is mounted on the wall at the top of the door, on the other side of the door.

- Leigh

The OTHER side of the door... Of course. Impossible to mess up!

MattKing · Feb 17, 2017

Bill Burk said:
The OTHER side of the door... Of course. Impossible to mess up!

IF...there is no mischievous person outside that door

AgX · Feb 17, 2017

The last time I came across a light with a cord switch was in the 60s...
But I'm sure I got in my collection of electrical elements still such a switch in reserve. And I was amazed some time ago to to still find such switch as a spare at a DIY chain shop.

Vaughn · Feb 17, 2017

Bill Burk said:
The OTHER side of the door... Of course. Impossible to mess up!

Fool-proof solutions only encourages Mother Nature to make better fools...

Leigh B · Feb 17, 2017

Bill Burk said:
The OTHER side of the door... Of course. Impossible to mess up!

Hi Bill,

"Other" meaning left/right, not front/back.

Other can have other definitions.

- Leigh

Martyn L · Feb 17, 2017

My safelights are through the analyser pro with inline switching should I need control over any one light. The white lights are one outside the door, which I use to enter the room or when I need extra white light, then I have another white light in the room which is on a switch on the wall away from the enlarger. This way It can't be mistaken for the safelights and if I want a white light I have to go outside the room or walk over to the wall switch. In addition I have an RH designs LED red light which is supplied on a cord so when I am in the darkroom it is around my neck. Good for checking the aperture setting on the enlarger and for measuring the height etc.
Finally I have and angle poise lamp with a daylight bulb to view finished prints.....good for noting tone difference from wet to dry down.

BobMarvin11225 · Feb 17, 2017

AgX,

My 1899 brownstone was wired for electricity c. 1905. It was completely re-wired in the late 1930s and I had the wiring updated again after buying it in the '70s. There are still a couple of small dressing rooms and pantries that lack wall switches and use pull-chains. My darkroom isn't one of them, but I added a pull chain switch since the wall switch is on the other side of the door. Those switches are still common in US hardware stores, at least in cities like New York that have many old houses.

Switch for white light.

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