Any suggestions on the best overall combination of water temprature control and water filtration ? What size filtration in microns should be adequate for the home darkroom ?

Also looking at purchasing a print/film washer for my 8x10 and 5x7 sheet film and contact prints. Has anyone tried the Versalab ? It is made here in Colorado and seems very reasonably priced as compared to the expensive acrylic models. Thanks in advance.

-- Michael Kadillak (kadillak@rmi.net), May 09, 1998

Answers

Michael: I use 5 micron filters in both my hot and cold supply lines, and I change them once each year. Certainly has bee fine enough for my water supply. Note that if you filter the hot water side, you need a special "hot water" housing for the filter.

I solved my washing problem -- all film sizes, 35, 120, 4x5 and 8x10 -- by processing all my film -- B&W and Color -- in my CPP-2 JOBO. Washing is 10 changes of water of one minute each. Then you don't have to worry about separate film washers, water temp control, etc. The JOBO controls agitation and temp. This also has the very great advantage of conserving water by using only about two gallons for each 8x10 or 4x5 film run.

Frank

-- Frank Armstrong (elf@ntr.net), May 10, 1998.

If you do decide to add filters to your hot AND cold lines......DON'T! Rather than using two filters (one a special filter designed to take hot water) just use a cold water filter and place it in your water line before it enters the water heater. I use a 5 micron whole house filter available at any hardware or home improvement store. Remember, however, that particulate matter from the inside of your pipes down line from the filter can still get in your water. Use bottled distilled water for your photoflow rinse. As extra insurance, filter the distilled water through a paper filter just prior to use. One more thing that has made a big improvement in reducing particulate matter for me..... I had a new auto fuel filter (the big can type that they use these days) that I didn't need because I had sold the car that it was for. I put this in the inlet line to my Gravity Works film washer. This final filtering has greatly reduced the number of imbedded particles in my film.

-- Tom Johnston (tajohnston@lucent.com), November 25, 1998.